It's been an unusually cold summer here, so we've only had fresh corn in the past few weeks. Its late arrival makes it all the more welcome on the dinner table. One of my favorite ways to eat corn is in a tart, and I just hit on the way to make the flavor sing. It's so simple I'm sorry it took so long for me to figure it out. When trimming the corn kernels from the cob, rather than slicing near the cob, I sliced near the tops of kernels. This trimmed about half of the kernel, and then I scraped the remainder with the back of the knife to extract the corn juice. This resulted in a thick corn goop, rather than a tidy bowl of kernels.
When I leave the kernels whole, there is a nice crunch to the tart, but the surrounding egg custard doesn't taste like corn. It's still tasty, but the corn flavor is subtle. By using the half-kernels and juice, the corn flavor infused the entire tart, and there was still a satisfying crunch from the kernel tops. Yum.
Tarts are forgiving, so there is no one right set of ingredients. Anything that goes with corn is a likely addition, so you could use chiles, bits of bacon or chicken (if you're so inclined), spinach, or whatever you like. For me, the absolute perfect combination is onion, red pepper, and basil, with a tomato salad served on the side.
My recipe for corn tart
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Recipe: Corn Tart
Recipe: Corn Tart
Cornmeal crust:
1 c. flour
1/2 c. fine cornmeal
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking powder
1/2 c. water
2 T olive oil
Mix the dry ingredients, then stir in the wet ingredients. Knead on a floured surface for about 5 minutes until the dough gets stretchy. Roll and stretch into a tart pan, and blind bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
Note: this dough wants to shrink back in, so when you blind bake, either weight it down or put a second tart pan inside the first so it doesn't shrink.
Note: this makes a great pizza crust, too. Just roll it thin, top it, and bake.
Filling:
3 ears corn. Trim off the top half of the kernels with a knife, then use the back of the knife to scrape the remainder.
1/2 onion, fine dice
1 small, or half large, red bell pepper, fine dice
3 eggs
1/2 c milk
1 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c. fresh basil, rolled and thinly sliced to make a chiffonade
1/4 t. salt
good grind of pepper
While the crust is baking, saute the onions over a low heat to soften. Add the peppers and saute for another two minutes to soften. Remove from the heat.
In a bowl, mix all the other ingredients, then quickly stir in the vegetables. Pour into the baked tart shell. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until the tart sets.
Cornmeal crust:
1 c. flour
1/2 c. fine cornmeal
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking powder
1/2 c. water
2 T olive oil
Mix the dry ingredients, then stir in the wet ingredients. Knead on a floured surface for about 5 minutes until the dough gets stretchy. Roll and stretch into a tart pan, and blind bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
Note: this dough wants to shrink back in, so when you blind bake, either weight it down or put a second tart pan inside the first so it doesn't shrink.
Note: this makes a great pizza crust, too. Just roll it thin, top it, and bake.
Filling:
3 ears corn. Trim off the top half of the kernels with a knife, then use the back of the knife to scrape the remainder.
1/2 onion, fine dice
1 small, or half large, red bell pepper, fine dice
3 eggs
1/2 c milk
1 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c. fresh basil, rolled and thinly sliced to make a chiffonade
1/4 t. salt
good grind of pepper
While the crust is baking, saute the onions over a low heat to soften. Add the peppers and saute for another two minutes to soften. Remove from the heat.
In a bowl, mix all the other ingredients, then quickly stir in the vegetables. Pour into the baked tart shell. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until the tart sets.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Summer vegetables
I've been quiet on the blog for a while, not because we haven't been cooking and eating, but because of travels and work commitments. It's been a busy few months.
Summer fruits and vegetables are in the farmers' market. We ate grilled vegetables accompanied by yogurt and salad greens every day while in Turkey earlier this summer. Since we've been home we've done much the same, grilling batches of vegetables for dinner, and eating them cold for a few days after. Eggplant is a staple. It was part of every meal in Turkey, and we've been eating the small Italian and Japanese varieties (the first to market) since being home. We just toss it on the grill in slices, then dress with a bit of olive oil and salt after it's cooked. Grilled summer squashes, carrots, tomatoes and mushrooms are a staple in the house right now as well.
