Fresh Tart

It's traditional to serve corn pudding alongside a crusty roast or ham, and of course it's delicious that way.  But I like it best as the star of the meal, served like a souffle with simply sauteed vegetables.  (Try diced zucchini, sauteed in a little butter with garlic, with halved cherry tomatoes and fresh thyme stirred in at the end to just warm through; oh what a meal!)

Or keep it beautifully simple with a plate of sliced garden tomatoes.  Golden yellow corn pudding against bright red tomatoes.  Fluffy, creamy, juicy all together.  A hint of sweet and salt.  Sigh.  Unbearably good.

Corn pudding made with fresh, just-picked corn is the best of all.  I've even used leftover cooked corn with scrumptious results (the pudding pictured is made with the corn I grilled for dinner last night).

My version isn't nearly as heavy as others you'll see.  Some are so loaded with cream, cheese, sugar, and butter, I'm not sure how you even taste the corn.  Fresh sweet corn is the star here.

What to have for dessert?

Fresh figs, which are obscenely good right now.  Maybe a few almonds too.  This time of year is heavenly.

Fresh Corn Pudding
Serves 4

1 lb. fresh corn kernels (from 4-5 ears of corn; cut the kernels off very close to the cob, scraping the juice/milk from the cob along with the corn)
1/4 c. half-n-half
3 eggs, separated
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. minced scallions (optional)
1/4 c. cheddar cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a souffle dish (approximately 8 inch x 3 inch round dish). An 8-inch square pan could work too.

Puree corn kernels and half-n-half in a food processor until smooth.  Add egg yolks, sugar, butter, and salt and continue to puree.  Set aside.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Fold pureed corn mixture, as well as scallions and cheese if using, into the egg whites.  Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until lightly browned on top and set.  Serve immediately.

I posted this recipe a few weeks ago at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine. I include it here today in honor of the Great Minnesota Get Together, aka the Minnesota State Fair, which begins tomorrow.  The grilled corn at the State Fair is sick it's so good.  Don't watch while they drench - drench! - it in melted butter and you'll enjoy it completely.

When I was a kid, I would eat corn only directly from the cob.  Even if the corn were freshly sliced onto a plate, it lost its popping-in-the-mouth sensation, and therefore its flavor and fun.  You might have spent the summer of '72 finding the Stairway to Heaven in the backseat of a Ford Torino.  I spent it toothless, cornless, and depressed (in a 5-year-old way), thanks to a mid-July bike crash with my not-friend Stacy.

These days my corn truth is more about freshness, butter, and salt than it is about cob vs. plate.  I've come to prefer grilled corn over boiled - a few million Minnesota State Fair-goers might agree with me.  Even if you're a sweet corn purist, trust me that corn's sweetness is set off nicely by subtle smoky heat and a squirt of fresh lime.  A finishing crumble of tangy queso fresco can turn it all into a meal.

On or off the cob.  Yeah.

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Butter
Adapted from www.epicurious.com

1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. minced cilantro or Italian parsley

8 large ears of corn, husked

lime wedges
coarse salt

optional: crumbled queso fresco (or feta) cheese

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add minced chipotles, fresh lime juice, and cilantro or parsley.  Remove from heat.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill corn until cooked through and blackened in spots, turning frequently, about 6 minutes. Before taking the corn off the grill, brush generously with chipotle butter.  Remove corn to a large platter.  Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt and optional queso fresco.  Serve with lime wedges.

Since I'm about as northern as they come (I've spent my whole life in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota), I never knew how much I like fresh okra.  But oh do I like it, it's become one of my very favorite vegetables, especially in this simple, pretty saute.  There's nothing slimy about this dish - the fresh okra emerges tender-crisp and sweet.  Combined with warm tomatoes and sweet onion, all set off perfectly with a little bacon, I could eat a whole panful and call it dinner.

But that would a shame, since grilled pork or shrimp love snuggling up to this dish.  As does - as you can see above - a bowl of soft, creamy polenta.  This was my lunch today, yep.  Couldn't beat it with a wooden spoon.

Saute of Tomatoes and Okra with Bacon
Adapted from The Gift of Southern Cooking by Edna Louis & Scott Peacock
Serves 6

Author’s note: this simple summer sauté is full of flavor, and color.  The okra should be just tender and bright green, the onion cooked but still a bit crunchy, and the tomatoes just warmed through, with a very fresh taste.  This is a nice way to use the different heirloom tomatoes from your own garden or varieties that you can find at a farmers’ markets, but any ripe, juicy garden tomato would be delicious.

5 slices bacon, diced
4 c. okra, washed, trimmed, and sliced 1/2-inch thick (about 1 lb.; I found fresh okra at the farmer's market this past weekend)
1 large onion, cut into 1/3-inch wedges
1/2 tsp. salt, or more to taste
freshly ground black pepper
4 medium heirloom or garden tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch wedges (about 2 1/2 cups)

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp.  Add the sliced okra to the skillet, and cook, stirring frequently, over moderate heat for 10 minutes.  Add the onion wedges, salt, and pepper, and continue cooking, still stirring, for 5 minutes.  Toss in the tomato wedges, and reduce the heat to low.  Cook, partially covered, just until tomatoes are heated through, 3-4 minutes.  Carefully taste for seasoning, and adjust if needed.  Serve warm.

