Turkey and Sweetcorn Meatballs with Roasted Pepper Sauce

The original recipe calls for turkey, but I made this with veal, so feel free to get creative with your choice of meat. The original also calls for pan-frying the meatballs and finishing in the oven, but I thought I'd keep the amount of work I had to do simple and just bake them. The roasted pepper sauce is what makes this dish amazing, so don't even think about skipping it.

One year ago: Aromatic Green Beans
Two years ago: Sweet and Sour Napa Cabbage
Three years ago: Apple and Cheddar Scones
Four years ago: Breakfast Tacos

Turkey and Sweetcorn Meatballs with Roasted Pepper Sauce (from Ottolenghi)

Ingredients
100g corn kernels
3 slices stale white bread, crust removed
500g ground turkey
1 egg
4 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
2 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
Roasted pepper sauce
4 red bell peppers
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
25g cilantro, leaves and stalks
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 small red chile
2 tbsp sweet chile sauce
2 tbsp cider vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Quarter peppers and remove seeds. Put in roasting tray with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Roast 35 minutes or until soft. Transfer to bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let cool and peel if desired. Place in blender with roasting juices and add remaining sauce ingredients. Process until smooth. Set aside. Reduce oven heat to 375F.
2. For meatballs, heat a fry pan over high heat. Add corn and cook until lightly blacked. Let cool.
3. Soak bread in cold water for a minute, squeeze and crumble into large bowl. Add rest of ingredients. Mix well.
4. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with pepper sauce.

Cornmeal Cake with Fresh Corn and Berries

This is a hearty cake that's great for snacking. I used a mixture of blackberries and raspberries. She suggests only using 1 cup of berries in the cake and garnishing with the remaining cup, but I think the cake could handle having 2 cups of fruit.

Two years ago: Eggplant Souffle

Cornmeal Cake with Fresh Corn and Berries (from Farmers' Market Desserts)

Ingredients
2 cups blackberries or raspberries
3/4 cup corn kernels (1 ear of corn)
1 cup plus 2 tbsp flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Heat oven to 350F. Oil and 8"x2" round cake pan. Dust with flour.
2. Mix berries in small bowl with corn kernels. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp flour and 2 tbsp sugar. Stir to coat.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and olive oil.
5. Stir wet ingredients into dry until well combined.
6. Fold berries and corn into batter.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until cooked through, 40 - 45 minutes.

Israeli Couscous with Fresh Corn, Tomatoes, and Feta

This is a simple dish, but a celebration of summer. I used grape tomatoes in place of diced tomatoes.

One year ago: Spinach with Ginger and Green Chiles
Two years ago: Thai Shrimp and Spinach Curry

Israeli Couscous with Fresh Corn, Tomatoes, and Feta (from Cook This Now)

Ingredients
1 large garlic clove, minced
3/4 tsp plus pinch kosher salt
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 large ripe tomato, diced
85g crumbled feta cheese
2 tbsp chopped basil

1. Using a mortar and pestle, mash garlic and pinch of salt to a paste. In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, lemon juice, 3/4 tsp salt, and pepper. Whisk in olive oil.
2. Cook couscous according to package directions (or if your directions are weird, cook it like pasta for at least 15 minutes). Add corn for last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain well.
3. In large bowl, combine couscous-corn, tomato, and vinaigrette. Let cool for 10 minutes.
4. Fold in feta and basil. Serve.

Corn Salad with Tomatoes, Avocados, and Lime Cilantro Dressing

It's hard to get much cooking done in the summer. The warm weather outside beckons with far too many distractions. Living without air conditioning also means I have to be careful not to overheat my apartment by running the stove or oven too long. Fortunately, with fresh fruits and vegetables in season, there are delicious alternatives that require very little cooking. This dish is quick and easy. The avocado gives it a bit of something extra and makes it more filling if you're looking for a nice summery lunch. I used grape tomatoes in place of diced tomatoes.

One year ago: Turmeric Rice
Two years ago: Pasta Pesto Salad

Corn Salad with Tomatoes, Avocados, and Lime Cilantro Dressing (from Cook This Now)

Ingredients
3 ears corn, kernels sliced from cob
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large tomato, diced
2 ripe avocados, diced
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cook corn until tender, 2 minutes. Drain.
2. In a bowl, whisk together lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk in oil.
3. In a large bowl, combine corn, tomato, avocados, scallions, and cilantro. Add dressing, toss to coat, and serve.

Corn Soup with Scallions and Green Apple

I couldn't resist a package of corn last time I was at the Val-Mont, but wasn't in the mood for corn on the cob two nights in a row. As fate would have it, I had picked up some scallions on a whim and we had leftover pommettes (crab apples I believed), so all signs pointed towards making this recipe. The soup is rather thin and broth-like. I generally prefer a bit thicker soup, but it was good and different. The original is included below and serves 4. I scaled in half and had leftovers after serving it as a first course to two.

One year ago: Raspberry Limeade Slushies

Corn Soup with Scallions and Green Apple (from Radically Simple)

Ingredients
6 large ears sweet yellow corn
2 bunches scallions
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp salt
5 1/2 cup water, divided
1/4 tsp Sriracha
6 tbsp very finely diced Granny Smith apple

1. Cut corn kernels from the cob to get 5 cups.
2. Chop white and light green parts of scallions to get 2/3 cups.
3. Melt butter in a 4-quart part.
4. Add scallions and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
5. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to boil.
6. Add corn, 5 cups water, and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
7. Cover and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
8. Puree until smooth using an immersion blender.
9. Pass through a sieve, pressing down hard on the solids (yes, this step is worth it).
10. Add Sriracha and garnish with diced apple.

Corn and Black Bean Tamale Pie

I ended up picking up a few cookbooks while I was in Texas for the holidays, so this is the first post that doesn't include an online link!

The original recipe uses 4 ears of fresh cooked corn and suggests pureeing the kernels.  I don't mind the texture of corn, so I decided to skip that step and just use a large can or corn.  Additionally, the recipe calls for 1 can of diced green chilies.  The market near me does not carry these, so I substituted a couple tablespoons of diced pickled jalapenos.  The recipe also notes that masa harina can be found in the flour section of your local supermarket.  This is not true in Montreal!  You can, however, find masa mix at specialty stores or usually you can find some corn flour at the corner store.

I also ended up using a Dutch oven to cook it in as my other baking dishes were taken.  Because the dish was narrower, I created 2 layers of beans and cheese.

Corn and Black Bean Tamale Pie (from Stop and Smell the Rosemary: Recipes and Traditions to Remember)

Ingredients

1 can corn
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup masa harina
1 can cream corn
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drains
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tomato puree
2 tbsp diced jalapenos
2 cups shredded Cheddar (225g)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray a 7x11 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine corns, vegetable stock, masa, baking powder, and butter in a large bowl.  Set aside.
3. Combine black beans, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne, oregano, tomato puree, and jalapenos in a large bowl.
4. Spread 2/3 of masa corn mixture in bottom of prepared baking dish.  Layer bean mixture and then the cheese.  Top with remaining masa corn mixture.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour.  If desired, serve with green or red sauce.