If you can't tell, I'm reveling in corn these days. There's just nothing like fresh corn in August, when it's at the height of its season and sweet and perfect. Like the best summer heirloom tomatoes, there is something about late summer corn that just let's you taste the season, you know? It's like a last burst of summer before we feel the turn into fall. 

But in case I was getting any ideas about living in real seasons, the last few weeks have reminded me that summer is for the rest of the country, and here in SF we get highs in the 60's with apocalyptically foggy evenings and all the wind. I've been running in long sleeves and I've given up on my hair, since my morning walk to work takes place under a cloud of precipitation somewhere between heavy mist and light rain, what my college roommate used to call "spitting."

All that cool air and dampness can make it hard to really enjoy late August corn the way I otherwise might want to, grilled or steamed on the cob and enjoyed outside next to a barbecue, or served raw and cold (which I did anyway because if I shut the windows to my apartment it at least looks warm outside around mid-day).  

So, I turned to the more weather-appropriate medium of hot soup! I kept the flavors clean and simple to let the sweet corn shine through, and garnished it with a pile of cool, pickled, grilled and fresh toppings to keep the vibe feeling summery. You could of course leave off the garnishes or only use a few, but the complete set really gives it the heft of a meal and the flavors together are something wonderful.  If you don't live in SF but you happen to get an unseasonably cold or rainy late summer day, I think this is the perfect dinner for that (unless you have strong feelings about whether soup is even a meal, in which case I can't help you there).

End of Summer Corn Soup

For the garnishes:

• 1 jalapeno
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream or mexican crema
• 1 lime
• 1/3 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more if grilling corn
• a few chives, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• 1 radish, thinly sliced
• cotija cheese, crumbled
• 1 ear corn

For the soup:

• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 6 ears corn
• 3 tbs butter
• leek
• 1-2 tsp chili powder
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 lime
• salt and pepper

1. Make your garnishes, if using: for the pickled jalapeños, in a small pot, heat vinegar and sugar to a boil until sugar is dissolved. Place jalapeño slices in a heat proof bowl and pour vinegar mixture over. Let sit until ready to use.
2. Make the lime crema: zest and juice the lime and add to the sour cream. Stir to combine and set aside.
3. Make the cilantro oil: In a blender, combine olive oil, cilantro, chives, and 1 clove garlic. Transfer into a small bowl and season with salt and pepper (strain if desired, I didn't find it necessary). Set aside.
4. If making grilled corn garnish: Heat a grill pan or grill, and brush the corn cob with a little olive oil. Grill on high heat until just charred on all sides. Let cool a bit and then cut off the kernels into a bowl. Set aside.
5. To make the soup: Heat stock in a large pot until boiling, then reduce to a simmer. While heating, cut kernels off cobs and set aside in a bowl. Place all cobs (the 6 plus the one you grilled, if using) in the pot and simmer, covered, for at least 20 minutes.
6. In a large skillet, heat the 3 tbs butter over medium heat and add the leeks. Saute until translucent about 5 minutes, then add the corn kernels and saute 5-6 minutes more. Add the chili powder and clove of garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat.
7. Remove the cobs from the stock pot and place on a cutting board or plate to cool. Add the sautéed leek and corn mixture to the stock and simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes.
8. When the cobs are cool, scrape down the sides with a knife to get every last bit of corn juice and kernels. I’d recommend doing this step into a bowl. Add whatever you get from this step into the pot, and simmer another couple of minutes ( I got almost nothing extra from this step so I'd say its optional, but if you have especially juicy corn it could work).
9. Remove pot from the heat, and using an immersion blender, puree the soup until completely smooth (you can also do this step in a regular blender, in batches if necessary). If it seems a little thick you can thin out with water or extra stock. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Stir in the juice of remaining lime.
10. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with lime crema, cilantro oil, pickled jalapeños, radish slices, cotija cheese, and grilled corn kernels (if using).