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Have you ever watched a cooking show that made you so hungry you wanted to jump through the television? I experienced this as Ina Garten whipped up a simple-to-prepare hearty corn chowder on her show "The Barefoot Contessa."
We’re lucky because New Jersey and Pennsylvania corn are now in the markets. Whether you prefer white, yellow or bi-color, this is one vegetable that shouts summer.
Corn is a Native American food now enjoyed all over the world. Italians would not have invented polenta without it, and what would we munch on at the movies if the Pilgrims never learned of this tasty delight?
I like to add a small handful of fresh kernels to a box of corn muffin mix. It gives the treats a nice crunch. For those of you who go for the hot stuff, add a small, diced jalape�o pepper to the mix along with the corn. A handful of fresh kernels can also be added to blueberry muffin mix — the flavors marry quite well.
The worst thing you can do to corn is boil it to death. Simply bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the veggie for about three minutes. Or, eat it cold — the late film star Katharine Hepburn once told a reporter she loved to pick corn from the fields and eat it raw.
Corn freezes beautifully. All you have to do is remove the husk, run a sharp knife down each side, place the kernels in a storage bag and pop it into the cold. Then, on a brisk November day, use it in any number of recipes.
Corn Chowder
Ingredients:
8 ounces of bacon, chopped
1/4 cup of olive oil
4 large onions, chopped
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 cup of flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
12 cups of chicken stock
2 pounds of potatoes, diced
Kernels from 10 ears of fresh corn, blanched in boiling water for three minutes
2 cups of half-and-half
8 ounces of sharp cheddar, grated
Directions:
Cook the bacon over medium in the oil in a large stockpot until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the onions to the pot and saut� until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the butter, flour, salt, pepper and turmeric. Blend well. Add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Add the potatoes. Lower to simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Add the corn, half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for about five minutes, or until the cheese melts.
Garnish each serving with the bacon.
Serves 10.
Note from Phyllis: This is the chowder Garten made on her show.
Corn Salad
Ingredients:
Kernels from five ears of corn, blanched for three minutes in boiling water
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion, diced
1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup of olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Directions:
Place the corn, bell pepper, onion and chickpeas in a serving bowl and toss well. Add the salt and pepper.
Whisk the oil and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Pour over the salad and toss again.
Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: This is a free-form recipe that adapts well to any number of ingredients. Scallions, sliced shiitake mushrooms, chopped cucumber and sliced celery can be added.
Corn Pudding
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of softened butter, plus 3 tablespoons melted
Kernels from six ears of corn
1/3 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of milk
Sprinkling of nutmeg
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Smear the bottoms and sides of a 1-1/2- quart baking or souffl� dish with the softened butter.
Place the corn in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and salt and blend well.
In another bowl, beat the eggs. Beat in the cream, milk and the melted butter. Add to the corn mixture and blend well.
Pour into the buttered dish. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
Place in a square cake pan or another baking dish. Put into the oven. Before closing the oven door, pour boiling water in the pan to within 1 inch of the top of the dish with the mixture in it.
Bake for one hour, or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
Serves eight.
Louisiana Corn Stew (Maque Choux)
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of shortening
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 large green pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 fresh jalape�o pepper, seeded and inely chopped
1 banana pepper, or a non-spicy long pepper, finely chopped
2 large fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup of dry white wine
Kernels from 12 ears of fresh corn
1/2 cup of half-and-half
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
Kosher salt, to taste
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil
Directions:
Melt the butter and shortening in a large stockpot over medium-high. Saut� the onion, green pepper, garlic, jalape�o and banana peppers until soft, about 15 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and wine. Lower to simmer. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the corn, half-and-half, pepper and cayenne. Add the salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Reduce to medium-low and cook, covered, for one hour, stirring often. Add the basil during the last five minutes.
Serve immediately.
Serves six to eight as a side dish.
Note from Phyllis: This recipe is from "It’s All American Food" by David Rosengarten. He writes this is a popular Cajun side that is little known outside of Louisiana.
