Summer Corn Soup

There was a time when I lived to shop. Nothing was better than spending a day immersed in clothing, shoes, and accessories to try on, compare, and decide what to take home. At some point, I became much lazier about shopping. Now, I’d much rather open several tabs in a web browser to compare and decide and order online. But, one thing that would make me want to shop in person is the prospect of a great lunch or dinner as part of the outing. Have you ever dined in a department store or clothing store? I have a couple of times. In both cases, the restaurants gave a feeling of providing for your every need. You can shop awhile, take a break, have a snack or a meal, and everything you could want is right there. That sense of generous hospitality was evident in the new book The Freds at Barneys New York Cookbook by Mark Strausman of which I received a review copy. The book is full of crowd-pleasing dishes from Freds, the restaurant inside Barneys, that can now be found in the Madison Avenue, Chicago, Beverly Hills, and Downtown New York stores. In creating Freds, the goal was to give visitors the feeling of being “in the midst of the bustle of life” and in the “warm, inviting center of that particular universe.” The food is intentionally uncomplicated and comforting with salads, sandwiches, and soups that happen to be fashionably presented to suit the surroundings. There are also Italian classics, brunch dishes, dinner entrees, and desserts. Everything is carefully prepared despite the volume of food that’s served each day in these restaurants. And, all of the recipes from the Belgian fries to the stocks and sauces are included here. I think I would have a hard choosing from the menu. From the salads alone, I would be hard-pressed to choose among The Palace Warm Lobster Salad with Freds Bistro Dressing, the Beverly Hills Asian Chicken Salad, and the Vegan Salad with Salsa Verde Vinaigrette. Then, with multiple variations on club sandwiches and the turkey sandwich topped with Russian dressing and slaw on an onion roll, I couldn’t decide. Or, should I order the crab cakes, Grilled Hen of the Woods Mushrooms in a Balsamic Glaze with Arugula and Shave Parmesan, or the Upper East Side Filet of Sole with Sauteed Carrots? The same issue would happen with the soups. There’s New Jersey Summer Heirloom Tomato Soup, Lobster Bisque with Saffron Aioli, and Freds Gazpacho. I had some fresh corn from my CSA, and that made my decision for what to cook first from the book much easier than ordering from the menu would be. Summer corn soup with local corn, potatoes, and onion was a great choice. 

You could keep this soup completely vegan by using vegetable stock and olive oil and skipping the butter and cream. I did use homemade vegetable stock and olive oil, and shucked corn on the cob was cooked in it until tender. The corn was removed and left to cool, and chopped potatoes, onions, and celery were added to the stock. The corn kernels were cut from the cobs, and the cobs went into the stock to add more corn flavor while the other vegetables simmered. After about 35 minutes, the corn cobs were removed, and the corn kernels were added to the soup. The soup was then blended in batches to make a smooth puree. The puree was returned to the stockpot, and here cream or milk or almond milk can be added. I had some creme fraiche on hand and used that. The pureed soup was heated through with the creme fraiche mixed in, and salt and pepper were added to taste. 

In the Soups chapter, there’s a mention of garnishes and how they add an important “little something” with flavor and texture. I went a little crazy with the garnish here and used some roasted cubes of pattypan squash, chopped fresh tomato, a few corn kernels I set aside, and ribbons of fresh basil. If possible, the garnishes made the soup even more summery. The corn flavor was like a bowl of sunshine as it was. Now, when I shop in a web browser, I can whip up something from this book and still enjoy the mix of shopping and great food. 

Summer Corn Soup 
Recipe reprinted with publisher’s permission from The Freds at Barneys New York Cookbook. 

This creamy soup is a recent and very popular addition to the Freds menu. It can easily be adapted to be vegan without losing the creaminess that makes it so satisfying. Chef’s tip: Freeze some of the water when you cook corn and use it in the stock for this soup. 

Serves 4 

2 quarts Vegetable Stock or Chicken Stock 
5 tablespoons unsalted butter (can substitute olive oil) 
1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt 
6 ears fresh summer corn, husked and cut in half 
2 small potatoes, peeled and diced 
2 yellow onions, diced 
2 stalks celery, diced 
1 large leek, white part only, trimmed, well-washed, and diced 
1⁄2 cup heavy cream or 1 cup whole milk (can substitute 1 cup almond milk) 
Freshly ground black pepper 

Place the stock, butter, and salt in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Add the corn and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the corn from the stock, set aside to cool, then use a sharp knife to shave the kernels off the cobs. Set the kernels aside, but do not discard the cobs. Return the pot with the broth to medium-high heat. 

