My husband, Michael, passed away today. As Nancy Reagan said, it has been a long good-bye. While I am relieved that he is in a better place, and, he is, it is difficult and so sad to close this door. We were married more than 26 years. My friend and neighbor, Michelle Morgando, who will soon be writing her own food blog, will share her culinary stories with you the next two weeks. My daughter, Melissa, who is here with me, will take over my Tuesday and Friday duties – —– just to show that she can.
A stack of corn cakes filled and garnished with apricot preserves with morsels of chevre (goat cheese) introduced for some tartness.
This week’s First Friday with Dorie recipe is the answer to every Iowa girl’s dream. Since I’m a born ‘n bred Iowan and more than a lil’ bit country, I consider myself an authority on CORN.
Dorie, did you know:
1. In 2011, Iowa corn farmers grew almost 2.3 billion bushels of corn on 13.7 million acres of land.
2. Iowa has produced the largest corn crop (most of it field corn) of any state for almost two decades. In an average year, Iowa produces more corn than most countries.
3. Corn has been the dominant crop in Iowa for more than 150 years!
The Sprout character was introduced in Green Giant® advertising in 1973. He is an apprentice to the kindly Green Giant® and helps the Giant tend the vegetables. The Jolly Green Giant® is the third most recognized advertising icon of the 20th century, behind Ronald McDonald and the Marlboro Man. (greengiant.com)
In fairness to our neighbors to the north, I’ll concede that the Jolly Green Giant and his sidekick, Sprout, raise more sweet corn for the consumer market than we Iowans. That’s why the canned corn you use for this recipe might have grown up in Minnesota.
Yes, for this recipe we are using canned corn, those sweet little krammed-with-karbohydrates kernels. Dorie suggests we find a can that is without sugar or corn syrup. Although corn is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, 82 percent of the calories in this food are from carbohydrates. It is, however, a good source of dietary fiber, thiamin and folate.
But I digress. French housewives have been using canned corn to make these little pancakes for years. Who knew? They were first introduced stateside in the mid-Eighties after world-famous chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten arrived here. He paired them with crème fraîche and caviar. Of course he did! Although they are fine as an hors d’oeuvre, they also are an interesting accompaniment to any meat dish to replace potatoes, rice, or noodles.
Mise en Place, the ingredients for making corn cakes. Just a few are needed for this simple delight.
For these little wonders, throw three ingredients, corn, eggs, and flour, into your blender or processor. Salt. Then use a tablespoon to drop the batter into a skillet well-lacquered with grapeseed oil (or, any mild oil). Once you achieve a golden color on each side (2 minutes per side), pat off the excess oil and transfer to the warm cookie sheet waiting in the oven.
When making pancakes for breakfast, my Mother would call these “silver dollar” pancakes in size.
After making the pancakes and cooling them to room temperature, I tried three different versions. Serving them with guacamole as a garnish to accompany my lunch of chilled corn and crab salad was delicious. For dessert, I made them into a Raspberry-Crème Fraîche Shortcake. So tasty. If crème fraîche is too strong a taste for you, try whipped cream instead. I just thought the three flavors, sweet fruit, tangy sauce, and corny cake, played well together.
Corn pancakes, garnished with guacamole and served as an accompaniment to chilled corn salad and crab.
For dinner, just needing a snack, I used apricot preserves as a filling for a corn pancake stack to which I introduced morsels of chevre (goat cheese). This idea was actually my favorite taste.
Corn pancakes filled and garnished with crème fraîche and added raspberries.
Although we don’t share recipes from “Around My French Table”, because we would like you to buy the book, I believe you’d make good corn pancakes by blending a 15-ounce can of corn with 2 eggs and 6 tablespoons of flour. Don’t forget the salt. To see how my colleagues, who probably aren’t “corn-fed” did with this week’s recipe, go here.
The world-famous Iowa State Fair butter cow is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. As a kid, I would visit the butter cow during our family’s annual trip to the fair. As a Mother, I made sure my girls never missed the fair. (Rodney White/The Register)
Chilled Corn and Crab Salad, a delicious addition to your summer salad choices.
Sometimes it takes a village. Isn’t that how it goes? This week’s definitely spectacular summer salad has been a community effort. My prediction: you’re going to love it.
Shortly after arriving in Aspen, just barely having gotten unpacked and organized, a friend and I jumped in the car and drove to Denver to see the Yves Saint Laurent Retrospective at the Denver Art Museum. The exhibit, a sweeping march through the designer’s forty years of creativity, opened in Paris before going to Madrid, with a last stop in Denver.