We also keep batches of marinated and grilled tofu. Our staple marinade is made with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, a touch of oil, and Sriracha. We also do a variation with soy sauce, lime, vinegar, green chile paste and brown sugar. Both make a nice dipping sauce as well.
I've also been cooking batches of fresh tomato sauce, made with tomatoes onions and garlic, and seasoned with olive oil, salt, red chile flakes and basil. It's great warm over the vegetables, and also cold the next day with eggs or a cold vegetable plate.
Summer fruits and vegetables are in the farmers' market. We ate grilled vegetables accompanied by yogurt and salad greens every day while in Turkey earlier this summer. Since we've been home we've done much the same, grilling batches of vegetables for dinner, and eating them cold for a few days after. Eggplant is a staple. It was part of every meal in Turkey, and we've been eating the small Italian and Japanese varieties (the first to market) since being home. We just toss it on the grill in slices, then dress with a bit of olive oil and salt after it's cooked. Grilled summer squashes, carrots, tomatoes and mushrooms are a staple in the house right now as well.
We also keep batches of marinated and grilled tofu. Our staple marinade is made with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, a touch of oil, and Sriracha. We also do a variation with soy sauce, lime, vinegar, green chile paste and brown sugar. Both make a nice dipping sauce as well.
I've also been cooking batches of fresh tomato sauce, made with tomatoes onions and garlic, and seasoned with olive oil, salt, red chile flakes and basil. It's great warm over the vegetables, and also cold the next day with eggs or a cold vegetable plate.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Trout Carbonara
Trout Carbonara
2 cups trout all bones removed
12 ounces fresh spaghettine or fettuccine
¼ cup fine dice onion
1-2 large cloves garlic, fine sliced
1½ tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup white wine
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 or 2 egg yokes per serving
So now I have cold leftover trout. What to do with it? Having a yen for pasta I decided to do a rift on pasta carbonara. I got some fresh spaghettini (fettuccine would also work).
Get a large pot of water boiling, salt well. Since we are dealing with fresh pasta (2-3 minutes cooking) be sure the water is at a hard boil before starting to build the sauce.
Remove the skin and bones from the cold trout and break into small pieces. Watch out for all those little pin bones. Dice the onion and slice the garlic very thin.
In a large sauté pan, heat a 1-2 tablespoons oil and sauté the onion and garlic. Don’t burn it. A little salt now helps to get the onions sweating. Add the tomato paste and brown it a bit. We are looking for a very light tomato flavor here.
Add the trout and heat through. Add white wine and reduce.
Now separate the eggs. Discard the whites (or save for something else). Don’t break the yokes and if you are cooking for more than one, put each egg yoke (or two) in a separate small bowl.
Now start the pasta. Don’t over cook; you will finish it in the sauce. When the pasta is done, remove with tongs directly to the sauce and mix and let finish. Add more cooking water to keep moist, but not sloppy -- like a salad dressing.
For serving arrange the pasta and trout in a bowl, make a slight depression in the center for the egg yokes. Now slide the raw egg yokes onto the pasta keeping them whole.
Give it a good grind of very course black pepper and a sprinkle of finishing salt.
Dig in! Unlike a traditional carbonara, there is no cream and no cheese. Not that you couldn’t do that, but dairy and fish is generally not kosher for Italian. The egg yokes are broken and mixed in to create a silky rich sauce. It made my dinner.
2 cups trout all bones removed
12 ounces fresh spaghettine or fettuccine
¼ cup fine dice onion
1-2 large cloves garlic, fine sliced
1½ tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup white wine
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 or 2 egg yokes per serving
So now I have cold leftover trout. What to do with it? Having a yen for pasta I decided to do a rift on pasta carbonara. I got some fresh spaghettini (fettuccine would also work).
Get a large pot of water boiling, salt well. Since we are dealing with fresh pasta (2-3 minutes cooking) be sure the water is at a hard boil before starting to build the sauce.
