Grilled Corn on the Cob

Few things in life are as sweet as the first bite into hot, fresh corn on the cob; the crisp bite, the popping sound, the juicy burst, the sweet corn goodness.

Oh my.

My Three Sisters Garden

Corn on the cob (or, rather corn in general) is an icon of the Midwest.  While growing up, every major gathering offered (along with big bowls of chicken booyah stewed for hours in giant barrels) perfectly grilled cobs of sweet corn dunked into [coffee cans full of] melted butter and lightly sprinkled with salt, husks pulled back to make nature's perfect handle. And all was well with the world.

I know that it is hard to find corn that has not been contaminated with GMO field corn, and that is a shame.  However, you can ask around to find a farmer who tries hard to maintain that little piece of much loved Midwestern history, or you can grow your own from heirloom seed (I ordered mine).  It's not hard to grow corn, and it doesn't take up much space; you can fit 12 - 16 stalks of corn in a 4'x4' area, which I've done rather successfully before.  This year, I decided to try a Three Sisters Garden (corn, beans, and squash) to see what will happen with another one of natures little perfect combinations. So far, so good.


On to the recipe.  It's not really a recipe, though.  Some people dress soaked and desilked corn up with chili powder and lime or basil leaves and butter, or some such "gourmet" combination prior to grilling.  In our opinion, the season doesn't last long enough to mess around trying to change perfection, so we enjoy it with just butter and salt because just those two ingredients bring out that beautiful, gorgeous flavor without masking it at all.  Maybe try the bacon-wrapped corn on the cob for the blanched and frozen corn in mid winter - during the summer, just enjoy it the way nature intended it to be for those few short weeks it is at its peak.

If you can't find a way to grill your corn, boiling is the next best thing.  To boil corn on the cob, husk the corn, rinse as much of the silk from the cob as you can.  Place the ears in a large stock pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from the heat.  Allow to cook (covered and off the heat) for about 12-14 minutes. 

Grilled Corn on the Cob

• several ears freshly picked sweet corn
• water
• fire
• butter
• salt

Peel back the husks of the sweet corn.  Pull as much of the silk out as you can.  Push the husks back up around the corn .  It is okay if you mutilate some of the outer husks trying to open it - you just need 2-3 layers of husks to cover the corn for grilling.

Place corn into a big pot of cold water.  Soak for anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes (this is partly to create steam during grilling and partly to get any bugs in the corn to leave immediately).

Get coals, wood, or gas hot.  Place a grate over said heat.

The gas in my gas grill fizzled and so we used wood over the fire pit.  The flavor was so amazing!

Place the corn onto the hot grate.

Cook for about 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally.  Husks will turn black - that's okay because you don't eat that part, anyway.

Serve the corn as it is ready.  Spread with lots of real butter and sprinkle with salt.  Set the rest of the corn aside (away from the flame), and cover with a tent of foil or inverted pan to keep warm for the next helping.

Rave to friends and family about how super fantastic roasted corn is and wish you could eat it all year long.

Build-Your-Own Pasta Salad Because It's Too Darn Hot To Cook

It has been so stinkin' hot here lately.  Honestly, I don't know how all you Southern people do it, bless your hearts!  Yesterday hovered somewhere around the 110F mark.  All day.  In Wisconsin.

We don't do that here. 

I don't know about you, but this Mom isn't cooking a darn thing today.

Three weeks ago (my last post - I'm sorry), my daughter caught some annoying illness from camp.  She then brought whatever it was home, and then my son ended up with it.  And then, naturally, it took me out for several days.  How my husband didn't catch it is beyond me, but good for him because it stunk.  At any rate, I've been trying to get caught up with everything, and this heat is really dragging me down.  But, it's coming together.  Slowly.  And tonight for dinner, I'm not cooking at all.  (You can't see it, but my grin is large, my friends.  Large, indeed.)

I decided to do a Build-Your-Own Pasta Salad dinner using nothing more than the pasta salad ingredients I generally reach for, and only what I had on hand (because the inside of my car is infinitely hotter than the air outside and I don't want to get into it).   Plus, I'm in no mood to listen to anyone complain about a dinner not made-to-order, customized specifically to what each individual likes...I don't get paid enough.  So...

