Corn – off the cob
No, this is not a column of corny jokes in response to the winter storm Mother Nature surprised us with on April first. Rather I’m feeling deprived this time of year of our summer bounty. Thoughts of easy suppers with corn on the cob come floating through my mind and I can almost taste the sweetness of each kernel. Fortunately canned or frozen corn kernels are easily available and provide a basis for tasty and economical meals.
Southern cooking has always assuaged springtime yearnings for corn with their recipes for corn pudding, which is a sweet side dish to be served with ham or even roast lamb. Because it requires very little flour, it is easy to substitute brown rice flour in this recipe and make it a gluten free dish. Here is my versatile Northern version of this dish with less sugar and a more hearty taste for our less than balmy spring days.
Hearty corn pudding
In a small bowl stir together: ¼ cup all purpose wheat or brown rice flour, 2 Tblsp. corn meal, 1 tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. salt, 1 Tblsp. onion powder and 1 Tblsp. dried parsley. In a large bowl beat with a mixer 4 eggs with 1 Tblsp. sugar, stir in 1 ¼ cups milk, 4 Tblsp. melted butter and the flour mix. Stir in 1 (12oz.) can creamed corn, 12 ounces drained canned or thawed frozen corn kernels, 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese and 1 cup thawed lima beans. Pour mix in a greased 2-quart baking dish and sprinkle with coarsely shredded 2 oz. of Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes.
This also makes an excellent brunch casserole with thick strips of ham or asparagus arranged decoratively on the corn mixture, before the final sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese. For this use an 11x7x2 inch baking dish to have more surface area for the ham and asparagus topping. Bake as above.
Another easy and quick meal can be made using flour tortillas folded around corn, cheese and chipotle chiles for a lively quesadilla.
Corn and cheese quesadilla
Stir together: 1 cup thawed frozen corn, 1 ½ cups coarsely grated Monterey Jack or Swiss cheese, 2 Tblsp. mayonnaise, 2 thinly sliced scallions, 1 Tbls. chopped canned chipotle chiles or hot banana pepper slices. Brush 4 (8 inch) flour tortillas lightly with oil. Turn them over and spread ¼ of the corn mixture over half of each tortilla. Fold the other half over in a half moon shape. Heat ½ Tblsp. vegetable oil in a large (preferably ridged) pan over moderate heat and cook the quesadillas two at a time about 2 minutes per side. Serve cut in half with some salsa and/or chopped cherry tomatoes and sour cream. To make this dish gluten free, use small corn tortillas with the filling between two for a sandwich effect, since corn tortillas tend to break when folded over.
For a heartier meal, fold in 1 cup chopped cooked chicken or ham in the corn mixture and proceed as above. This and a salad will make a fine meal and you can always dream of those August days, when corn on the cob is plentiful and these dishes will taste even better when made with corn freshly cut off the cob.
(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)
