Kale, peach, corn and feta salad

This was a blogluck contribution that I thought turned out super tasty. The combination of veggies and fruit are not something I would ever have come up with...peaches, on salad?! The flavors were amazing together though, and it is another raw kale option that tasted really nice and fresh and substantial. I think this is especially perfect now, when the peaches are just ripe and the corn is fresh off the cob.

I found the original recipe at a new blog here. Her directions are a wee bit vague though, and I made a larger amount. My measurements are below, but see hers if you want to make a salad for 2 or 4.

Serves 8
2 large bunches kale
1/4 c. sherry wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 lemons, juiced
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. cilantro
salt
1 red onion
4-6 ears corn (depending on size of ear, mine were really small, so I used 6)
4 ripe peaches
1 block salty feta

1. Remove stem from kale and chop into bite size pieces.
2. Mix vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and cilantro. Add salt generously. In a large salad bowl, mix kale with dressing and stir well so that all greens are coated.
3. Sliver the red onion and add to salad.
4. After cooking the corn, remove kernals and add to bowl, along with peaches. Top with crumbled feta.

This salad seems to get more tasty the longer it marinates. I recommend making it at least an hour in advance.

Warm summer salad

This salad recipe (like Andrea's recent post!) features some of the best summer veggies: zucchini, tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, and corn. This salad was inspired by a similar dish my friend Kate made for me many years ago. I was impressed by how simple and flavorful it was - the fresh veggies just showcase themselves! The amount of each ingredient is not as important as the way it is prepared - I gave an estimate, but consider it very flexible.


Summer Salad, serves 4-6
One ball fresh mozzarella (optional, mild feta might also be nice)
1-2 c. cooked wild rice
2 med. zucchini
2 med. cucumbers (or 4 pickling ones, in my case)
2 ears of corn
1+ c. tomatoes, diced
2 big handfuls of green beans
fresh herb (basil or rosemary)

First dice the mozzarella, tomatoes and cucumbers and put in a large bowl with the wild rice. Add any chopped herbs.

Prep the rest of the veggies: shuck corn; trim the green beans and cut into 1-2" pieces; quarter zucchini the long way (making 4 spears), cut each spear at an angle - turning the spear 1/4 turn at each cut (this will give each piece multiple flat edges that will sear in the pan).


Using whatever steam method you use, put water on to boil for corn and green beans. When it is boiling, put corn in the steamer basket for 4 minutes, and remove. Put green beans in the basket and steam for 5 minutes, then remove. Cut corn off of cob and mix both corn and beans into the salad.


While water is heating in steamer, heat a dry cast iron pan on med-high for zucchini. In a small bowl, drizzle zucchini with olive oil and salt; toss well to coat. Once cast iron is hot, put zucchini on pan to sear in a single layer (let it sit a minute, it won't sear if you move the pieces around too fast), then toss or flip pieces to sear other edges. Add zucchini to salad and toss all ingredients well. Pour dressing over the top, and serve immediately to get a nice blend of cool and warm ingredients.

dressing:
1 part honey
1 part olive oil
1 part balsamic
stone ground mustard
salt

Polenta stuffed peppers

How did today get to be over 80 degrees? I don't know. I do know that I had some peppers that were not going to last too long, and a recipe for stuffing them. So I opened the windows for the as-yet-to-arrive hail storm, and turned on the oven. This recipe would be perfect in the late summer when peppers are ready to pick and the corn is winding down. It is an easier stuffed pepper, is pretty fast, and the green olives in the polenta are amazing.

I found the recipe last weekend while in Iowa City perusing through Eren's cookbooks. This one is from Moosewood's Simple Suppers, which Eren reports is a top fave for easier weeknight recipes. Serves 4-6.

5 large peppers (green, red, orange, yellow)
1 1/2 T olive oil
salt
Polenta:
4 c. water
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. red pepper flakes (I used chopped frozen jalepenos from last summer)
1 c. polenta cornmeal
1 1/2 c. corn kernels
1 T. butter or olive oil
1 1/2 grated sharp cheddar
1/2 c. chopped Spanish olives

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Cut peppers in half length-wise, remove seeds but keep stems. Brush with oil inside and out. Sprinkle with salt. Plave cut side up on an oiled sheet and roast 15 minutes.