Is it just me, or does this photo look a little too 1950's cheesy cookbook-like?

Onto a platter I piled all the fun veggies, cheese, olives, herbs, and beans I had in the cupboard, freezer and refrigerator.  Leftover chicken or beef is good, too, if you have it (I didn't).  In this picture, you can see that I made some self-serve piles of tomatoes, bell pepper, Cannellini and Garbanzo beans, black and green olives, red onion, and cucumber, as well as some fun little mozzarella balls (chunked fresh mozzarella works just fine as well) and diced feta cheese.  I tossed in some fresh basil, oregano and thyme, too, to be torn at the plate.  You can use whatever you have on hand; shredded carrots, sliced radishes, chopped spinach or arugula, and/or some spunky Asiago or some great Parmesan cheese would be all great additional choices as well.

Those toppings are mixed with some penne or rotini or fusilli pasta, cooked, cooled, and tossed with some olive oil to prevent sticking and a few sprinkles of red wine vinegar or lemon juice, salt and pepper for extra flavor.

Set out a couple of your favorite vinaigrettes to dress the salad.  I had a red wine and balsamic Italian vinaigrette in the fridge, and I made a Lemon Oregano Vinagrette for those members of my family who love lemon.

Set out the salt and pepper grinder, maybe add a little fruit and some crusty bread, if you want, and dinner is served; everyone heaps a pile of pasta onto their plates then adds what they like, topping it with the herbs and vinaigrette of their choice.

And everything can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.

And the kitchen remains cool.

And so does Mom.

(And yes, those are the Cheeky French Chefs of all Crappy Pictures France on my wine cooler thingamajob. You missed the ice cubes in my red wine glass; Baby, if loving this is wrong, I don't want to be right - it's too darn hot to care.)

Swiss Chard and Potatoes

Do you want to know what I think is a beautiful thing?  Heading out to my own backyard grocery store to choose what to have for dinner.

And do you know what I think is even prettier?

The price.

Not much is ready yet other than the leafy goods, but I am so happy about it all (except for the critters munching my goods; I just replanted both the corn and the peas...Grrr.).  It's really not just the price that I think is pretty, even though that is a very, very nice thing.  It's a little bit of pride, a little bit of independence, a little bit of personal choice about what we eat and the quality of the food.  And I dig it.

Last night was one of those nights where there was little in the pantry and freezer because I did not have time to shop today, yet somehow dinner for six needed to appear.  Between the potatoes, garlic, and spices in the pantry and what was in the garden, this Swiss Chard and Potato dish made a perfect side to accompany some steamed garden peas and our main dish.

And it made me very happy to go out and harvest it.

Now, I just need to get rid of those not-so-cute-anymore bunnies that like my garden as much as I do. They ate my corn, peas, lettuce, bean leaves...and I didn't get any.  They don't seem to mess with the onions and garlic, so next year, instead of marigolds (which they don't even notice - or maybe they do and they are just laughing at those silly humans as they munch right past them), I am going to plant a garlic and onion barrier around everything.  A thick one.

Soon, dear bunnies.  Soon, I will take all measures necessary to ensure you eat from the neighbor's garden rather than mine. Between the fence and the pepper spray I mixed up just last night, with the dogs in the middle, you'd better run, and run quickly.
 

A quick note about "stickage" in this dish - the moisture in the potatoes and chard mixture may cause a little sticking.  You can either gently press the moisture out of the mixture as it is draining in the colander, or use an acid (I suggest beer or white wine vinegar in the recipe) to deglaze the pan with the potatoes still in it, or you can serve the dish and deglaze the pan later with plain white vinegar gently warmed when it's time to wash the dishes (anything stuck on in any pan usually cleans up very easily with this method!). Regardless of how you make clean up easier, you're going to love this Swiss chard and Potatoes recipe!

