Grilled dinner: corn, tuna, and summer squash

Picnic at the airport

Last weekend we visited my dad in Eugene, leaving Thursday evening and returning Sunday. Our flight from Oakland was delayed almost three hours, which was annoying. But it wasn't as bad as it could have been: Oakland International Airport is reasonably comfortable, with free wireless, lots of plugs, not too many people, and a decent (if airport-priced) wine bar.

We had planned on a small picnic at the airport and then desert when we got home, although the latter meal turned into wine and olives at the wine bar. The picnic was wonderful, though. While B taught his morning class, I put together two small composed salads in disposable tuperwares. In the salad we had sliced armenian cucumber, heirloom tomatoes, beets, corn cut from the cob, olives, capers, hard boiled egg, basil from the garden, and shallot vinaigrette. To complete the "appetizer picnic", I also sliced a wedge of gouda and gathered up some crackers. If only I had thought to pack the camping wine glasses, we could have bought some wine at the already-mentioned wine bar to have with dinner! Next time.

Baked snapper with onions, tomatoes, and herb chiffonade; corn on the cob

Summer soup for the Harvest Moon

Tonight we were treated to a once-in-three-decades event: a full moon on night of the Autumn Equinox. Every year, the Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the equinox, but this year "closest" means "five and a half hours" rather than "ten days".

We began by making a hearty whole-wheat bread. Combine three cups whole wheat flour, one tablespoon wheat gluten, two teaspoons salt, and one tablespoon yeast. Also mix in one cup cooked wheat berries. Our flour and berries are from the always excellent Massa Organics, and after tonight's bread, we need to buy more of both. Then slowly add about one and a half cups water, mixing while you go. Knead a little bit and let the dough sit for a few hours. Bake the bread for about fifty minutes if you make it all into just one loaf, and let cool ten to twenty minutes before slicing.

Our soup was really more of a vegetable stew. Begin by sauteing half a red onion and some garlic in salted olive oil. Then add two bunches turnips, thinly sliced, and three quarters cup wine and six cups water, and adjust the salt. Bring to a boil and add one cup dried French green lentils. The lentils should cook a total of about thirty minutes, so take a short break and do dishes.

In a separate fry-pan or wok, heat some olive oil into which you have ground some black pepper. When the oil is hot, fry about half a pound thinly-sliced summer squash. Add the squash to the soup.

Also add the corn cut off of two or three ears, and one bunch greens (some quick-cooking kind: red chard, which is what we used, is particularly pretty; alternately, use the greens from the turnips if they are still fresh). Cook about ten minutes while you finish setting the table. Right before serving the soup, stir in two very fresh heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges.

Serve the soup with the whole-wheat bread, butter for the bread, grated grana padamo for the soup, and a chilled white wine.

Pizza with corn, tomatoes, and fennel

We have yet to eat at Summer Kitchen, but we read their menu every time we wait in line at Ici. A few days ago, their pizza consisted of a combination that we knew we had to try: tomatoes, corn, and fennel. Sure enough, at least when B made it, the pairing was great (so good that we forgot to take any pictures).

Seared tuna with steamed corn

It's been hot out here, so we've been looking for dishes that don't require a lot of cooking. Seared tuna and corn each take all of about ten minutes on the stove. Marinate the tuna in a mix of olive oil, minced garlic, minced rosemary, salt, and white wine. Place the corn in a steamer, and cook six to ten minutes. Heat a little oil in a pan, and when it starts to shimmer add the tuna. Cook a few minutes to a side. Plate the fish and corn, and continue to heat the oil remaining in the tuna pan. Pour in more of the marinade and reduce. Pour the reduction over the fish and corn.

Cold corn soup with popcorn and salsa

We had a strange but tasty lunch at Eugene City Bakery, and decided that we just had to make it at home.


Begin by sauteing one large onion and two yellow bell peppers, coarsely chopped, in some olive oil until tender. In the saute, include also some salt (to help the onions tenderize) and ancho chili powder. Cut the corn off of three or four ears and add to the pot, along with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil.


With an immersion blender, puree the veggies. Also mix in one four-cup tub of non-fat plain yogurt.




Do not reheat the soup: the idea is to have it cold. Do, however, add a lot more spices — your tongue is less sensitive when the food it is tasting is cold, and you probably have spiced the soup for hot. In addition to a bit more salt and ancho, blend in a some curry and tarragon (both of which go wonderfully with cream).



Pop a pot of popcorn, and flavor the popcorn with salt and paprika. Also make a fresh salsa of tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Serve the soup cold with popcorn and salsa mixed in at the table.



As odd as the pairing might sound, this dinner was one of our best.

Chowder with clams, sweet potatoes, and corn

A lot went into this chowder, but the end result was great. We began by sauteing a mire poix of leeks and onions in butter. Then we added crab stock, water, and sweet potato. When the potato was soft, we separated the soup, and, using the immersion blender, we blended half of it with cream until smooth. Meanwhile, we steamed open some clams and removed the from their shells. We combined the clams, the blended soup, the unblended vegetables, and a can of corn. We adjusted the salt, stirred in chopped parsley, and enjoyed the excellent meal.

The last hurrah of summer

Our vegetable box last week surprised us: it was the final Tuesday of October, and yet the box came full of corn, green beans, sweet peppers, and basil (well, cilantro, actually, but we asked to trade). Our bean vines are still heavy with fruit, so we added some fresh shelled white beans, grabbed some thyme from the garden, and made a wonderful succotash.

Shell white beans and simmer at least ten minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, sauté diced white onion in lots of butter. When onion is translucent, add minced garlic, fresh thyme leaves, and fresh corn cut off the cob. Cook a few minutes while you dice sweet red peppers and add it in; also add in green beans, cut into one-inch pieces. Finally, mix in the drained white beans and some fresh basil leaves. Serve with a well-chilled white or rosé.

Succotash

From The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.

Salmon with corn on the cob and rosemary potatoes

Our favorite fishmonger was on vacation for two weeks, so we bought wild Alaskan salmon at the Berkeley Bowl. This I drizzled with olive oil and soy sauce, sprinkled with rosemary, and baked for a bit more than ten minutes, until the fat had rendered and the fish was cooked through. Meanwhile, in the bottom of a large pot, I boiled fingerling potatoes, sliced in halt, for ten minutes, and at the same time in the same pot I steamed an ear of corn for each of us. In a small saucepan, I melted butter with a little olive oil, and rosemary and salt, to toss with the potatoes.

17 September 2008: corn fritters with broccoli

These fritters consist of separated, beaten, and folded-together egg, corn cut from the cob, and diced sweet peppers, with herbs. Then fry on the stove-top. Some of the corn pops from the heat: it's exciting.

12 September 2008

Corn on the cob should be eaten not more than hours after it was picked — my parents tell stories of bringing the boiling water out to the rows of corn by my uncle's Ithaca, NY, house to maximize the sweetness of the corn. Of course, supermarket corn is bred for sweetness above corn flavor.

The purple mash is not taro root but potatoes, with loads of butter. The green beans are lightly sautéed and tossed with basil.

These meal was interupted numerous times by friends of my roommate, who had come over to take her out to a bar. My boyfriend and I got to show off the purple mash.