
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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