Sweet corn is simply amazing. We've been getting about 5 ears of corn every week from our CSA and each week it seems to get sweeter and sweeter. Corn season peaks from July to August-- so it's about time to make my favorite corn salad from Ina Garten. We've also been getting basil (this week it was the purple variety), I used those herbs too. In addition to being really delicious, this recipe is incredibly easy. It took me under 15 minutes to make the salad and that includes 3 minutes for boiling the corn. Quick, seasonal, flavorful dishes are increasingly important to me now that I'm watching after a 22 month old, a 3 week old, a 13 1/2 year old dog AND packing up our apartment to move west (which is no easy feat due to aforementioned responsibilities. Oy! There's a lot going on but at least this provides a simple, nourishing side dish and ensures that none of my CSA share goes to waste!
Fresh Corn Salad with Basil (Courtesy ofIna Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook) Yields 4-6 servings Ingredients
5 ears of corn, shucked
1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves Directions
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.
Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.
Well, summer is over and autumn has begun. While most people mourn the end of summer, I fully embrace the end of hot, sticky weather. My favorite season is fall. I love the colors of turning leaves and I rejoice that the Yankees are once again in the post-season. True, the chilly nights are a harbinger of things to come, but I also like the winter (I am a winter baby after all). In the kitchen I start making heavier, richer soups and stews. I tend to use lots of potatoes (fingerling, yams and sweet), legumes and fall squashes. But there are a few 'hangers-on' from the previous season-- namely, corn. This recipe combines fresh corn with polenta, which is an Italian name for ground cornmeal or maize. You can add some rapini or porcini mushrooms to the polenta if you want to kick-it-up a notch. Maybe even some blue cheese, if that's your thing. Apparently this dish is popular in Austria as an early morning treat. I made it as a brunch side dish. Yum. Baby Otis gobbled it up! Note: this recipe should *not* be made ahead of time. It needs to be served immediately.
Polenta with Corn and Thyme (Courtesy of Martha Stewart) Serves 4 Ingredients 2 tablespoons of butter 1 cup of corn kernels (I used CSA corn, but you can use frozen if you don't have access to fresh corn) 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme 1 cup whole milk 1/2 cup of fine cornmeal (polenta) 1/4 cup of grated parmesan
Preparation In a large saucepan, melt 1 tablesppon butter (I used salted) over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup of corn kernels and 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until corn is warmed through, about 1-2 minutes. Add 1 cup whole milk and 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of fine cornmeal (polenta). Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and creamy, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/4 cup of grated parmesan. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Serve immediately.
Corn, better known to the Mesoamerican peoples as maize, is ubiquitous. Over 332 million metric tons of it are grown annually in the United States. It's in our fuel, our plastics, our medicine, our alcohol and we get A LOT of it in our CSA share. I've made corn salad, corn salsa and corn on the cob. But using corn as a "pesto" is a little bit more creative and it's easy to make. Fresh ingredients are key-- so find the best summer corn and the freshest pasta and you'll really enjoy this seasonal favorite. The original recipe calls for bacon and "it's drippings." I'm a vegetarian so I omitted the bacon. As a substitute for the oink, oink, my good friend and fellow blogger, Kathryn L. of Cooking Inside the Box, recommends using smoking salts because they "give it [the dish] the smokey flavor of bacon"--- so don't be shy, give it a try! This recipe makes 4-5 entree size portions. As they say in Italy, bon appetito! Tagliatelle with Fresh Corn Pesto (Adapted from Bon Appetit, August 2010) 4 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 6 large ears) 1 large garlic clove, minced 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil for sauteing the corn (first step, see below) 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (for adding to corn mixture once it is in the food processor) 8 ounces tagliatelle or fettuccine 3/4 cup coarsely torn fresh basil leaves, divided
Preparation
Cut corn from ears and heat in a large fry pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. (I cut mine in a colander in order to avoid 'corn gone wild.') Add garlic, 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Sauté over medium-high heat until corn is just tender but not brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer 1 1/2 cups corn kernels to small bowl and reserve. Scrape remaining corn mixture into food processor. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan and pine nuts. With machine running, add olive oil through feed tube and blend until pesto is almost smooth. Set pesto aside. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Add corn pesto, reserved corn kernels, and 1/2 cup basil leaves. Toss pasta mixture over medium heat until warmed through, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with additional parmesan and julienned basil leaves.
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