MIDWESTERN CHOWDER

1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 tsp. thyme
2 potatoes, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 green or red pepper, diced
1 cup whole kernel corn
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Melt 1 tablespoon butter and saute onion, celery, and thyme until vegetables are soft.

Add potatoes, carrots, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cover with water and cook until vegetables are tender but still solid. Add green or red pepper and corn and set aside.

In large soup pot, melt 1/4 cup butter, add flour, and cook until bubbly.

Add milk and stir until mixture thickens and boils.

Add vegetables and their broth. Stir in cheese, mustard, wine and parsley. Season to taste.

Note from source: This is (really) from Yankee Magazine's Great New England Recipes Cookbook. It is a meal by itself. I double this for a large crowd. It tends to thicken if it sits a while - add more broth or wine. It is not as much work as it sounds - really just boiling veggies as if for soup or stew, then making a roux. The combination of cheese, wine, and mustard really is tasty.

Servings: 6
Source: F. Whitney