Diary of a Secret Housewife: Creamed Corn, Ad Hoc Style

The last time I had creamed corn, it came out of a can.  In fact, every time I've ever had creamed corn, it's come out of a can.  And I'm not complaining: after all, it's corn (good) and cream (good), so what can possibly be bad about this?

I've come to realize, however, that the right question to ask is not "How could this possibly be bad?" but rather "How could this be even better?"  And the answer to this question is: fresh creamed corn, Ad Hoc style.

Here's what you need for this super easy recipe:

• 6 ears supersweet corn, shucked
• 1 large lime
• 3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
• Salt
• ¾ to 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped chives

With a sharp knife, cut vertically down each ear of corn to slice off the kernels.  (Hint: To make this process easier, put an upside down bowl in a larger bowl.  Propping the corn on the upside down bowl will allow you to slice the corn freely, without slamming your knife into the edge of the bowl or sending corn flying everywhere.)

Put the kernels in a large bowl, then hold each ear of corn over the bowl and use a spoon or the back of a knife to scrape any remaining corn and the milk from the cob.

Grate the zest of the lime, preferably with a microplane grater; set aside.  Cut the lime in half.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the corn, squeeze about 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, or to taste, over the corn, and season with salt.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated, concentrating the flavor, and the corn is beginning to sizzle, 15 to 17 minutes.

Stir in ¾ cup cream, the cayenne, and lime zest.  Continue to cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cream is absorbed by the corn.  Add up to ¼ cup more cream if desired for a creamier texture.  Add salt to taste and stir in the chives.  (I didn't want to go out to the backyard in the middle of the night to get chives, so I went with thinly sliced scallions in stead.)

The result is a surprisingly complex and flavorful dish: the corn flavor is intense, the cayenne adds a nice kick, and the texture was a nice juxtaposition between the unctuous quality of the cream and the toothsome crunch of the corn.  

I definitely added too much lime zest and lime juice, though, and the resulting dish was a bit too tart for my taste (though my husband actually quite liked it).  And the corn didn't absorb the amount of cream I was hoping for, so the end result was still a bit liquidy.

So in the end Ad Hoc's creamed corn was . . . good.  Could it have been better?   Yes, definitely.  But creamed = good, and corn = good, so I'm not going to complain. 

How do you feel about creamed corn?

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The Season's Bounty

When we first joined the CSA, I wasn't sure that the cost and effort was worthwhile.  But now that we are used to getting a huge haul of fresh vegetables each week -- and to washing, prepping, and planning around the goodies in our mystery CSA box -- I have to say that I can't imagine being without it.

This week, for example, we have zucchini, yellow squash, cucumber, tomatoes, apples, peaches, haricot vert, potatoes, broccoli, cantaloupe, and lettuce.  Oh, and we have armloads of white and yellow corn, which we're not only eating on-the-cob grilled or sauteed and mixed with Israeli couscous, but also in the form of Thomas Keller's famous creamed corn (I'll be posting on this later in the week).

Unexpectedly, though, what I like most about being a part of the farm share is that we meet such lovely folks from the neighborhood each pick-up day.  Nothing has made me feel as much a part of the community I live in as standing in line with others, chatting about the weather and the goings on in the neighborhood, guessing what will be in our farm share mystery box, and swapping fruits and veggies and recipes with other CSAers.

If you're part of a farm share, how is your season shaping up?  Are you getting tired of squash yet?  Looking forward to peppers?

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Diary of a Secret Housewife: Potato and Squash Frittata

"Frittata."  It's a great word, a Nabokovian word.  The kind of word I imagine Giada de Laurentiis over-enunciating in a tight t-shirt to a soft-lens camera.

Free. Ta. Ta.

And it's every bit as delicious to eat as it is to say.

Our CSA provided us this week with a gorgeous array of zucchinis, yellow squashes, and red potatoes. Combined with farm-fresh eggs (also from Stillman Farm) and a red onion from the pantry, the veggies easily transform into a substantial and lovely brunch entree.

Slice thinly one zucchini and one yellow squash.  Use a mandoline, if you have one; not only will it make the task super fast, it will also make you feel like a uber fancy French chef.  Toss the slices with 1 teaspoon of salt, and set them in a colander to drain for 20 minutes to half an hour.

In the meantime, thinly slice about one pound of potatoes and 1 onion.  Again, use the mandoline if you have one, as the uniform slices of potatoes and squash will make for more even cooking and elegant presentation.

Heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil or butter in a large oven-proof, non-stick skillet.  Saute the potatoes and onion over medium-low heat, stirring and flipping often, until the potatoes become soft.  If you cover the pan with a lid and slice the potatoes thinly, the process should take about 15 minutes.  Once potatoes are soft, raise the heat to medium high and allow potatoes to become brown and crisp.  Remove potatoes with tongs or a slotted spoon but keep the pan on the stovetop.

Pat dry the squash with paper towels or a kitchen towel.  Add the squash to the pan and saute for about 4 minutes, until the squash is tender and develops a little color.  Then remove the squash with tongs or a slotted spoon.