Swiss Chard and Potatoes
serves 6

• 1 lb Swiss chard, washed
• 2 lbs potatoes (red, white, or otherwise), peeled and cut into a 1 inch dice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Tbs butter or olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2-3 Tbs beer, white wine vinegar - if necessary, to deglaze the pan, optional

Trim the Swiss chard: run a sharp knife along the both sides of the stem to remove the leaves. (Suggestion: stack 3-4 like-sized stems together and run the knife through all at once to speed things along)

Chop the stems into 1/2 inch pieces.  Stack and slice the leaves into 1/4 -1/2 inch ribbons.

Place potatoes in a large pot.  Cover by two inches with water.  Add 1/2 tsp salt.  Bring to a boil.  Partially cover and reduce heat to medum. Simmer for 3 minutes.  Add chard leaves and stems.

Bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and partially cover again for about 10 min, or until potatoes are tender.

Drain potatoes and chard.

Melt butter or heat olive oil in 12 inch skillet over medium heat.  Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes.  Cook 1-2 minutes, or garlic is fragrant.

Toss in the potatoes and chard (be careful for any sizzle due to the moisture in the potato mixture).  Stir in the green onions.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cook untouched 4-5 minutes.  Stir, scraping any bits off the bottom of the pan.

Cook another 4-5 minutes, or until everything is well cooked.

If some of your potatoes have cooked to the bottom of the pan (heat varies between electric and gas, and when you add the moisture of the potatoes and chard, sometimes things get...sticky.  That's all fine in this dish, though - that's extra added flavor), add the optional beer or white wine vinegar now.  Stir to scrape any yummy flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.  If your potatoes release well, you can skip this part if you'd like. Taste, and season again with salt and pepper, if necessary.

White Bean Salad

Originally this post was going to be about making various vinaigrettes. I had made three different vinaigrettes and had big plans to photograph them and offer several recipes along with a tutorial about how to make and customize them.

Then, I ate them in various dishes and forgot to take the pictures.

I'm sorry.

But the salads were good.

I will do it soon, though, because the basic formula for The Vinaigrette is indispensable for the summer salads, regardless of whether the salads are full of greens, beans, potatoes, vegetables, pastas, or a combination. 

For most of the people for whom I cooked Saturday evening, the main course was a white kidney bean salad marinated in a lovely red wine vinaigrette (with a side of tomato basil focaccia).  For the two of my family who don't like beans so much, a salad topped with sauteed chicken marinated in the same vinaigrette was the main show.  Both were easy, fresh, and summery, and both were delicious.

In this salad, I suggest de-seeded cucumbers.  To do this, peel your cucumber (if needed), and slice it in half lengthwise.  With a spoon, scrape out the seeds.

Slice it and dice it accordingly.

The longer this salad marinates, the better it tastes.  At least 30 minutes is necessary, and leftovers only get better.  If you do have leftovers, store the bean mixture by itself (not with the greens) in the fridge.


White Bean Salad
serves 4-5 as a main course

• 2 c cooked cannellini beans
• 1 c chopped red onion (about 1 small onion)
• 1/2 cucumber, de-seeded and chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped (or a handful of grape tomatoes, halved or quartered)
• 5-6 cups fresh greens (to include plenty of arugula)
• 2 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
• garlic croutons, preferably homemade (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine the beans, onion, cucumber, and tomatoes.

In a 1/2 pint jar or other small container with a tight fitting lid, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.

Tighten the lid and shake like crazy.

Pour over the bean mixture and mix well.

Allow to marinate at room temperature at least 30-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Give it a taste and adjust the salt and pepper, if necessary.

Arrange the greens among the plates.  Top evenly with the bean mixture, spooning extra marinade from the bottom of the bean bowl over the beans and greens.  Top each plate with crumbled feta cheese and garlic croutons, if using.

Crispy Baked Fish

In the Upper Midwest, the good old Friday Fish Fry has been a tradition for generations.  Every food serving joint from upscale restaurants to bowling alleys to Grandma's house has a Friday Fish Fry special on the menu (around here, lake perch is the most popular choice).  Growing up, especially during Lent, we ate fried fish practically every single Friday either ordered from somewhere or made right in our own kitchen.  And it was good.  Darn good.

Since I'm not a fan of frying fish inside my house on any given day, we still get to enjoy the occasional Friday Fish at home, just not fried.  In this recipe, I use milk to prepare the fish for breading.  My grandmothers did this without explanation (but they fried their fish); I assume that it helps to reduce any potential "fishiness", although I'm not completely certain about that theory.  I do know that I like it just as much as I like the more traditional beer or egg batters.