In heavy pan, bring water, salt, and pepper to a boil. Add polenta in slow, steady stream while whisking. Cook on medium, stirring often, until thickened. Stir in butter, 1 c. of cheese, corn, and olives. Remove from heat.

Fill peppers with mix, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Put in oven 5-10 minutes. Moosewood recommends that you serve the peppers with black beans (1 16 oz. can) mixed with salsa (1 15 oz. jar) and cilantro (1/4 c).

Pupusas

I came across corn flour in the cupboard this week and was inspired to try making pupusas - Salvadorian masa cakes traditionally filled with refried beans, pork and/or cheese. I have only had them a couple of times before: in Mercado Central and at the Pupuseria on Lake Street closer to 14th (I think). I came across this article from The Heavy Table that outlines a few different places in the twin cities with good pupusas and some nice photos.

The recipe for the masa dough is super simple(for 4-6 pupusas):
2 cups masa harina
1 c. warm water
Mix the masa harina and water and knead together (adding in a bit more water if needed) until the texture is smooth and does not crack. Cover and let sit 10 minutes.
While the dough is sitting, prepare the filling:
1 cup refried beans
cheese

It was difficult for me to get the right texture with the masa. I'll keep testing that, but this video about how to prepare the pupusa shows the texture you are looking for, and also the technique of making them. I found it KEY to use some oil on my hands so the masa would not stick while I was shaping the cakes. After making the cakes, fry on a dry cast iron pan for many minutes on each side. The goal is to heat the filling inside as well as brown the outside.

Next time I want to try making the traditional topping - curtido - which is a fermented carrot and cabbage mix. I ended up putting some left over mesa red sauce on mine, which was tasty, but missing the tang.

Baked polenta

I decided to try baked polenta a few weeks ago after having only made it on the stove and served it immediately in all of its gooey creamy goodness. I've been craving the baked version ever since.

On Sunday, I made a big pot of polenta with a hefty milk (or other creamy substitute if you prefer)-to-water ratio. You have to cook it on the stove till it's pretty thick. Then, gloop it into a cake pan about 1/2-3/4 inch thick and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours before attempting to cut into cute little triangles.

Whenever you're ready (a few hours or a few days later, or both in our case), cut the polenta into desired shapes, place on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil on both sides. Salt and pepper are also welcome additions at this point. Bake at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes (until golden), turning once.

Cast Iron Cornbread - GF or wheat version

Blogluck Post! Last weekend's WFD blogluck was delectable. The theme was "summer-menu-in-winter" with the idea to still think locally and seasonal...hopefully others will post their recipes soon, but the menu included tofu egg salad, pasta salad (hilary's grandmas recipe), tomato poached eggs, cornbread, beet salad, and some amazing rhubarb tarts (frozen rhubarb from gabie's garden). Photos are all with KP and E, so they are forthcoming.

This cornbread recipe comes from the package of Bob's cornmeal - I have made lots of cornbread before, and this one makes a nice fluffier cornbread (all the baking powder maybe?). It also does not require buttermilk, which I generally do not have around and tends to be in other recipes. I made it GF by substituting Bob's "GF flour" for the flour, which turned out great. *I actually doubled this recipe to fit in an 11" cast iron for the blogluck.

1 c. cornmeal
1 c. flour (if you go GF, also add 3/4 t. xanthan gum)
1/2 t. salt
4 t. baking powder
1 T. sugar (optional)
1 egg
1 c. milk
1/4 c. butter (melted)

Put 8-9" cast iron pan in the oven to pre-heat at 425 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in large bowl, and mix wet ingredients in a smaller one. Make sure the butter is cooled a bit before adding it to the egg/milk mixture. Once pan is hot, remove from oven and butter the pan, making sure to get the sides. (This pre-heat method makes for a nice bronzed, crispier cornbread edge. yum.) Pour wet ingredients into dry ones and mix - do not overbeat. Pour batter into hot cast iron and cook for 20-25 minutes.