Add the corn cobs, potatoes, onions, celery, leek, and cream. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently until the potatoes are soft, 35 to 45 minutes. Fish out the cobs and discard. Add the corn kernels to the soup. Using a food processor, blender, or immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. (Depending on the size of your machine, you may need to do this in several batches.) Be especially careful as you do this because the soup is very hot. 

If the soup is too thick, add additional stock and heat thoroughly. Adjust seasoning and serve.

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Corn, Green Beans, and Parmesan

I do read cookbooks for the stories and to daydream about when and why I might make the recipes some day in the future. But, I also do a lot of cooking from cookbooks. With the new book from Elisabeth Prueitt, her hope is that it will be used for both and more of the latter. It’s Tartine All Day: Modern Recipes for the Home Cook, and I received a review copy. Right away, this book felt like a familiar friend I’d be spending time with in the kitchen. The style of cooking is very workable into regular life. Prueitt’s previous book presented pastry recipes from famed Tartine and her husband Chad Robertson’s books are devoted to the breads from the bakery and cafe, but this one is just for cooking at home. Although Prueitt has spent years creating amazing pastries for Tartine, she happens to be gluten-intolerant. So, all of the baking recipes in this book are gluten-free. She is able to eat the naturally-fermented breads her husband makes due to the type of wheat and slow fermentation process used, so some recipes do incorporate that style of bread. I should also point out a formatting note. The recipes have been presented like those in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Rather than having a full ingredient list followed by the method, the ingredients are grouped to the left of the instructions in which they’re used keeping all the information well organized and easy to navigate. Right off the bat, there’s a chapter for Basics that will elevate all sorts of meals. It includes sauces and dressings like Tzatziki and Tomatillo Salsa and quick pickles and jams. From there, the chapters move through breakfast, snacks, soups, salads, main courses, gatherings, and desserts. I love the thought of the simple Goat Cheese-Garlic Spread to scoop onto bread, crackers, or sturdy vegetable slices. And, the Granola Bark, like a super-thin granola bar, is something I need to try soon. The soups range from hearty to light, and our heat and humidity has me gravitating to the chilled Summer Greens Soup made with avocado, bell pepper, herbs, and jalapeno. I made a variation of the Seafood Salad with Lemon-Garlic-Herb Dressing that was delicious, and I have pages marked for the Lemon Pound Cake made with fruit on the bottom and the crumble-topped Jam Bars. First up, though, I want to tell you all about the Corn, Green Beans, and Parmesan salad. 

This dish was an easy choice because when I made it a couple of weeks ago, our local sweet corn had just come into season, local green beans were available, and the recipe involves corn nuts or quicos. I’ve loved corn nuts since forever, but I never think to add them to dishes. That might be because I’m too busy eating them by the handful. The corn was cut from the cobs, and the kernels and cleaned and trimmed green beans were just briefly cooked. The vegetables were added to a big bowl along with sliced green onions, cilantro leaves, lime juice, some hot sauce, olive oil, and salt and pepper. The mixture was tossed to combine, and then placed on plates. I didn’t have nasturtium leaves, so I used some arugula for garnish along with thin shards of parmesan and the quicos. 

For a simple salad, there’s a lot happening here among the flavors and textures. The lime juice brightens things up, and the parmesan brings a savory note while the crunchy quicos make it fun. I stored the leftover salad without any quicos in it so they wouldn’t absorb moisture. I wanted to add them just before eating for full crunch. Whenever I need some cooking inspiration, I feel like I could just open this book to any page. I can’t wait to put that into practice. 

Corn, Green Beans, and Parmesan
Reprinted with permission from Tartine All Day: Modern Recipes for the Home Cook by Elisabeth Prueitt, copyright © 2017. Published by Lorena Jones Books/Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
 
Makes 4 to 6 servings   

This is another salad that we made when we first opened Tartine Manufactory (see also the Tomato, Shelling Beans, and Cucumber Salad). Our chef, Sam, made this wonderful combination of two kinds of corn—fresh from the cob, and a corn called quicos, or maiz gigante (which also goes by the commercial name of corn nuts). The quicos are dry, crunchy, and salty and are balanced by the lime in the dressing and the sweetness from the fresh corn. Adding green beans and topping it with Parmesan cheese makes it a more substantial dish that could serve as one part of a two-item dinner, paired with a summer soup (such as the Summer Greens Soup), or a simple roasted chicken (see Spatchcocked Roasted Chicken). If you can get them, nasturtium leaves add a very nice peppery flavor. 