After the fish is dipped in the milk, it is dredged in flour, then back into the milk again before being coated in a breadcrumb and cornmeal mixture.  This "double dipping" helps create a crunchy, crispy crust, and adding a drizzle of butter before baking in a hot oven helps it become that much crisper.

This crispy fish makes a fantastic sandwich, too.  As I mentioned in my Tartar Sauce post, try it topped with slices of onion and tomato, some shredded lettuce, and stuffed between two thick slices of rye bread slathered with plenty of tartar sauce.  Served with coleslaw and roasted potatoes, it becomes a healthier and more economical version of our traditional Friday Fish Fry plate, and tastes oh so good!

Crispy Baked Fish
serves 6

• 1 1/2 lbs meaty white fish fillets (such as cod or haddock), cut into 6 equal size portions
• 3/4 c milk
• 3/4 c flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 c dried breadcrumbs
• 1/4 c cornmeal (preferably a non-gmo, organic brand such as the one from Arrowhead Mills)
• 2 Tbs lemon zest
• 2 tsp dried dill
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• few grinds fresh black pepper
• 3 Tbs melted butter

Preheat oven to 500F.  Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.

Place the milk in a shallow bowl.  In another shallow bowl, mix the flour and salt.  In a third shallow bowl, combine the next 8 ingredients (through the ground black pepper).

One at a time, dip the fish fillets in the milk, dredge in the flour.

Step 1

Step 2

Dip the fish back in the milk, then dredge in the crumbs.

Step 3

Step 4

Arrange the fillets at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking pan.  Drizzle the fillets with butter.

Step 5

Bake in preheated oven 7-12 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish; 3/4"-1" thick fillets take about 10 minutes), or until golden brown and fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve with tartar sauce, if desired.

Tartar Sauce

 Because sometimes, we cannot deny Tartar Sauce it's rightful place in the world.

Give me a breaded, fried perch sandwich, served on rye bread with a slice of onion, slathered with tartar sauce...and I won't speak to anyone until it's gone.

I'm not kidding.

Sigh.

Mayonnaise and pickles...

I am so not a Food Elitist.

And tartar sauce is a very good thing. 


Tartar Sauce
makes about 1 cup

• 1 c mayonnaise (the real stuff...or better yet, make your own.  Recipe coming soon.)
• 2 Tbs finely chopped dill pickle
• 1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp shredded onion
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Mix well.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Serve with fish or french fries, or whatever you deem fit.

Macaroni and Cheese with Fresh Herbs

The weather in Wisconsin is so unreliable.  After several days of temperatures in the 80s and 90s, the temperature dropped about 30 degrees to cool, windy, rainy weather.  And with that weather, came an immediate appetite shift from salads and fresh vegetables and fruits to warm, creamy comfort foods.  It's amazing how our bodies work with the weather, isn't it?

Not willing to completely succumb to the craving because I really wanted to use all the fresh herbs proliferating in my garden, I decided to make a baked macaroni and cheese that still remained decidedly spring-like by using more delicately flavored cheeses than the traditional sharp cheddar and several of those fresh, flavorful herbs.  The result was a lovely, elegant, creamy macaroni and cheese that practically burst with the bright flavors of the herbs.

The method for a baked macaroni and cheese is the same as a stove-top macaroni and cheese.  In fact, it is all made on the stove-top, then assembled, topped with a buttered crumb mixture, and baked until golden and bubbly.  To make everything go smoothly, it is best to get your ingredients together in individual bowls before you start; combine the cheeses and herbs, garlic and mustard in one bowl for quick and easy dumping into the pot of warm milk, and the topping in another.