Sweet Corn Pancakes

Last weekend I was feeling a tad daunted by the prospect of spending 6 hours at a TYSN retreat, so decided to have a leisurely morning of food and coffee to feel a bit more balanced and inspired. I made corn pancakes from a Smitten Kitchen recipe (that blog is getting some good play here lately!), buttery cooked apples (sliced apples cooked slowly with a bit of brown sugar in the cast iron skillet so they carmelized), and coffee. Yum. I tried these with a combo of corn flour and rice flour to make them wheat free - thumbs up!

Tortilla soup

I am feeling un-inspired on the cooking front (who knew I would be ready for fall weather by now?!) so I went back to the ReBar cookbook. I am not quite yet ready for creamy food or I would try the delicious looking corn chowder. I'm a firm believer in cream soups...I just am waiting not so patiently for fall when I will use cream, cheese, and any other rich creamy substance in great abundance. This one is a little lighter - and I wish I had seen Gaybie's note to boil the corn cobs in the broth BEFORE I composted them. Alas. My sister and I tag-teamed this soup with some corn bread muffins that we put a bunch of basil in. Which was great, btw.

As I type this the wind blowing in from the windows is getting cooler and cooler. We must be on the brink of fall! Which means pies, greens, and squash. And it means I need to harvest and freeze before it's too late!

Serves 8 (or 4 if you have a good appetite!)
8 cups vegetable stock
2 T vegetable oil
2 yellow onions, finely diced
1 T salt
10 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. minced oregano
4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
3 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
2 large red peppers, seeded and finely diced
1/2 t. liquid smoke (I omitted this)
2 tsp chipotle puree (chipotle peppers in adobe sauce blended up)
4 corn tortillas
2 avocados, diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, stemmed
asiago cheese, shaved with a potato peeler
1 lime, cut into wedges (i forgot this part!)

1. Heat the stock and keep it warm on the back burner while preparing the soup. In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and 1 t. salt and saute until translucent. Stir in garlic, oregano, half the jalapenos, and another t. salt: saute 5 minutes.
2. Pour the hot stock into the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer 20 minutes. In the final 5 minutes, stir in the corn, peppers, liquid smoke, chipotle, and remaining jalapenos and salt. Simmer until corn is tender. Meanwhile prepare garnishes.
3. To prepare tortilla strips: slice each tortilla into long strips 1/4" thick. Toss with a light coating of oil and pinch of salt. Spread on a baking sheet and cook for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove and let cool until ready to serve.
4. To serve, ladle broth into bowls and divide the avocado, cilantro leaves, tortilla strips, and asiago shavings among the servings. Serve immediately with a bowl of lime wedges on the side.

Summer Corn Chowder

the photo doesn't do it justice (it's hard to photograph soup well), so you'll have to trust me when i say this is one yummy soup. the trick is finding a summer day that's not too hot for soup making. i make this when the csa box is full of corn, tomatoes, potatoes and basil.





2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 lg onion, diced
3 tbsp flour
5 c vegetable broth
2-4 russet potatoes (or other kind)
4 c corn kernels (however many ears you have)
1 bell pepper, diced (any color)
1 c half and half
2 plum tomatoes (or any other kind)
1 small handful basil leaves thinly slivered
salt and pepper to taste

i also add green beans, carrots, broccoli or any other veggies i have on hand that sound good. you may need to adjust broth relative to the amount of veggies.

heat butter and oil. cook onion about 10 min. sprinkle flour over onion, cook, stirring 3-5 minutes. add broth and potatoes. bring to boil. reduce heat to medium and simmer till potatoes are tender. add extra veggies along the way. add corn, bell pepper, salt, pepper, half and half. cook over low for about 8 minutes, stir occasionally. serve in bowls, topping with tomato and basil.