3 ears of corn, shucked and kernels cut off cob   
6 oz/170g green beans, yellow wax beans, or a combination trimmed   
3 scallions, sliced thinly on bias 
1 bunch cilantro, leaves pulled from stems 
2/3 cup quicos (corn nuts), coarsely chopped 
2 Tbsp lime juice, plus more as needed 
1 Tbsp green or red hot sauce, plus more as needed  
3 Tbsp olive oil 
Sea salt 
Ground black pepper 
Nasturtium leaves for garnish (optional) 
2 oz/55g piece of Parmesan, for garnishing 

In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the corn just until heated through, about 2 minutes. Set aside. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the beans and blanch until bright in color, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to the bowl of ice water and let cool, about 12 minutes. When cool, drain and pat dry. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked corn and green and/or yellow beans, scallions, cilantro, quicos, lime juice, hot sauce, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Taste and add more lime juice, hot sauce, salt, and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the nasturtiums.    

Grate the Parmesan over the whole dish and serve. Store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days. The quicos will lose some of their crunch after the first day. 

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Shelling Pea, Corn, and Squash Ragout

Late summer though fall is the season for shelling peas or field peas, and that category includes purple hull peas, creamer peas, and black-eyed peas to name a few. They all grow well here, and I seem to end up making something very similar to the ragout shown here every year at about this time. This year as we received a bag of fresh field peas in our CSA box every other week, I popped the bag into the freezer each time. I also had extra corn that I cut off the cobs and stored in a bag in the freezer. I took my time deciding how to use my frozen stockpile, and I still have more field peas stored away for a different use. The combination of black-eyed peas, sweet and spicy peppers, summer squash, tomatoes, and corn is a classic. I remembered this particular version from the book Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison, and it was just what I wanted. Also, when I make something like this ragout every year, I always make some kind of cornbread to accompany it. This time, I took inspiration from the Breads of the Southwest book for savory scones with cornmeal, jalapenos, and cheddar. Once last thing to include is my fermented okra pickles, and this is the meal that defines the transition from summer to fall for me.

To get started, the fresh, or in my case frozen, black-eyed peas were cooked in water with a bay leaf until tender. I used a mix of sweet and spicy peppers cut into small strips, and those were sauteed in olive oil until softened, and then balsamic vinegar was added and stirred into the peppers. The peppers were set aside, the pan was wiped clean, and sliced summer squash was sauteed and browned. I used some local pattypan squash. The black-eyed peas were drained, and the cooking liquid was reserved. In a Dutch oven, butter was melted for cooking minced onion. After a few minutes, corn, chopped tomatoes, and the drained peas and some of the cooking liquid were added. This mixture was left to simmer for a bit before the cooked squash joined the ragout. A few tablespoons of cream was stirred in at the end. The ragout was served garnished with the sauteed peppers, halved cherry tomatoes, and sliced basil. 

I think I come back to something like this dish every year at the start of fall because it’s hearty and light at the same time. The cooked summer vegetables make a filling but not-too-filling stew, and the raw tomatoes and basil on top brighten up the flavors. And, it’s made for dunking cornbread or cornmeal-jalapeno-cheddar scones. Now, I can choose something new and different for using the rest of my field peas stash. 

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Spicy Clam Salad

Every time I talk about the book On Top of Spaghetti I point out that I don’t play favorites with my cookbooks, but it’s one that is particularly special. It’s all pasta on every page, and everything I’ve made from it has been fantastic. Today, I won’t be talking about that book but instead about its authors and their first book. For years, I’ve been meaning to get a copy of Cucina Simpatica by Johanne Killeen and George Germon because of how much I enjoy On Top of Spaghetti. For that matter, their restaurant, Al Forno, is the reason Providence, Rhode Island has been on my list of places I want to visit. I still haven’t made it to Rhode Island, but I finally ordered Cucina Simpatica which was originally published in 1991. This one is more than pasta. It covers all of the Italian-based food they serve at Al Forno from starters and salads to pizzas, pasta, braises, and vegetables. And, now I have a new reason to want to visit their restaurant. I learned that most of their desserts are made to order including the ice cream that’s churned fresh for each customer. I checked the website, and their menu states that they continue to do this. Obviously, they have a knack for hospitality and an understanding of how to make really good food. As I was reading this book and choosing what to make from it first, our CSA box arrived. We received big ears of corn, pretty ripe tomatoes, and cucumbers. That helped me decide to try this Spicy Clam Salad. 