The show was well worth the four-hour drive to and fro. Betty and I enjoyed, after my eight-year absence from Colorado, our two wonderful days together. As usual, much of our discussion revolved around food. My friend is no slouch when it comes to cooking and baking. In fact, Julia sat at her table a time or two, so I’m always interested in what she has to say. She inspires me.
As a amateur home cook, I always gather my ingredients together, checking to see I have everything I need. The French call it Mise en Place.
Before returning to Aspen, she suggested we detour to a little-known European bakery in Avon. What a discovery! Their coconut macaroons? I wish I’d bought more. The baguettes. Oh là là. Continuing on our culinary tour, her next stop was Gypsum where the only Costco in the High Country is located. Yes, if you live in the mountains, it’s a 135-mile round trip to a Costco. So if you’re passing by, you stop.
That’s where I bought a pound of crab meat.
The salad, ready to be folded together. The corn has cooled to room temperature, the crab and minced sweet pepper mixed together, the dressing whisked, and the cilantro ready to be chopped.
After returning to Aspen I received this e-mail from my Nevada neighbor, Michelle. “I know you are looking for good salads for the summer. I am making this tonight, it is so delicious! I substitute cilantro for the basil and serve it over Bibb lettuce leaves, sliced tomato and sliced avocado. I used a red jalapeño pepper and it was just hot enough. That and some good crusty bread makes the perfect meal! “
The nearby El Jebel grocery store had just stocked fresh ears of corn. (Don’t you love these towns’ names?) I needed fresh spices but my neighbor, Karen, had already urged me to harvest her overabundance of herbs.
So that’s my story and the reason this week’s Summer = Salads recipe is Chilled Corn and Crab Salad.
Chilled Corn and Crab Salad served on thinly-sliced tomato .
For my purposes I wanted this salad to be more about the crab than the corn. However, being Iowa born and bred, I urge you to make the extra effort (and, mess) and use fresh corn. I substituted a sweet petite mini pepper for the Thai chile because I didn’t want the heat, just the color. Like Michelle, I used cilantro instead of basil.
Chilled Corn and Crab Salad served with Corn Cakes garnished with homemade guacamole.
This salad seems so clean cut to me. It looks nutritious and acts healthy. Although there are many ways to serve this dish, I served one plate rather plainly, accompanied only by corn cakes garnished with guacamole. For the guacamole, I never stray from Rosa Mexicano Restaurant’s recipe. (The corn cakes are the upcoming FFwithDorie recipe which you’ll read about later this week.) For the other luncheon plate, I piled the salad onto farmers market tomato slices.
Long ago, when visiting Manhattan, I tasted Rosa’s guacamole at her restaurant. Never have I tasted better so I still stick to her recipe.
This would be a mighty tasty and luxurious addition to any buffet table, potluck dinner or picnic. It’s a salad that can be transported quite easily – thrown in a Ziploc bag, stashed in the cooler. It won’t wilt, break apart, or get its feelings hurt. Hopefully, you’ll agree this is a yummy addition to your summer salad list.
Chilled Corn and Crab Salad
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, September 2007, and Michelle Morgando.
Serves 6 Luncheon Portions/12 Potluck or Buffet Portions
Ingredients
3-4 tablespoons olive oil or grapeseed oil
3 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 5-6 ears of corn)
1 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 sweet petite mini red pepper, diced
16 ounces lump crabmeat (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1-2 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Heat 1 to 2 teaspoons oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add corn and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in onion. Let cool to room temperature.
2. Whisk together lemon juice and sugar. Drizzle in remaining tablespoon plus 1 teaspoons oil, whisking until combined.
3. Combine corn-onion mixture, pepper, crabmeat, and cilantro. Fold in lemon dressing. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cover, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes, preferably 2 hours. Serve plain or garnished with cilantro leaves or guacamole. Enjoy.
Colorado’s state flower, the white and lavender columbine (Aquilegia caerulea) is commonly known as the Rocky Mountain columbine. Its journey to become the Colorado state flower began near the end of the 19th century in 1891 when Colorado school children voted the Rocky Mountain columbine their favorite flower (The cactus came in second place!). These columbine, pictured above and discovered while hiking near the Capitol Creek trail, are uniquely white in color.
Agreed, it’s an unusual combo: Mint Chocolate Ice Cream and Seaweed Sablés. Both recipes are by David Lebovitz.
Sometimes Dorie takes us waaaay out on a limb. For example, remember the Sardine Rillettes or the Spiced Squash, Fennel and Pear Soup? Even the Caramel-topped Semolina Cake and Gerard’s Mustard Tart were a stretch for an Iowa girl like me. Luckily, more often than not, the limb doesn’t snap and we end up with a tasty morsel.
This week Dorie decided to take us for a swim. Since water is not my friend, I never even learned to dog-paddle, I’m a bit reluctant to dive right into this recipe choice.