Remove the skin and bones from the cold trout and break into small pieces. Watch out for all those little pin bones. Dice the onion and slice the garlic very thin.
In a large sauté pan, heat a 1-2 tablespoons oil and sauté the onion and garlic. Don’t burn it. A little salt now helps to get the onions sweating. Add the tomato paste and brown it a bit. We are looking for a very light tomato flavor here.
Add the trout and heat through. Add white wine and reduce.
Now separate the eggs. Discard the whites (or save for something else). Don’t break the yokes and if you are cooking for more than one, put each egg yoke (or two) in a separate small bowl.
Now start the pasta. Don’t over cook; you will finish it in the sauce. When the pasta is done, remove with tongs directly to the sauce and mix and let finish. Add more cooking water to keep moist, but not sloppy -- like a salad dressing.
For serving arrange the pasta and trout in a bowl, make a slight depression in the center for the egg yokes. Now slide the raw egg yokes onto the pasta keeping them whole.
Give it a good grind of very course black pepper and a sprinkle of finishing salt.
Dig in! Unlike a traditional carbonara, there is no cream and no cheese. Not that you couldn’t do that, but dairy and fish is generally not kosher for Italian. The egg yokes are broken and mixed in to create a silky rich sauce. It made my dinner.
It Really Works #1 - Grilling Fish
I was in Costco the other day buying this and that and walked by the fish area and saw packages of trout that had just been put out, i.e. hadn’t been sitting in the cooler for 6 days. They looked pretty fresh. Four large trout are a lot for one person to eat, but Lois is traveling this week, so I am on my own; it’s meat (or fish) pig-out time!
I decided to grill the trout. Now I have usually been reluctant to grill fish directly on the grill, especially delicate fish like salmon or trout. It’s too easy for it all to stick to the grill and have a real mess. All the books say clean the grill and then lightly oil it to prevent sticking but that doesn’t seem to work that well.
A few weeks ago I was watching “America’s Test Kitchen” and saw this tip on how to properly prepare a grill for cooking fish:
1. Heat the grill to the max – really burn off all that crud left from the last time you did that steak or chicken. I mean torch the sucker! Till its just turned to white ash.
2. Now scrub it good and hard with a wire brush until it is completely clean.
3. Oil it. Not once, but 7, 8 or 10 times. Get a bowl of vegetable oil (don’t waste that good olive oil unless that’s all you have), a couple of paper towels bunched up and your tongs. Rub on the oil, do it again, and again, and again.
The secret is that just doing it once doesn’t really build up a layer of polymerized oil. But doing it several times does. Now you are ready to grill.
For my trout I just first rinsed the trout. Then dried it completely. Any meat or fish should be completely dry for best browning. Brushed with olive oil and liberally sprinkled with salt, pepper, and garlic power. Don’t forget to season the insides.
Now lay the fish on the well seasoned grill and don’t disturb for 3-5 minuters. The fish should easily be flipped over for another 3-5 minutes and you are done. Crisply skin and no sticking.
It Really Works!
I decided to grill the trout. Now I have usually been reluctant to grill fish directly on the grill, especially delicate fish like salmon or trout. It’s too easy for it all to stick to the grill and have a real mess. All the books say clean the grill and then lightly oil it to prevent sticking but that doesn’t seem to work that well.
A few weeks ago I was watching “America’s Test Kitchen” and saw this tip on how to properly prepare a grill for cooking fish:
1. Heat the grill to the max – really burn off all that crud left from the last time you did that steak or chicken. I mean torch the sucker! Till its just turned to white ash.
2. Now scrub it good and hard with a wire brush until it is completely clean.
3. Oil it. Not once, but 7, 8 or 10 times. Get a bowl of vegetable oil (don’t waste that good olive oil unless that’s all you have), a couple of paper towels bunched up and your tongs. Rub on the oil, do it again, and again, and again.
The secret is that just doing it once doesn’t really build up a layer of polymerized oil. But doing it several times does. Now you are ready to grill.