Making the salad requires pre-prepping a couple of items, but it all comes together simply for serving. First, oven-cured tomatoes were made. In the book, they suggest slow-roasting cored, whole tomatoes at 200 degrees F with basil or parsley and olive oil for eight to twelve hours. I took a quicker route by quartering the tomatoes, increasing the temperature, and giving them two hours in the oven. The flavor was concentrated and delicious. Meanwhile, hot pepper-infused olive oil was made by combining olive oil, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, and garlic in a saucepan and simmering for 10 minutes. The pan was removed from the heat and left to infuse for 30 minutes before being strained. Next, the corn was cut from the cobs and cooked, and croutons were made with melted butter and garlic. The last thing to cook was the clams. They were steamed with white wine and water, and I added more crushed red pepper flakes. To complete the salad, the corn, croutons, chopped cucumbers, some sliced green onion, arugula, and parsley leaves were tossed with red-wine vinegar and the spicy olive oil. That was arranged on a platter, and the salad was topped with oven-cured tomatoes and the steamed clams. 

Fresh corn and clams always go nicely together, and all the other ingredients were like summer’s greatest hits. I always like clams, but this instantly became one of my favorite uses of them. Once again, Johanne Killeen and George Germon did not disappoint. I’m delighted to have another book of theirs to cook from, and I’d love to see a new one from them too. 

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Fresh Corn Queso Fundido

I blame it on my upbringing in Illinois, otherwise known as the land of corn, but I get excited when fresh, sweet corn comes into season. I was delighted when our first corn of the year from our CSA appeared a couple of weeks ago. Oddly enough, the recipe I couldn’t wait to use it in was actually intended for frozen corn. It was Corn Queso Fundido from the December issue of Food and Wine, and the purpose of the dish was to use some produce that had been frozen at the peak of the season. I took a different approach, but the result would be great either way. Not only did I have the first-of-season corn, I also had the first locally-grown chiles from Springdale Farm that I’d spotted this year. This is a fun queso for dipping chips, but I made more of a meal of it by dipping grilled zucchini and chunks of grilled chicken as well. The queso can be cooked entirely on top of the stove as instructed in the recipe, or you can go for some browning on the cheese as I did by popping it under the broiler for a couple of minutes. Local fresh corn and chiles are a great start to our summer produce. 

I started by cutting the kernels from a couple of ears of corn. Half of the corn was pureed in the blender with some water. The recipe suggests straining the puree, but I didn’t. Meanwhile, I roasted a poblano and some jalapeno chiles. When cool, the charred skin was removed, and the chiles were stemmed, seeded, and chopped. The chopped chiles were cooked with minced onion in a skillet, and the remaining corn was added. It’s important to cook the vegetables until slightly browned and any water has evaporated. Next, minced garlic was added and cooked for a couple of minutes. The corn puree was then added and allowed to reduce for a few minutes. Shredded Monterey Jack cheese was stirred into the vegetable mix until melted. At this point, I transferred the queso to a baking dish and placed it under the broiler until browned. I garnished with sliced jalapenos and chopped cilantro and served it with baked tortilla chips. I’ve developed the habit of cutting corn tortillas into long, skinny wedges for baking after learning the technique in a Rick Bayless book. The tortilla pieces were brushed with grape seed oil and seasoned with salt, ancho powder, and cayenne. 

Now that I’ve looked back at this recipe from December, I should take a lesson from it and freeze some of our lovely, fresh corn right now. It always disappears so quickly when we have it, I usually don’t even have a chance to think about preserving some for later in the year. Whether you cut it from fresh ears or pull it from the freezer, you have to try this spicy queso with corn. 

