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This Week's Theme: Favorite Ingredients - Corn

(Recipes courtesy of Worldwide Recipes)

To paraphrase Will Rogers, I have never met a corn dish I didn't like. I did a similar week of "I love corn" recipes in June, 2004, and I think it's about time for a reprise. Here is the lineup:


Monday's Starters
Corn Custard

Tuesday's Soups or Salads
Corn Chowder

Wednesday's Side Dishes
Fresh Corn Polenta

Thursday's Entrees
Corn and Chile Casserole

Friday's Desserts
Italian Cornmeal Cookies (Zalletti)

Recipes below:

This dish can be served as a vegetable side dish or as an elegant first course.

Corn Custard

2 cups (500 ml) fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
4 eggs
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
1/2 cup (125 ml) milk
1/4 cup (60 ml) all-purpose flour
1 Tbs (15 ml) sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in an electric blender or food processor and puree until the mixture is thick and smooth. Pour into an ungreased soufflé dish or 4 to 6 individual custard cups or ramekins. Place in a roasting pan and add enough water to come halfway up the sides of the soufflé dish. Bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serves 4 to 6.

Few things epitomize "comfort food" to me more than this classic soup.

Corn Chowder

3 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
2 bell peppers, seeded and diced
6 to 8 ears of corn
4 cups (1 L) milk
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper (optional) to taste

Fry the bacon in a large soup pot over moderate heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Discard all but 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the bacon fat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and bell peppers to the bacon fat and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until tender and slightly brown. Cut the corn kernels off the cobs and reserve the kernels. Add the cobs and the milk to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and simmer covered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Remove the corn cobs and add the reserved corn kernels. Season with salt, pepper and optional cayenne. Simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, remove about 1 cup (250 ml) of the solids from the soup and puree in an electric blender or food processor. Return the pureed mixture to the pot and stir. Ladle into individual soup bowls and sprinkle with the reserved cooked bacon.  Serves 4 to 6.

Most people think of polenta as an Italian specialty, but it also goes by the same name in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries. Here is a version my mother got from a Brazilian friend.

Fresh Corn Polenta

6 cups (1.5 L) water
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
2 cups (500 ml) polenta or yellow corn meal
1 cup (250 ml) fresh corn kernels
6 Tbs (90 ml) butter
1/2 cup (125 ml) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Stir in the polenta, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the butter in a skillet over moderate heat and saute the corn kernels until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. When the polenta is finished cooking, remove from the heat and stir in the corn, the remaining butter, and the Parmesan cheese. Serves 6 to 8.

Here's a meatless entree for the vegetable lovers among us.

Corn and Chile Casserole

2 eggs
1 cup (250 ml) milk
1/3 cup (80 ml) all-purpose flour
1-2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 can (15 oz, 425 g) corn, drained
1 can (7 oz, 196 g) chopped green chiles, drained
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Optional garnishes:
Prepared salsa
Guacamole
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
Chopped scallions (spring onions)

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and flour until smooth. Stir in the remaining ingredients and pour into a deep 2-quart (2 L) baking dish. Bake in a preheated 375F (190C) oven until set in the center, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve with any or all of the optional garnishes if desired. Serves 4 to 6.

These golden cookies are a favorite in Venice and the surrounding area. I am told that "zalletti" means "little yellow things" in the local dialect, but you can just call them delicious.

Italian Cornmeal Cookies (Zalletti)

4 Tbs (60 ml) butter
2/3 cup (180 ml) sugar
3 egg yolks
The grated zest of 1 lemon
1 cup (250 ml) pine nuts (pignoli)
1 cup (250 ml) raisins, soaked in warm water for
30 minutes and drained
2 cups (500 ml) yellow cornmeal
2 Tbs (30 ml) all-purpose flour plus additional for
rolling the dough

Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and beat until thoroughly mixed. Add the lemon zest, pine nuts, and raisins, mixing well. Add the cornmeal and flour, mixing to form a dough. Working in batches, roll the dough out on a floured surface to a thickness of 1/4 inch (5 mm). Using a knife or cookie cutters, cut into shapes and place about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on a non-stick baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400F (200C) oven until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 2 dozen.

Recipes reproduced by permission of Worldwide Recipes.

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