Sunday, August 26, 2012

Cornfed


It's high tide corn and tomato season, time to glom in as much of local, pure, non genetically altered product you can scoop up at your local farmers' market or farm and binge eat. It's all going to go away soon.

If you're already weary of corn on the cob--steamed, boiled or grilled, and you've frozen all the blanched kernels your freezer will hold, here are some ideas for what to do now, in addition of course to the corn pudding recipe in my book, How to Fix a Leek...

Corn pancakes: yes there are corn fritters and they are seriously delicious but I'm thinking of the much easier, simple pancake. At your local supermarket either in the foreign foods or baking ingredients department, you are likely to find a small plastic bag of special corn meal called masarepa. Grab a bag, either white or yellow. The instructions on the package are very easy: you mix the masarepa with warm water, knead it into a dough and let it sit 10 minutes. I say: add 1/4 tsp chili powder, pinch of salt and for every cup of masarepa 1/2 cup corn kernels. After the 10 minute time out, you heat up a frying pan with 1/2" of corn oil, scoop up some corny dough, flatten it into a pancake--I prefer them 2-3" in diameter, and fry it on one side about 90 seconds or until it is crisp and starting to brown. Then flip it and do the same. These pancakes are great for breakfast, brunch or supper with black beans and/or salsa on top or a sunnyside up egg or a spoon of sour cream. They're also great served with spicy sausage, a bowl of chili or grilled flank steak.


Corn salad: slice cooked kernels off the cobs into a large bowl--figure a cob per person and let's do this figuring 6 people. Toss in 1/2 avocado chunked, 1 large tomato chunked, 2/3 small can red kidney beans drained well, 1/2 small green pepper minced, 5-6 pitted black olives thinly sliced, and 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds. (If you are not vegetarian you can add some finely diced slices of pepperoni.) Dress with olive oil and fresh lime juice--2 tbsp oil to every tbsp lime juice. Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Then top with 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves. This is a very refreshing salad to serve with lobsters, grilled chicken or rice and pine nut stuffed peppers. (Spoiler alert: I made the salad in the photo with cherry tomatoes and green pimento stuffed olives because that's what I had on hand at the time. This salad is flexible!)

Corn soup: (with a nod to Steve Poses) there is chowder with corn, potatoes, onions, roasted poblano pepper and evaporated milk. And then there is this pureed soup for 6, which you can make faster. Cut the kernels from 5 ears of fresh corn and puree them in a food processor or blender. Melt 1/2 stick unsalted butter in a large, heavy gauge saucepan. Add one small minced onion and sauté it over medium heat until it's soft and translucent. Add 1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder or smoked Spanish paprika and stir to blend. Pour in the corn puree and heat it for 5 minutes. Stir in a pinch of salt, 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, a dash of hot sauce or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes and 2 cups heavy cream plus 1 1/2 cups milk. Gentle heat over medium being careful not to boil (because of the milk.) Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 lb. shredded cheddar. Then ladle the soup into serving bowls and top each with a smidgen of minced green chili.

Corn side dish: (this is Mexican) Heat oven to 350º and get out a 2 quart oven proof dish.
Cut the kernels from 5 ears of corn. Roast 5 poblano chilies, cool and slice them into thin strips.
In a heavy gauge saucepan, melt 1/2 stick unsalted butter. Add 1/2 medium red onion diced and 1 clove garlic minced. Over med/low heat sauté until onions are soft. Add the chili strips, cover and cook about 8 minutes until they are soft. Add the corn kernels, and 1 tsp salt. Blend everything and pour into the oven dish. Cover tightly (foil will do) and bake 20 minutes. Add 1/4 lb Monterey Jack cheese and continue baking another 20 minutes. Serve hot, if you dare with a dollop of sour cream. You can eat this simply with fresh tortilla or scrambled eggs or roasted chicken. It will not reheat or last so make the most of it right away.





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