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Corn and Clam Chowder with Oyster Cracker-Biscuits

Obviously, I’m easily distracted by recipes. When I start looking for inspiration around a general idea of a dish, I end up wanting to try every version of that dish I discover along the way. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries to get it right or to end up with what I thought I wanted in the first place. Most recently, this happened because of corn. Our last two deliveries from our CSA included corn, and since it is officially fall, I started thinking about corn soups and chowders. At first, I got carried off in the direction of a pureed corn and potato soup with roasted peppers and cotija cheese for garnish. It was a perfectly great soup, but as soon as I sat down to a bowl of it, I realized a chunky chowder was what I was really craving. So, when corn appeared in our box again with the next delivery, my recipe search was more focused. What got my attention this time wasn’t really a soup recipe at all but some cute, little cracker-like biscuits. I have a file full of those perforated recipe cards that always appear in Living magazine. In September 2002, the recipe cards included Grilled Striped Bass to be topped with a Corn and Clam Chowder Sauce and served with Oyster Biscuits. Those biscuits are thin, homemade recreations of the type of crackers usually paired with clam chowder. And, the chunky Corn and Clam Chowder Sauce from that recipe card could easily be made into a soup by adding some milk. I knew I was on the right path. 

The biscuits come together easily, and you can make them in a food processor or by hand. Since it’s such a small amount of dough, I made it by hand and skipped having to wash the parts of the food processor. Flour, salt, baking powder, ground cumin, and ground coriander were combined in a bowl. I worked in two tablespoons of butter by hand until the mixture was crumbly. A half-cup of milk was added and stirred to form the dough. The dough was kneaded briefly on a floured surface and then rolled to a quarter-inch thickness. One and a half-inch biscuits were cut and placed on a baking sheet. I brushed the biscuit tops with water and sprinkled with salt and pepper before baking at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes. As the biscuits cooled, I started on the chowder. First, the clams were steamed in white wine to which I added a big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. When the clams opened, they were removed to a plate, the wine was strained into a cup and set aside, and the pan was rinsed and placed back on the stove. Next, butter was melted in the pan, and shallots and celery were cooked for a few minutes before chunks of potatoes were added with a bay leaf. The reserved wine was added along with a half-cup of water since I needed a little more liquid to form a soup rather than a sauce. I left the potatoes to cook for about ten minutes. Then, two cups of corn kernels were added along with one and a half cups of milk and one cup of cream. The soup was left to simmer until the corn was tender. The clams were returned to the pot to warm through before serving. 

This time I got it right. The chunky potatoes and sweet kernels of corn with the clams were what I wanted all along. And, the little, barely puffed, cracker-like biscuits were perfect on the side. I guess I don’t mind meandering around various recipes as long as a craving is eventually satisfied. 

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Corn Farrotto

When fresh corn is in season, I usually do nothing more with it than pull off the husks and silks and boil the ears. Simple corn on the cob is hard to beat. But, I had this little number waiting patiently on my Recipes to Try board on Pinterest. It’s from last September’s issue of Bon Appetit, and the recipe is online. It’s like a risotto except that it’s made with farro instead of rice. The fresh corn is used in two ways in the dish. First, corn kernels are cooked with onion in a vegetable broth and then pureed. The puree is stirred into the cooked farro to give it the lovely texture of a risotto. Second, more corn kernels are cooked with chopped bell pepper and tomatoes for a pretty topping for each serving. Adding to that risotto-like texture is grated parmigiano cheese that melts into the tender farro. I can’t believe I’m going to suggest this because when do I ever turn down cheese especially parmigiano, but the corn puree is so flavorful all on its own, you could easily skip the cheese and make this a vegan dish. It was light and more clearly about the corn with just the puree, but with the cheese there was added umami, of course, and richness. Either way, you can’t go wrong. 

The first step is to cut all the corn from three or four ears. Chopped onion was cooked in olive oil in a saucepan until translucent, and then one and a half cups of the corn kernels was added with some salt. When softened, vegetable broth was added and left to simmer for about 20 minutes. After the broth had reduced, the mixture was allowed to cool before being pureed and strained through a sieve. Meanwhile, the farro was cooked in vegetable broth and water until tender and then drained. Next, finely minced onion, and I added minced garlic as well, was sauteed in olive oil in a large skillet. Diced bell pepper and the remaining corn kernels were added. Going back to the cooked farro which was returned to a large saucepan, the corn puree was added while stirring. Grated parmigiano cheese was then stirred into the farro, and if it seems dry at all, more vegetable broth should be stirred in as well. Last, chopped tomatoes and basil were added to the corn and bell pepper saute, and that mixture was spooned on top of servings of farro. More parmigiano and basil were used as garnish. 

