Cowgirl Chef: Fresh summer corn is a taste of nostalgia
My dad grew corn every summer, in neat rows in the westernmost area of his garden, near his sunflowers and the chain-link fence that separated our back yard from our neighbor’s.
Daddy loved eating corn and loved growing it even more, I think, because it towered over everything else — his cherry tomatoes, jalapeños, radishes, zucchini and even the hopeful wisps of asparagus planted on the opposite side of the yard.
Whenever I’d call and ask how his garden was doing, he’d tell me about everything that he’d planted that year, row by row, and whether it had begun to flower or bear fruit, and when we’d talk about the corn, one time he said, “It’s as tall as an elephant’s eye.”
I always think of that now whenever I see corn. It’s funny the things you remember.
We only ate Daddy’s corn one way — on the cob, with those little plastic corncob pins pierced into each end, and slathered with butter. But it was always a tricky process.
Sliding a hard pat of just-out-of-the-fridge butter over a hot corn cob meant that the butter kept sliding off onto the plate, and would need to be rescued, time and time again. I remember thinking that there had to be a better way because this one seemed so futile and time-consuming.
Now that I’m back in Paris, I often get nostalgic for simple, fresh summer corn. It’s not widely available here because people don’t eat corn like they do at home. I’ve only occasionally seen corn kernels sprinkled on top of salads — never any other way, and it usually comes in small cans.
As for fresh corn, it’s still considered a novelty item, and is sometimes available at a few open-air markets around town.
I’m hoping corn will go the way of blueberries, which I rarely saw a few years ago, and you can now find at all the markets.
In the meantime, I’ll be making these non-cob corn recipes, which work best with fresh corn, but canned or frozen will work in a pinch — or if you happen to be living in Paris.
Ellise Pierce is the author of “Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent” (Running Press, $25). www.cowgirlchef.com; @cowgirlchef.
Corn, zucchini and asparagus quesadillas
Makes 1 large quesadilla
▪ 1 medium zucchini
▪ 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
▪ Sea salt and pepper, to taste
▪ 1 bunch asparagus
▪ 1 leek
▪ 2 tablespoons goat cheese
▪ 2 flour tortillas
▪ 1/2 cup cooked corn
▪ 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
▪ 1 tablespoon butter
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Chop zucchini into 1/4-inch rounds, then quarter them. Put zucchini in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss until well-coated.
2. Slice off the woody bottoms of the asparagus and cut the stalks into 2-inch-long pieces. Put in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper and toss.
3. Put zucchini and asparagus on a large cookie sheet and brown in the oven. This will take about a half-hour, but check at about 15 minutes to make sure the bottoms aren’t getting too brown. Turn the veggies over so both sides brown evenly. Remove from oven and let cool. (Note: This can be done ahead of time and you can refrigerate the zucchini and asparagus until you’re ready to make quesadillas.)
4. While the veggies are roasting, slice the white parts of the leek into thin slices and place in a large skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Cook until the leek slices slowly brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Ditto with the making ahead; you can refrigerate the cooked leeks, too.
5. When it’s time to make the quesadillas, spread 1 tablespoon soft goat cheese on each tortilla. Layer 1/2 cup of zucchini, 1/2 cup of asparagus, and corn on one of the tortillas, then add a tablespoon of cooked leeks and the chopped cilantro. Top with the other tortilla. Put the butter in a skillet or on a griddle over medium-high heat, and when it melts and bubbles, add the quesadilla, pressing down with a spatula. Cook until the tortilla browns and the cheese melts, then flip to the other side. When this side browns, it’s ready. Remove from skillet and gently cut with a sharp knife into fourths.
Nutritional analysis per 1/2 quesadilla: 634 calories, 41 grams fat, 58 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams protein, 23 milligrams cholesterol, 443 milligrams sodium, 6 grams dietary fiber, 58 percent of calories from fat.
Corn cakes
Makes 10
▪ 2 cups corn
▪ 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
▪ 1 Thai chile, finely chopped (Remove seeds if you want less heat.)
▪ 2 green onions, chopped
▪ 2/3 cup flour
▪ 1/2 teaspoon cumin
▪ 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
▪ 1/8 teaspoon salt
▪ 1 egg
▪ 2 tablespoons canola oil
▪ Greek yogurt, for serving
▪ Smoked paprika, optional
1. In a medium bowl, toss together corn, bell pepper, Thai chile, green onions, flour, cumin, turmeric and salt.
2. Whisk egg in a small bowl and add to corn mixture. Mix well.
3. Put oil in a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Using an ice cream scoop, make as many corn cakes as you can fit into the hot skillet, leaving at least 2 inches between them. Flatten the cakes gently with your hand or a spatula and let them cook slowly, until the bottoms are brown. Flip and let the other side brown. Don’t cook them too quickly or you’ll have runny insides.
4. Repeat with the rest of the corn cake batter. Serve the cakes immediately with a spoonful of Greek yogurt on top, and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
Nutritional analysis per corn cake: 91 calories, 3 grams fat, 13 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 21 milligrams cholesterol, 36 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 33 percent of calories from fat.
Corn and tomato salad
Makes 4 servings
▪ 1 pint cherry tomatoes
▪ 1 cup corn (cooked or raw and cut from the cob)
▪ Small handful of cilantro
▪ Juice of 1 lime
▪ 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
▪ Salt and pepper to taste
Halve the cherry tomatoes and put into a large bowl along with corn and cilantro. Add lime juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
Cowgirl tip: Let this be the beginning to other corn/tomato combos. You may add queso fresco or feta cheese, chunks of avocado, fresh jalapeño, or green onion.
Nutritional analysis per serving: 96 calories, 4 grams fat, 13 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams protein, no cholesterol, 44 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber, 37 percent of calories from fat.
Corn and cheddar soufflé
Makes 4 servings
▪ Butter, for greasing the ramekins
▪ 1 cup cooked corn
▪ 1/2 cup whole milk
▪ 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
▪ 3 eggs, separated
▪ Salt and pepper
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease four (1/2-cup) ovenproof ramekins with butter and place on a small cookie sheet or in a glass baking dish.
2. Put corn and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Let milk come to a boil, then let it simmer until the milk thickens and reduces, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour milk and corn into a blender and puree until smooth. Pour this into a bowl (you’ll be adding egg whites later, so use a large one), add cheese and egg yolks, and add salt and pepper to taste (I used a pinch of each). Let cool for 10 minutes.
4. Beat egg whites in a clean bowl with a pinch of salt, starting low and gradually whisking at a high speed until stiff peaks form. Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the corn mixture, making sure the whites are well incorporated. Fold in the second 1/3, then the last. Spoon into the ramekins and bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are browned and the soufflés are set. Note: Eat immediately before they fall — because they will!
Nutritional analysis per serving: 247 calories, 17 grams fat, 10 grams carbohydrates, 14 grams protein, 201 milligrams cholesterol, 275 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 62 percent of calories from fat.
This story was originally published July 22, 2015 at 10:25 AM with the headline "Cowgirl Chef: Fresh summer corn is a taste of nostalgia."