Somewhere around 200 - 300 people trooped through my garden last Wednesday night. I didn't actually see them. I was in Chicago at our condo. The garden is in Wisconsin.

My garden was "invited" to be in the Olbrich Garden Tour. I wasn't invited. I was told I didn't even need to be there. My garden was what they wanted to "meet".

Each year a number of gardens are put on display so the best and brightest gardeners can come tour, savor your plantings and "steal" ideas to replicate at home. I don't mind them stealing my ideas. In fact, I was honored to be chosen as one of the favored gardens.

This year the garden's theme was SPEED. Since I'm living much of the time this summer in Chicago I had to figure out how to design my garden this summer so the maintenance time would come in under 2 hours or less per week. That's all the time I was going to have. Ironically this same year is the one I'd been chosen to have my garden on tour. Pressure was on. Pressure on the plants that is. I begged the annuals to grow as fast as possible. I forced the perennials to fill in their blank spots and blossom at just the right time. The astilbes did as they were "told" and held on to their blooms one week longer than usual so there was be a profusion of pink behind the purple creepers and the coral million bells and the bright green potato vines.

When I left Wednesday morning the grass was newly mowed, the trimming was perfect and not a weed was seen. Too bad I didn't get to see any of the people touring. I would have liked to know what they thought. Maybe I'll find out the next time I'm in Madison and I'll let you know.

Reason to bring this all up is what's behind my garden. 66 acres. Some years it's corn. Other years soybeans. Corn. YUM. How about we make some yummy, easy Cajun Corn Chowder? Then when the sweet corn harvest comes in Wisconsin we'll talk about the huge Sun Prairie Corn Festival. Double YUM!

Cajun Corn Chowder

6 slices of bacon
1 large onion chopped
1Tbl flour
4 cans of creamed corn. (you can also mix half creamed corn with kernel corn or you can use an equivalent of fresh corn removed from the cob. It would take about 8 cups of corn kernels).
One half cup of chicken broth
2 cups of milk (2% or skim work fine too)
Tabasco to taste
Cracked pepper

Cook bacon in a heavy bottomed soup pan. When it's nicely browned and crispy remove it and set it on paper towels to drain and cool off.

When it's cool you'll want to chop it into pieces. While the bacon is cooling start your soup. Don't pour off the fat from the bacon. Put in your chopped onion and let it get soft on medium-high heat. This will take just a few minutes. 5 min. max. Then add the flour. Stir it around just until it mixes well with the onion. This is your thickener for the soup. Add the milk and the chicken broth as well as your corn. Stir it about until it's fully mixed. Cook until bubbly and just let the flavors meld. 15 minutes ought to do it. Stir periodically so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. If you're using fresh corn check it to make sure the corn is cooked. If not cook a little longer. You don't need to worry about this with the canned corn.

The last few minutes of heating add the bacon bits you cut up. Also add the Tabasco and the cracked pepper. I put in just enough to get the flavor going. You can always let your guests add more at the table if they like serious heat in their food.

For variations you can add more milk if you like a soup instead of a thicker chowder and you can blend either version in your blender or food processor if you want it smooth (before the bacon is added).

Serve for lunch with sandwiches or a salad. Serve as a first course or soup course with dinner.

This also keeps well in the refrigerator and the flavors continue to build so sometimes I make the soup a day ahead of the rest of dinner to make life easier.

Enjoy! And Cheers! Zola