For my trout I just first rinsed the trout. Then dried it completely. Any meat or fish should be completely dry for best browning. Brushed with olive oil and liberally sprinkled with salt, pepper, and garlic power. Don’t forget to season the insides.
Now lay the fish on the well seasoned grill and don’t disturb for 3-5 minuters. The fish should easily be flipped over for another 3-5 minutes and you are done. Crisply skin and no sticking.
It Really Works!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Souffle on the barbecue
Our oven has been out of service for a few weeks while we wait for a new relay to replace the one that burned out. This really isn't a problem since we have other ways to cook, but sometimes we want baked dishes. For example, I had some chard that needed to be used and a hankering for a chard tart. Aaron sometimes roasts meat on the barbecue using a roasting pan (as opposed to grilling directly over the flame), and we started speculating about whether it was possible to bake a tart the same way. We have a fairly large gas barbecue that can accommodate pans, so of course, we had to try using it as an oven. I made a pie crust and a quiche-like egg/onion/chard filling. Aaron preheated the barbecue like an oven, then turned off the middle row of heat so there were only flames on the side to keep the cavity hot, avoiding heat directly under the pan. He then baked the tart with the barbecue lid closed to simulate an oven. It came out perfectly.
We tried a squash gratin next. Actually, Aaron did all the work, but since I participated in the eating, I use the collective pronoun here. He nuked spaghetti squash, mixed it with vegetables and topped it with an oregano-spiced bechamel. Again, he preheated the barbecue chamber and then baked the gratin over indirect heat. It came out bubbling and browned with lot of nice crusty bits around the edge, and tasted even better than if it had been baked in the oven. This was a real winner.
So, about a week later, we were standing in the produce aisle at the grocery store at 5 pm on a rainy afternoon, tired from working all day and feeling unimaginative, trying to figure out what to make for dinner. We soon alit on the idea of spinach souffle, a go-to dish when we have no imagination. It sounded great to both of us. Then, we remembered that the oven didn't work, so we started speculating (still standing in the produce section) on whether we could make souffle on the barbecue. Souffle is easy enough to make, but is a touchy dish to bake. We decided that the worst outcome was that we would have frittata rather than souffle for dinner. And really, once the idea was lodged in our brains, needed to learn if it was possible to bake souffle on a barbecue.
Once home, Aaron settled in to cook while I went back to work, and sure enough, he pulled it off. He didn't alter the standard souffle recipe, but did take the time to find the oven thermometer hiding in one of our kitchen-gadget drawers and set the temperature at a steady 375. He just made a souffle, put it on the grill (in a souffle pan, of course), and closed the lid. And it worked. The souffle was light and lifted, delicate brown on the outside, and tender on the inside.
We still have a broken oven.
We tried a squash gratin next. Actually, Aaron did all the work, but since I participated in the eating, I use the collective pronoun here. He nuked spaghetti squash, mixed it with vegetables and topped it with an oregano-spiced bechamel. Again, he preheated the barbecue chamber and then baked the gratin over indirect heat. It came out bubbling and browned with lot of nice crusty bits around the edge, and tasted even better than if it had been baked in the oven. This was a real winner.
So, about a week later, we were standing in the produce aisle at the grocery store at 5 pm on a rainy afternoon, tired from working all day and feeling unimaginative, trying to figure out what to make for dinner. We soon alit on the idea of spinach souffle, a go-to dish when we have no imagination. It sounded great to both of us. Then, we remembered that the oven didn't work, so we started speculating (still standing in the produce section) on whether we could make souffle on the barbecue. Souffle is easy enough to make, but is a touchy dish to bake. We decided that the worst outcome was that we would have frittata rather than souffle for dinner. And really, once the idea was lodged in our brains, needed to learn if it was possible to bake souffle on a barbecue.
Once home, Aaron settled in to cook while I went back to work, and sure enough, he pulled it off. He didn't alter the standard souffle recipe, but did take the time to find the oven thermometer hiding in one of our kitchen-gadget drawers and set the temperature at a steady 375. He just made a souffle, put it on the grill (in a souffle pan, of course), and closed the lid. And it worked. The souffle was light and lifted, delicate brown on the outside, and tender on the inside.