Eating intact grains - as Summer Tomato refers to them - is not the same as eating foods labeled as "whole grain."  Intact grains are just that, not ground into flour or broken into pieces.  Filling and nutritious, intact grains are a whole food, as well as a healthy, busy cook's best friend.  Cook them - and legumes like navy, chickpea, black, or pinto beans while you're at it - in big batches and use throughout the week.

For a delicious, filling break from oatmeal, warm cooked quinoa on the stove or in the microwave with milk, cinnamon, honey, and chopped walnuts (or try this version of hazelnut quinoa with dried cherries, one of my favorite day starters).  Make a quick salad for lunch or dinner with greens topped with warmed chickpeas and farro, toasted nuts, avocado, and a simple lemon/olive oil dressing - scrumptious, fast, and satisfying.  For more ideas, see Summer Tomato's tips on How to Eat Healthy When You Have No Time.

Or, make "risotto" with a grain other than rice.  Barley makes a fabulous risotto-style dish, as does farro.  In the version below, I stir pea shoot leaves and grated Parmesan cheese into warm, chewy farro, fragrant with onions, garlic, and a splash of wine.  Perfect on its own, or served alongside grilled chicken or salmon, it's bursting with flavor and texture yet ready in about 30 minutes.

Farro "Risotto" with Parmesan & Pea Shoots
Serves 4 as main course, 6 as a side dish

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. farro, rinsed and drained
1/4 c. dry white wine
2 1/2 c. chicken or vegetable broth
salt
2 c. pea shoot leaves (or spinach leaves, shelled peas, fava beans, chopped asparagus...vary as you like)
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic to the pan, sprinkle with a little salt, and saute until onion is translucent, 10 minutes.

Add farro and cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in wine and cook until wine is absorbed, about 5 minutes.  Stir in broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer on lowest heat for 20 minutes.  Liquid should be absorbed and farro should be tender/chewy.  If liquid is not absorbed, cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

When farro is done, stir in Parmesan, pea shoot leaves, and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Serve with additional Parmesan & black pepper if you like.  Leftovers are good at room temperature, served atop a green salad.

Fava beans are back in the markets and that means Spring!  I bought a bunch at Whole Foods, as well as a bunch of asparagus, and sauteed the two with a little garlic, in perhaps a little butter, and ate them - fresh and earthy - over creamy polenta.  Pure Spring comfort, eaten with a spoon.

A fine meal...just for me.

After a week of cooking for the family, even while sick, it was awfully nice to make a simple, restorative dinner for myself.  I even stole a few minutes on the deck today, in the sun, the best possible medicine. (Except for codeine cough syrup, that is some miraculous stuff.)

I'm trying to remember to not just serve myself small portions, but to practice leaving at least a few bites of food on my plate.  Easier when I eat alone.  Once I get talking...sipping wine...waving my hands around...sassing out my opinions...I completely forget... And then my meal is gone.  What did it taste like?  Um...

In that case, it helps to begin with an extra-small portion.

Fava Beans & Asparagus with Polenta

Serves 2-3

Note: if you're lucky and find fresh morel mushrooms in the market as well, include them in this saute - even better!

1 c. polenta/coarse ground corn meal

3 c. water

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. butter, divided

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

1 lb. fava beans in their pods

1 bunch of asparagus, top halves trimmed into 1/2-inch pieces, bottom halves discarded

1 Tbsp. butter

1 clove garlic, minced

salt & freshly ground black pepper

Combine polenta, water, and salt in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, then turn heat to low.  Simmer polenta, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until very thick, creamy, and tender, anywhere from 15-45 minutes (varies by grind).  Add more water and cook longer if needed to achieve a creamy, tender consistency.  When done, stir in 1 Tbsp. of butter, the Parmesan cheese, and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Cover and set aside to keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to boil.  While the water heats, remove fava beans from their pods (discard pods).  When the water boils, add the fava beans and cook for one minute.  Using a slotted spoon, remove fava beans to a small bowl and set aside.  With the water still boiling, add the asparagus and cook for one minute.  Drain asparagus into a colander and quickly rinse with cold water.  Set asparagus aside.

With a sharp knife, trim a little edge from each fava bean, just enough to create a small opening in the waxy coating.  Gently pinch the fava beans out of their coating, into a small bowl.  Discard the coating.

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant and softened.  Add the fava beans and asparagus and stir, sprinkling lightly with a little salt, and cooking for 2-3 minutes, until heated through.  Serve favas and asparagus over warm polenta.  Top with a few grinds of pepper and a shower of grated Parmesan cheese.

(You will likely have leftover polenta.  Spread polenta into an 8-inch square pan and chill.  Cut into squares and fry in olive oil, serve alongside a poached or scrambled egg, for a fantastic breakfast or lunch.)