Something simple and filling - inspired by my CSA veggies and leftover corn from the weekend.  Easily becomes vegetarian by substituting the bacon for 4 T butter.

Serves 4-6

3 ears corn
4 strips bacon
1/2 c white wine (or water or stock - for deglazing)
2-4 scallions, thinly sliced (reserve green ends as garnish)
1 small bulb fennel, diced
1 carrot, diced
4 heaping T flour
4 c milk
1 can creamed corn
3 potatoes, diced
salt and black pepper

1) Preheat grill to medium high, remove husks from corn and grill until just beginning to char.  Once cool enough to handle remove kernels from cob and reserve.
2) Cook in large stock pot (big enough to hold all ingredients) bacon until just crisp, remove reserving fat in bottom of pit.
3) Add sliced whites of scallions, and some of the greens to rendered bacon fat and cook until soft. Deglaze with wine.
4) Add fennel and carrot and sweat for 4-6 minutes until beginning to soften.
5) Sprinkle cooked veg with flour and cook stirring constantly until veggies evenly coated.
5) Add milk, stirring constantly.  Once milk thickens slightly add creamed corn and diced potatoes and simmer 20-30 minutes.
6) Season with salt and pepper, serve with cold white wine and tossed salad.

*I've got to point out that depending on personal preference for flavour and texture veggies can be added or taken away, and the liquid amounts (less liquid for a thicker chowder, more for a thinner one) and types (wine, stock, water, cream etc) can be changed.  This is just a very basic outline of what I came up with using the ingredients I had on hand.

I've also been writing recipes for Create A Cook where I'm currently teaching.  I was surprised at how much I enjoy writing recipes.  It makes me want to see if there are more opportunities out there for me in that field. 

Dinner tonight is going to be a simple fish stew - we'll see if that recipe makes it up here.

Also, the oven is totally the way to go when cooking a large amount of bacon.  Trust me. 

Charolais is a goat cheese from Burgundy.  It can be sold either very fresh or slightly aged.  This piece was on the more aged side.  It's got a bloomy rind and the center of this pieces was firm and chalky.  I thought the flavour was kinda plain, but on the earthy side.  In my mind I kept thinking the flavour was not unlike cream cheese and sour cream (but more complex) it had a sourness and a creaminess at the same time.

The next piece was  Mothis Feuille.

This is also a goat cheese, but from Poitou.  When I was being shown how to set up the fresh goat cheese case my manager told me that this specific bloomy rind is common in cheese of that region.  It's aged sitting on a chestnut leaf, which I'm assuming is a tradition and doesn't do much to the flavor.  But I'm new to this.  This cheese is much creamier with a very small center that's chalky.  I found the flavor more pungently earthy than the charolais, slightly bitter and more salty.  For some reason as I was spreading and eating this cheese I kept thinking about melted rubber.  I think it's got to do with the texture of the gooeyness, and it's shininess.

Also - the combination of apples and comté is a new favorite.

The book that was recommended to me the first day was Steve Jenkins "Cheese Primer" and it's been very helpful.  Also very inexpensive to buy used online.

I'm really enjoying my new job.  I'm learning a lot every day I'm there and trying to read up on cheese when I'm not.  There's a lot to learn which can feel a tad daunting but the rest of the staff have been very patient and supportive.

More cheese next week.

Neat lady, great cook.  I'm going to miss her a lot.