This is a deceptively healthy dish given the hearty nature of risotto or farroto. The chewy whole grains of farro and all of those summer vegetables don’t come off as so prudishly good for you in this format. It was well worth taking an extra step or two in prepping that fabulous, fresh, summer corn. 

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Chile Cheese Cornbread

I must be feeling bold because I'm about to disagree with James Beard. I just read Beard on Bread and was a bit dismayed with what he had to say about sourdough bread. He wrote: "Despite my own feeling that sourdough bread is much overrated and is difficult to perfect at home I am including one recipe in this collection because interest in the subject is so tremendous... I'm not sure it is worth the trouble." Difficult? Not worth the trouble? I wish I could have had the opportunity to convince him otherwise. Yes, making bread from a sourdough starter requires time and patience, and yes, the results vary depending on the strength of the starter, the weather, and the flour used, but it also seems a little like magic to make bread with such simple ingredients and a home-grown, living, wild yeast starter. With bread-baking, time means flavor, and nothing compares to the taste of slowly fermented and proofed sourdough. I could go on all day about my love of sourdough bread baking, and it's interesting to note that the one sourdough recipe Beard included in this book was made with a starter created from commercial yeast rather than being grown from wild yeast. But, the book is full of several interesting breads of other types. The pizza caccia nanza with pieces of sliced garlic and rosemary inserted in the dough before baking sounds delicious. Jane Grigson's walnut bread from southern Burgundy with onions, walnuts, and walnut oil is one I plan to try too. There are also quick breads, rolls, pita, doughnuts, biscuits, and monkey bread to name a few. So, there are many great things about this book even if Beard was completely wrong about sourdough.

One of those great things was the recipe for a rich cornbread. This was one of Beard's oldest bread recipes and one of his favorites. Not only is this cornbread filled with fresh corn kernels and chopped green chiles, there's grated cheese and a full cup of sour cream. Canned, chopped green chiles are suggested, but since I like to roast chiles, I made my own. I roasted two poblanos on top of the stove and then peeled, seeded, and chopped them. Then, kernels were cut from three ears of fresh corn, and a quarter pound of gruyere was grated. Making the bread couldn't be simpler since you just stir together yellow cornmeal, salt, baking powder, that full cup of sour cream, three quarters of a cup of melted butter, two eggs, the grated cheese, and chopped chiles. The mixture was baked in a nine inch square pan, and it browned nicely on top.

This is no typical, dry, crumbly cornbread. It was more of a meal in the form of cornbread with a tender crumb and lots of flavor and texture, but it was decadently delicious. I had lots of local, summer vegetables on hand like okra, tomatoes, black-eyed peas, and more corn, so I made a fresh, simple vegetable stew to accompany it. Beard might have been wrong to dismiss homemade sourdough, but clearly, he knew of some pretty good other breads.

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Roasted Corn and Tomato Lasagnettes

Making fresh pasta is, I think, the most fun of all cooking tasks. I also really enjoy rolling out cookie dough and cutting shapes. And, strangely, I find using my cherry pitter and having the pits shoot out of each little fruit to be an entertaining thing to do. There are a lot of enjoyable cooking tasks coming to think of it, but still, making pasta is the best. It’s the simplest of doughs with just eggs, salt, and flour. It miraculously forms into a pliable and easily workable substance. You divide it into whatever portions you find manageable and begin rolling it thinner and thinner. It works. You keep rolling, it keeps becoming thinner and longer. Then, you cut it however you want, and cutting it is so simple. Kurt thought I might have been losing my sanity as I repeatedly asked him if he wanted to roll some of the pasta through the machine. I didn’t want to deprive him of the fun, but he didn’t seem to get it. He kept answering 'I’m good.' I’ve tried a few different pasta dough recipes over the years, and this was the second time I’ve made the fresh pasta recipe from Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition. It’s a rich dough that forms well and is easily worked. The lasagnettes recipe is also found in that book.