We still have a broken oven.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Recipe: Asparagus shitake rolls with yuba
When we were in Japan we ate yuba served in several different forms: wet (barely formed), dry, rolled into tubes and seasoned, in soup, and as a wrapper. Yuba is the skin created when making tofu, similar to the way a skin forms on top of custard as it cools. The tofu maker skims the delicate sheets of tofu off the cooking liquid and often lets it dry, similar to pasta. It's much tastier than it sounds, and makes a great low-carb substitute for pasta or for wonton wrappers. I've only had it in the dry pasta-like form, tossed in the salads sold by Hodo Soy Beanery at our local farmers' market, so was pleased to sample more varieties by the masters of tofu, the Japanese. And, of course, I was inspired to use it in cooking. This is a simple, tasty dish, inspired by the spring asparagus in the markets right now.
Asparagus and mushroom rolls
Yuba sheets (sold by Hodo Soy Beanery at farmers markets in the Bay Area, and probably available at good Asian markets)
Shitake mushrooms, 2 cups chopped
Shallot
Clove garlic
1.5 tsp miso
Asparagus
Sauce:
3T soy or tamari
2T seasoned rice vinegar
1t Chinese or Japanese mustard
1t sesame oil
1. Snap off the bottoms of the asparagus. Blanch in salted water until they're crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Shock in cold water to stop the cooking, then set aside on a towel to dry.
2. Saute the mushrooms, shallot and garlic in a bit of olive or peanut oil. When the mushrooms are cooked, transfer to the food processor and add the miso. (Or, hand chop if you like.) Make a fine chop, not a paste, but spreadable. Taste for salt and pepper, and add just a touch if it needs it.
3. While the mushrooms are cooking, make the sauce. Taste and correct the balance of soy and vinegar, if needed. Pour into small serving bowls, one per person.
4. Cut the yuba sheets into squares about 4x4 inches.
5. Spread 1T of the mushroom mixture down one side of the yuba sheet. Place an asparagus spear on top of the mushrooms. It's okay if the ends hang over. Roll the yuba into a tube around the filling, just like rolling sushi or a burrito.
6. Heat just a bit of peanut or olive oil in a wide pan. Working in batches, brown the yuba rolls, about one minute per side, turning to cover the sides. Set on towels to catch any clinging oil.
7. Cut carefully into quarters (bite sized) and serve with the dipping sauce.
Asparagus and mushroom rolls
Yuba sheets (sold by Hodo Soy Beanery at farmers markets in the Bay Area, and probably available at good Asian markets)
Shitake mushrooms, 2 cups chopped
Shallot
Clove garlic
1.5 tsp miso
Asparagus
Sauce:
3T soy or tamari
2T seasoned rice vinegar
1t Chinese or Japanese mustard
1t sesame oil
1. Snap off the bottoms of the asparagus. Blanch in salted water until they're crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Shock in cold water to stop the cooking, then set aside on a towel to dry.
2. Saute the mushrooms, shallot and garlic in a bit of olive or peanut oil. When the mushrooms are cooked, transfer to the food processor and add the miso. (Or, hand chop if you like.) Make a fine chop, not a paste, but spreadable. Taste for salt and pepper, and add just a touch if it needs it.
3. While the mushrooms are cooking, make the sauce. Taste and correct the balance of soy and vinegar, if needed. Pour into small serving bowls, one per person.
4. Cut the yuba sheets into squares about 4x4 inches.
5. Spread 1T of the mushroom mixture down one side of the yuba sheet. Place an asparagus spear on top of the mushrooms. It's okay if the ends hang over. Roll the yuba into a tube around the filling, just like rolling sushi or a burrito.
6. Heat just a bit of peanut or olive oil in a wide pan. Working in batches, brown the yuba rolls, about one minute per side, turning to cover the sides. Set on towels to catch any clinging oil.
7. Cut carefully into quarters (bite sized) and serve with the dipping sauce.
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