Corn & Tomato Bisque

It is a cold, wet, rainy day in new England. Time for some soup!
Corn and Tomato Bisque
adapted from Food & Wine August 2000
1 large jalapeno
1 Tbsp champagne vinegar

1/2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 cups frozen corn kernels 

1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp sour cream

4 plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp finely chopped cilantro

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Roast the jalapeño in a pan under the broiler, turning, until charred all over. Transfer the jalapeño to a very small zip bag and let steam for 10 minutes. Peel, core, seed and finely chop the jalapeño. In a small bowl, combine the jalapeño with the vinegar and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the corn and garlic and cook, stirring, until the corn is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and simmer until the corn is tender, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer 1 1/2 cups of the corn to a food processor, add the sour cream and 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the soup.
Add the tomatoes, scallion and cilantro to the soup and cook until heated through. Serve garnished with parsley, and jalapeno and a drizzle of the chile vinegar. Serve hot.