Potato Corn Chowder

If you are like me, you have at some point looked through your freezer and said to yourself, "Uh, it's March and I have just discovered the rest of the Christmas ham. What should I do with it? It seems a shame to waste it." The answer: chowder!!! This recipe can be made without the ham but it is easy to include.

1/2 cup of butter
1 small yellow onion diced
2 carrots diced
2 tbsp celery seed
1 large clove minced garlic
1/2 cup of flour
2 cups corn kernals (pref. sweet white)
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup diced ham
3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
2 cups milk
1/4 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper

Melt butter in large soup pot then sautee onion, carrots, garlic and celery seeds until onion softens. Add flour to make a roux, stirring until smooth. Set aside and then in new pot combine, potatoes, corn, ham and stock. Bring to boil then add to roux, stirring as you do so to keep from lumping. Bring to boil again and slowly add milk. Let simmer stirring often until carrots and potatoes are tender. Add seasonings to taste.