Macaroni and Cheese with Fresh Herbs
serves 4-6

• 8 oz medium size shell shaped pasta
• 1/4 c butter
• 1/4 c flour
• 2 c milk (preferably whole milk)
• 1 1/2 c (6 oz) Fontina cheese, shredded
• 1/2 c (2 oz) Parmesan cheese, shredded (not grated)
• 1 large clove garlic, pressed
• 1 Tbs fresh oregano, chopped
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh marjoram, chopped
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 3/4 tsp salt
• few grinds freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 c dried bread crumbs
• 1/4 c Asiago cheese, grated (you can use Parmesan if  you'd like)
• 2 Tbs butter, melted
• 1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 375F.  Butter a 2qt baking pan.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Boil pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  Whisk in the flour and cook for several seconds until the mixture is bubbly.  Slowly, whisking constantly, pour in the milk.  Continue to whisk until the milk mixture has thickened and just begins to form the first thick bubble or two, about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in the Fontina, Parmesan, garlic, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, dijon, salt, and pepper.  Remove from heat and continue to stir until the cheese melts.

Toss the pasta with the cheese sauce and pour into the buttered pan.

In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Asiago, melted butter, and parsley.

Sprinkle over the macaroni and cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the crumbs are browned and the cheese is bubbly.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

I hope everyone had a healthy and grateful Memorial Day weekend!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of our soldiers for everything you do.

We finished putting in the garden and actually ate the first fresh salad of the season. It is so amazing how completely refreshing and different fresh greens taste compared to the lettuce and greens available in the grocery store all winter long; each leaf in the salad had so much flavor that a simple drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and a little salt and pepper was all it needed.  Thank goodness for the growing season up here to begin!

And our farmer finally has chickens again. When I get chickens from the farmer, they usually come to us either whole or in halves.  The extra processing (cutting) costs more, so our farmer tries to keep it as economical as possible for his customers by only allowing minimal "processing".  That means no "boneless, skinless chicken breasts" for us.  Which is fine, because I think it's important to remember that meat is not a commodity, but a life, and should be respected as such, and purchasing the chicken whole makes it that much more tangible for us consumers.

In order for us to get to the "boneless, skinless chicken breast" stage, we reserve the darker meat on the chicken for other recipes that better feature dark meat, and then cut the breast meat from the bone (keeping the bones for broth).  I hesitate to give a number regarding how many chicken breasts will make up the 1 1/2 lbs called for in this spicy chicken salad recipe because all chickens are different, so just use your judgement (or your scale).

Be sure to choose cool flavored veggies to offset the heat of the chicken.  Sweet pea pods, bell peppers, and carrots, along with crunchy, cool celery and cucumbers work beautifully to offset the spicy bite of the chicken.  Choose a rich, creamy dressing for the same purpose. With regards to the hot sauce, look for a brand that lists only water, hot peppers, and vinegar as the sole ingredients on the label.  Better yet, make your own.  I haven't made my own yet, but I'm looking forward to using the recipe listed in The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Making written by Alana Chernila of Eating From the Ground Up.

Buffalo Chicken Salad
serves 6

• 1/4 c butter, melted
• 1/4 c hot sauce
• 1 1/4 c  dried bread crumbs
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne (or up to 1/2 tsp if  you prefer it very spicy)
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
•  1 1/2 lb chicken breast, cut into approximately 1 inch cubes
  
• 8 cups salad greens (including baby spinach, baby chard, arugula, red and/or green leaf lettuces)
• pea pods
• green onions (seasonal)
• sliced celery
• shredded carrot
• sliced cucumbers (seasonal)
• sliced bell pepper (seasonal)
• Your favorite Ranch-style or Bleu Cheese-style dressing

Preheat oven to 425F.  Lightly oil two rimmed baking sheets with olive oil.

In one shallow bowl, combine the melted butter and hot sauce.  In another shallow bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, paprika, salt, cayenne, onion powder and garlic powder.

Dip several pieces of chicken into the hot sauce and butter mixture. Coat well. 

 Toss the coated pieces in the breadcrumb mixture.

Place on the prepared baking sheets.  Continue with the rest of the chicken.

Bake chicken for about 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and coating is beginning to lightly brown.

Meanwhile, prepare plates by dividing the salad greens between 6 large salad bowls or plates.  Toss with the pea pods, green onions, celery, carrot, cucumber, and/or bell pepper.

Drizzle with dressing.

Top the prepared salad plates/bowls with chicken pieces.

Enjoy!