The dough was rolled into long lasagna sheets which were cut down to about twelve-inch pieces for cooking. The cut sheets were boiled for about three minutes, transferred to ice water to stop the cooking, and then they were cut into three-inch rounds. I stored the scraps of pasta in a bag in the freezer for some future use in which the shape won’t matter. The cut pasta rounds were covered with a damp towel and refrigerated until the other parts of the dish were ready.

This is going to sound like a lot of work, but each step is easy and a lot of things can be prepared in advance if you prefer. Corn was cut from the cob, two cups of raw kernels were set aside, and the rest was roasted until browned in spots. Then, tomatoes were roasted with thyme and olive oil, and I cheated a little here. In the book, large tomatoes are suggested, and they are to be cut into quarters and seeded so that you are left with petal shapes. I used halved cherry tomatoes instead and didn’t seed them. Both of the roasted items could be prepped a day or two ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Returning to the raw corn kernels, they were cooked with butter and then milk was added. Once the kernels were tender, the corn and milk mixture was pureed in a blender and then strained. A bechamel was made by starting with a roux which was whisked into the strained corn puree. One more element was needed, and that was toasted panko crumbs which were tossed with freshly grated parmigiano. Then, assembly began. Pasta rounds were set on a baking sheet, each was topped with some bechamel, then some roasted corn and roasted tomatoes, then another pasta round, more bechamel, more roasted corn, some of the bread crumb mixture, and then another layer was added. A dribble of water was added to the baking sheet, the stacked lasagnettes were covered with oiled parchment, and the sheet pan was placed in the oven for fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, a simple butter sauce was made by whisking a little butter at a time into warm water in a saucepan over low heat.

To serve, the butter sauce was placed on the plate, a lasagnette was set into the puddle of sauce, and it was garnished with fresh basil. It was all a little fussy, and there were several steps to this preparation, but you can actually build the mini, stacked lasagnas and keep them refrigerated for a full day before heating and serving which makes this a good idea for a dinner party. The stacked towers hold their shape well as the bechamel is thick enough not to ooze out and cause the upper levels to slide. It’s also a ridiculously delicious bechamel with the fresh corn puree. That being said, now that I’ve learned the process for making stable, little, lasagna towers, I’m thinking of other seasonal ingredients to use later in the year. Roasted butternut squash rounds with a parmigiano bechamel comes to mind. Whatever filling you choose, you should try these, and definitely enjoy the opportunity to make your own fresh pasta.

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Creamed Corn and Asparagus Coins

I started to tell you about the book Ad Hoc at Home the other day. Since this is a book about family meals, it’s organized according to how planning meals at home supposedly happens. The chapters for main courses of meat and fish come first assuming those are chosen first, and they're followed by soups, salads, vegetables and side dishes, breads, and desserts which are picked to go with a main course. That makes sense. Although, I have been known to plan meals around a vegetable or salad I have in mind. This particular meal did involve barbecued chicken, but my real plan was to put together a menu that would include fresh, local corn. The creamed corn recipe in the book had stuck in my head, and I had to have it. Creamed corn may not ordinarily require a recipe, but in this case, it led me to adding cayenne and lime zest, and so I was happy to follow it. Then, the asparagus coins caught my eye. Rather than leaving the asparagus in spears, they were cut into nice, little rounds and cooked with chive oil and parsley water. Yes, it was just a tad fussy for a simple, home-cooked side dish, but the flavor was fantastic.

First, for creamed corn, Keller offers a handy tip for removing silks from the cut kernels. Move your hand through the kernels, round and round, and the silks will stick to your hand. Rinse your hand and repeat as needed. With kernels free of all silks, the corn was cooked in a large saute pan with melted butter, lime juice, and salt over low heat. Once the liquid evaporated, cream, cayenne, and lime zest were added. When the corn had absorbed most of the cream, chopped chives were added, and it was done.

To make the asparagus dish, chive oil and parsley water needed to be made in advance. To make chive oil, chopped chives were placed in a sieve under hot running tap water to remove any chlorophyll taste. The chives were drained and dried and pureed with canola oil. That mixture was refrigerated for 24 hours and then poured through cheesecloth to become perfectly smooth. Parsley water was made with leaves and tender stems that were wilted in a pan with a teaspoon of oil and a little honey. That mixture was then transferred to a bowl with ice cold water to stop the cooking. All of that was then pureed and strained. The reason for the parsley water is that it helps in retaining the flavor of asparagus. The chemical in asparagus that gives it its taste is water-soluble, so cooking in plain water causes some of that flavor to disappear. With those items prepped, it was time to address the asparagus. It was suggested that the spears be cut on a mandoline for perfectly equal-sized coins. I opted to quickly chop with a knife and accepted that mine were close enough to being equal in size. So, the almost perfect asparagus coins and tips were placed in a saute pan with chive oil and salt. As soon as the edges of the coins began to cook, parsley water was added, and it was left for a brief couple of minutes until just tender.

