Roasted Sweet Potato and Corn Chowder

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2 in dice

2 tbsp corn oil (spectrum natural has a good corn taste)

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 pound bag of frozen corn

1 cup water

1 1/2 cups finely diced celery

1 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup diced shallots

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves

3 cups veggie broth

1 bay leaf

1 russet (baking) potato (about 8 oz)

2 tbsp minced parsley

DIRECTIONS:
1 - set the oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 425F. Oil a large roasting pan

2 - scatter sweet potatoes in on e layer in the roasting pan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, tossing once or twice, 15-20 minutes. If you'd like to brown the sweet potatoes more deeply, set them about 5 inches below the broiling element for a minute or two. Set aside. 

3 - Reserve 1 cup of corn kernels. In a blender, puree the remaining corn with the water until very smooth, about 2 mins. (if the corn kernel skin refuses to break down, and they look unsightly to you, pas the mixture through a sieve.) Set. Aside. 

4 - IN a heavy soup pot, heat the remaining tbsp of oil. Cook the celery, onion and shallots over med-high heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tom paste and thyme and cook another minute, stirring frequently. Add the broth, pureed corn, bayleaf, 1 tsp salt, and pepper to taste. 

5 - while bringing the chowder to a boil, peel the potato, cut it into 1/2-inch dice, add it to the pot. Cover the pot and simmer until potato is tender, 25-35 minutes. 

6 - remove the bay leaf. Add the reserved corn kernels, roasted sweet potatoes, and parsley.