Fresh Corn Griddle-Cakes

A simple salad to accompany the corn cakes

Returning from a night away, I wanted a simple meal, so I threw a pork shoulder in the oven with some roughly chopped veggies and a can of beer and let it cook away for the rest of the day. Then, I complicated things by not just cooking up the fresh ears of corn but deciding to make corn cakes instead - the good news: they were tasty. 

To make corn cakes: Shuck and shave off the kernels of 3 ears of corn. Saute half of an onion, diced, in a little bit of butter until translucent and then add in the corn. Cook for a few minutes until just barely tender. Set aside. Combine 1 cup cornmeal, 1/2 cup flour, 1 tbsp honey, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp baking powder and a crack of pepper.  In a separate bowl whisk together 1 1/4 cup of buttermilk and two eggs. Add the dry ingredients to the wet until just combined. Fold in the corn mixture and one fairly finely chopped jalapeno. Batter done! Drop the batter by the teaspoonful into a hot pan coated with a smidge of butter. Fry until crisped and golden. Goes well with pork, avocado, salad and a beer. 

Included are a few shots of the lovely beach cottage we stayed in in Santa Barbara.

Skillet Cornbread

Our friends were in town for their honeymoon (congrats Charlotte and Ciarán!), so, of course, I pulled out all the stops–I made chili (recipe to follow). What is the perfect compliment to chili you might ask? Tortillas? Maybe. Biscuits? Hrm... Cornbread? Ding ding ding! Meat and beans with some warm gritty cornbread–yes please. The added perks on this particular occasion included: 1.) the cold weather outside, 2.) having a nice group of friends to share the meal with and 3.) our English friends had never experienced cornbread before (one had never had peanut butter prior to a week ago either!! - another story unto itself, suffice it to say cornbread beat peanut butter).

 

I used a recipe from an older issue of Bon Appetit for their Sage and Honey Skillet Cornbread and just tweaked a few things–one thing I didn't change, the amount of butter . . . I did however add a chopped jalapeno–next time I might even add two. I love the flavor of jalapeno in my cornbread. I didn't really taste the sage, or the honey, but the cornbread was moist AND delicious with a nice added crunch. 

 

Pork Tenderloin with Gremolata over Corn Polenta

 To make the polenta: Bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Add in 1 cup polenta (I used cornmeal which is apparently a finer grind than 'real' polenta) and season with salt. Whisk the polenta frequently until the water is absorbed and the polenta cooked and creamy (about a 1/2 hour).  Once the polenta is cooked stir in 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 cup corn kernels (I used canned), and . . . for the guilty-pleasure 50's throwback add in one small can of creamed corn (optional but highly recommended).

Gremolata: Mix the zest of 3 lemons, 3/4 cup finely chopped parsley and 1 minced garlic clove. Add in a couple drops of nice olive oil and season with a hint of salt. Toss it all together and let the flavors marry.

Now, for the pork: Season two 3/4-pound pork tenderloins with salt and pepper. Rub the tenderloins with 3 finely chopped cloves of garlic and 3/4 cup peach jam. Set the meat aside and let marinate for however long you have (2-8 hours . . . for me it depends on how far in advance I'm able to plan, usually not very).

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. You can sear the tenderloins at high heat before putting them in the oven to give them a nice crispy exterior and seal in the juices. Place the pork tenderloins in a roasting pan and pop them in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches about 140 degrees. Once you take the pork out the temperature should climb up to around 145-148, bringing it to a lovely pink on the inside. Let sit for 10 minutes. Slice up the pork and sprinkle with gremolata. Dig in.

I served it with fresh baby asparagus, lightly steamed and drizzled with a touch of olive oil.

Sweet Corn Soup with Fresh Crab

My favorite corn man at the farmer's market still had some end of the season sweet corn so I couldn't resist buying more ears than I could eat. I am not always a soup person (I didn't like the texture when I was little, it has grown on me though) but it just sounded like the perfect meal to compliment the fall crispness in the air.
To make (adapted from Bon Appetit's Summer Corn Soup recipe . . . what isn't helped by the addition of bacon?):

• Roast two poblano chile's over an open flame and once they are uniformly charred/cooked and then pop them into a paper bag and fold the bag to close. Set aside.
• Shuck three or four ears of corn and cut the kernels off.

• Break the cobs in half and toss them into a pot with 3 cups of milk, a couple sprigs of fresh thyme, two bay leaves, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Bring just to a boil then reduce and let simmer for 5 before turning off. Set aside.

• In a separate pan drop a tablespoon of butter and saute chopped bacon (about 1/2 cup).
• Once browned, add in 2 diced carrots, 1 diced onion, 3 cloves chopped garlic and the majority of your reserved corn kernels (I saved some for garnish - they were delicious raw). Cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent and the carrot is tender.

• Remove your poblanos from the paper bag and just rub off the charred skin (it should slide right off). Cut off the stem and remove the seeds then chop up the meaty goodness.
• Add the milk mixture in with the vegetables along with a handful of cilantro, 2 cups of water and your chopped poblanos. Once again, season to taste, if necessary (bacon = salt). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minute
• Remove the corn cobs and bay leaves then place everything in a blender and give it a zap (to your preference - chunky to silky).
• I finished by putting a big lump of crab meat on top along with some fresh sliced avocado, a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprinkling of raw corn kernels (& cilantro! - i put it on everything).

I served the soup with sliced radishes and fresh baked biscuits. I am completely biased, being the maker, but I will definitely make this again. One of my favorite homemade meals of late.