But dive I must……
A first for me, purchasing packages of toasted Nori.
The Japanese call it “nori”. Here in the United States, it’s just plain old seaweed. For this recipe Dorie is suggesting we put 3 tablespoons of seaweed into a sweet, buttery shortbread slice-and-bake cookie. Why would anyone do that?
Because David said so.
According to Dorie, who is a Parisienne part-timer, it’s playful, chic and attention-getting to turn sweet into salty. Choosing unusual add-ins for this very traditional French shortbread cookie is all the rage. Adding olives, cheese, even bacon, I understand. But it was American cookbook author and pastry chef David Lebovitz who suggested seaweed.
The shortbread mixture after the nori has been chopped finely and added. Admittedly, it does look pretty.
The shortbread cookie dough, rolled into one very long log.
The dough, as for all sablés, is simple to make. Butter, salt, confectionary sugar, egg yolk, olive oil and flour. Next, add the 3 tablespoons of finely chopped toasted nori. (I found this at my local Whole Foods.) Roll the dough into logs. Chill or freeze. When you’re ready to bake them off, sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on each one and bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
A tip from COOK’s Illustrated magazine: Prior to freezing slice-and-bake cookies, put the logs into toilet paper or paper towel rolls to get perfectly rounded cookies.
The paper roll trick worked quite well.
Although these sablés are cocktail fare, I first served them with luscious and delicious Mint Chocolate Ice Cream which my granddaughters and I made. What was my rationalization for coupling rich/creamy mint chocolate with salty/savory seaweed? Simple. These are both Lebovitz’s recipes and can hang out together!!!
This little cocktail cookie complements the Lillet. A nice duo.
Next I served these with Lillet, a French aperitif which is a blend of Bordeaux wines and citrus liqueur. The salty cookie blended well with the lovely Lillet.
Although I’m glad I met and baked with toasted chopped nori for the first time ever, these aren’t nibbles I’ll make again. This is a little too playful , chic and attention-getting for me. The mint chocolate ice cream, however, is spectacular.
The Verdict is In: A Watermelon without pips (seeds) is not a real Watermelon.
Whoever invented watermelons without seeds did a grave injustice to summertime. Is there anyone among us whose childhood didn’t include a seed-spitting competition?
This is what came to mind as I prepared this week’s summer salad choice, Watermelon, Feta and Black Olive Salad. I first spotted this recipe in Nigella Lawson’s ForeverSummer cookbook published in 2003. Oprah adapted it for her August 2006 issue and Martha highlighted it in an July-August 2007 issue. When a food blogging colleague recently reminded me of this tasty Greek combo, I pulled out my cookbook.
This salad stands out in any crowd.
Since I’m back in Colorado where summer is synonymous with potlucks, I see this as a perfect contribution to a food table. This Mediterranean salad is splashy, stealing center stage from the traditional potato salad and coleslaw. It’s tasty, with no hidden players. Everything – melon, olives, feta and red onions – are independent but swing well with each other. This salad likes to travel and will hold up just fine, if need be. A big crowd? It doubles or triples easily.
The lime juice enables the red onion slices to blush.
Maybe the Greeks can’t balance their budget but they sure can create a razzle-dazzle salad.
Nigella Lawson’s Watermelon, Feta and Black Olive Salad
Forever Summer (2003)
Serves: 8
INGREDIENTS
(the only adaption I made was exchanging walnut oil for olive oil and adding toasted chopped walnuts)
1 small red onion
2-4 limes, depending on juiciness (the more, the better, I think)
1.5 kg (3.3 lbs ) sweet, ripe watermelon
250g (1 cup) feta cheese
Bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
Bunch fresh mint, chopped
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ( I used walnut oil)
100g ( 1/3 to 1/2 cup) pitted black olives
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts (my addition)
Black pepper
METHOD
Serves: 8
1.Peel and halve the red onion and cut into very fine half-moons. Put in a small bowl to steep with the lime juice and bring out the transparent pinkness in the onions and diminish their rasp.
2. Remove the rind and pips (seeds) from the watermelon, and cut into triangular chunks (see picture). Cut the feta into similar sized pieces and put them both into a large, wide shallow bowl. Tear off sprigs of parsley so that it is used like a salad leaf, rather than a garnish, and add to the bowl along with the chopped mint.
3. Pour the onions, along with their pink juices, over the salad already in the bowl. Add the oil, olives and nuts. Using your hands, toss the salad very gently so that the feta and melon don’t lose their shape. Grind black pepper to taste and add more lime juice, if needed.
Note: I bought a seedless (without pips) watermelon for this salad. I didn’t think it had the flavor of the regular watermelons I usually purchase. Not a scientific study, however.