I said the parsley water and chive oil were fussy, but they really weren’t difficult to prepare. In fact, I finished them both in about 20 minutes and that included washing dishes. I would need to do a side by side comparison with asparagus cooked in plain water to know if the parsley water were truly effective in preserving asparagus flavor. But, I can say that the taste was excellent and very much of asparagus with a mild side note of chives. And, the creamed corn was ridiculously good. Fresh corn and cream can do no wrong, but add a little lime and cayenne, and it becomes even better. These were simple, home-cooked side dishes that were taken to another level, and that’s the point of Ad Hoc at Home.

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Corn and Zucchini Simmered in Coconut Milk with Thai Basil

I kind of like ingredient-hunting through recipes. It’s become a fun, new hobby of mine when I have an ingredient and can’t decide how to use it. I start looking through the indexes of cookbooks, searching for whatever the ingredient of the day is, in hopes of finding some interesting dish in which it’s used. When I decided to make Thai style crab cakes the other day, I used some Thai basil from the farmers’ market. After making the crab cakes, there was still a lot remaining of the very generous bunch I had received. So, off on my ingredient-hunt I went. My first stop was the index of Local Flavors, and under Thai Basil, it reads 'see basil.' And, under basil, I found this dish, and the hunt was over in record time. In creating this dish, Deborah Madison was inspired by the flavor of Thai basil, rather than Italian basil, with corn and zucchini, and then decided to add coconut milk and tofu. I think that she had a fantastic idea.

Cubed tofu was dried and then browned in a skillet with zucchini chunks. Fresh corn was cut from four ears, and the corn milk was pressed from the cobs with the back of a knife. All of that was added to the skillet along with chopped green onions, some Thai chiles, and chopped cilantro and Thai basil leaves. Coconut milk was added, and it simmered for just a few minutes, and dinner was ready. This simple stew was served with white, long-grain rice.

Everything about the dish was very fresh-tasting, and even though it was all about the Thai basil for me, I wouldn’t skip this if you don’t have any on hand. You could go with all cilantro or even try it with Italian basil. Corn, zucchini, tofu, and coconut milk are all a little mild in the flavor department, but they go together very well. In fact, there was something very comfort food-like about that combination. It’s the green onion, chiles, and herbs that livened things up and gave the dish great character. All together, it was a dish that seemed like an old friend even though this was the first time we’d experienced it.

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Spinach Polenta with Balsamic Tomatoes

For lack of an original idea, I can tell you this dish represents two great tastes that taste great together. It’s not candy, but the principle applies. The tomatoes on their own are full of flavor after baking with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and fresh oregano. The polenta is balanced with parmigiano reggiano richness and the fresh taste of spinach. Each component is noteworthy on its own, but put them together and what you get is a step above that. I wanted to try this as soon as I first read Donna Hay’s Off the Shelf earlier in the year. At the time, it wasn’t tomato season yet, so I waited. When the season got here, I of course, had completely forgotten about the dish. Luckily, I flipped through the book again last week and was reminded of it just in time.

It’s quick to prepare because the polenta is cooked while the tomatoes are in the oven. The tomatoes were halved and placed in a baking dish. Then, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fresh oregano leaves, and a pinch of sugar in my case, since I reduced the amount, were combined and poured over the tomatoes. This was baked for 20 minutes at 400 F. Meanwhile, milk and water were brought to a boil, polenta was slowly whisked in and then stirred until cooked, shredded parmigiano reggiano and fresh spinach were incorporated, and I added some kernels of fresh corn as well.

The polenta was served with tomato halves on top, pan juices from the tomatoes were spooned over it, and it was finished with a little extra shredded parmigiano. I tasted the two parts of the dish separately and thought both were great. Then, I tasted them together and realized what a great combination this was intended to be. So go ahead and put some balsamic roasted tomato in your spinach polenta, and you’ll see what I mean.

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