'Shroom, 'Shroom!

I had plans to make a pumpkin soup, but the co-op had no canned pumpkin. I guess they deem it a seasonal food and apparently it's not the season (baffling). No worries though. Instead I improvised this delicious mushroom soup. It's somewhere between a bisque and a chowder. The corn gives just a whisper of sweetness. If you're looking out for your health you could switch out the butter for olive oil and the half-and-half for low-fat milk. But I find every once and a while it's worth a little extra.

Mushroom Bisque

Makes 5 cups

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

1 leek, sliced and rinsed

7 ounces fresh or frozen corn

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

1 1/2 cup 2% milk

1/2 cup 1/2 & 1/2

Melt the butter in a saute pan (12-14 inches is best to allow the vegetables room to "breath"). Add the mushrooms, leek and corn. Saute for about 10 minutes, until all has wilted and shrunk a bit. Add salt, pepper and rosemary and continue to cook for another minute.

Transfer the mixture to the container of the Vita-Mix. Add milk and half-and-half. Start on variable #1, increase to #10, then high. Run for about 8 minutes to puree and heat soup.