New England Clam and Corn Chowder

I stole this recipe from - http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/fasteasyfresh/2009/01/new_england_clam_and_corn_chowder. I had this craving for a creamy soup after Christmas - and the photo looked so good - and I got to use my brand new pot!

I didn't change very much, left out the rosemary and added the clams and corn at the very end, because they get tough if cooked. I have rosemary now (2016) but of course I also add thyme ... I couldn't find any good parsley, so I did without that as well. I wouldn't add salt til the end, as I do with all soups - it's really hard to fish out extra salt, and very easy to add more. It tastes exactly as I had planned ...

• 6 thick bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled, chopped
• 1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1 8-ounce unpeeled white-skinned potato (I used little red ones - they looked nicer), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 6 1/2-ounce cans chopped clams in juice
• 1 cup canned corn kernels, drained
• Chopped fresh parsley

• Cook bacon in large saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
• Pour out all but 3 tablespoons drippings from pan.
• Add next 3 ingredients to pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Sauté until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle flour over; stir 1 to 2 minutes.
• Gradually add milk to pan, stirring constantly.
• Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and cook until slightly thickened, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
• Add potatoes and clam juice. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
• Add clams and corn. Sprinkle with parsley.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• You can sprinkle the bacon bits over the top if you like.