Beat together six eggs, a teaspoon of pepper, and a pinch of paprika.  You can also add in finely chopped fresh herbs, cumin, fennel, or any combination of spices you like.

Add to the egg mixture the cooked potatoes and onions, the cooked squash, and two handfuls of shredded cheese (I used about a 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan and a 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella, but you can use whatever you like or have on hand).  Toss gently to combine.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Thoroughly oil the pan, taking care to brush the oil on the sides of the pan as well as on the bottom.  Otherwise the frittata will stick to the pan.

Heat up the pan to medium-high, and pour in the egg mixture, swirling to allow the ingredients to distribute evenly.  Turn down the heat to medium low.  Now step away from the pan.  Seriously.  Step away.  Don't poke at it.  Don't stir it.  Don't provoke it.  Leave it be.

Let the egg mixture cook for about 10 minutes until the bottom of the frittata is set.  You'll know it's done when the edge of the frittata becomes nicely browned (as it is in the photo on the right) and no longer foamy (as it is in the photo on the left).

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the top is set, about 5-15 minutes.  

Take the pan out of the oven, use a rubber spatula to loosen the edges of the frittata, then slide the frittata gently onto a large serving platter.  (You can also place an inverted plate over the pan, flip the pan, and allow the frittata to fall out.  When I used this method, I found that the bottom of the frittata was not nearly as good looking as the top, so I ended up having to flip the frittata right side up afterward.)

Cut into wedges and serve immediately with a side salad.  You can also make the frittata ahead of time and reheat by putting it under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes (not too long or it'll burn).

Then put on something sexy and purr "frittata" to your spouse until s/he tells you to stop yammering and hand over the eggy goodness.

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From Farm to Table 2

The other day I asked for some help in getting rid of my summer squash, and I received so many delicious ideas.  Apparently, I'm not the only one overwhelmed by summer squash, because summer squash is also the focus of Food 52's challenge this week.

Here are a few of the recipes I'm eager to try:

Zuccaghetti

Lemon Basil Roasted Summer Squash with Garlic Crisp

Honey Balsamic Grilled Zucchini with Avocado and Feta

Zucchini and Pecorino Salad with Truffle Oil

For more Food 52 editors' picks, click here.

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From Farm to Table

When we joined the Stillman's Farm CSA this season, I had lovely illusions of the glorious, farm-fresh vegetables that I was going to incorporate -- to great success, of course -- in all of my cooking.

But we weren't at all prepared for the reality of getting weekly a mystery box of unlabeled greens, dirt-encrusted beets, and seemingly inexhaustible supply of summer squash.  In fact, when my husband first picked up the box, he declared its contents "nasty" and shoved all of it into the fridge.  Then again, he eats Hot Pockets for breakfast, so he's really not the arbiter of what constitutes gorgeous, fresh produce.

So for the last few weeks, I've been scouring my brain and the internet for ways to use the mystery box veggies to make tasty dishes that even Hot Pocket Man will want to eat.  Here are three preparations I'm currently digging (get it?  digging?  hah!).

CRISPY KALE: At first I was flummoxed by the huge bunches of kale we've been getting in each week's farm share.  But then I discovered the unbelievable deliciousness that is crispy kale, and now I can't get enough of kale.

It's easy to make the kale awesome: Wash the kale and dry it thoroughly (very important -- otherwise it'll steam).  In the meantime, preheat the oven to 375 or 400.  (The higher the temperature, the closer you'll have to keep an eye on the kale to ensure it doesn't burn.)  Tear off the kale leaves into medium-sized chunks, taking care to remove the tough stem.  Put the leaves on a baking sheet and toss them lightly by hand with good quality olive oil.  You want to have good coverage, but you don't want to make the leaves soggy with too much oil.  Place the baking sheet in the oven for 5-8 minutes, until the leaves start to be crispy.  Then season the leaves with salt, paprika, pepper, garlic powder, etc. (use your imagination!) to taste and put the leaves back into the oven for a few more minutes, keeping an eye on them to make sure they get crispy without getting burned.  Take leaves out of the oven, try to keep your hands off them while they cool (it's going to be hard because they're so delicious), then put into a bowl and snack to your heart's delight.

ROASTED BEETS: We've been getting stunning golden, red, and chirroga beets.  Scrubbing the dirt off them takes a bit of work, but beyond that all that one needs to do to make them delicious is to chop off the greens, wrap the beets in foil, and roast them in the oven at 400 degrees for about an hour.  Once they cool, the skin strips off easily.  All that's left to do is to slice them up, drizzle them with olive oil and a touch of champagne or muscat vinegar, and then top with feta cheese.  Sweet, pretty, and easy!

As for the beet greens, I've been sauteeing them with some Maggi, sesame oil, and shallots.  I'm not sure I love this preparation.  If you have any recommendations for inventive ways to use beet greens, please please please let me know.  I don't like to waste produce, and I hate wasting calories, however few of them, on bad food.

SQUASH: Summer squash is yummy, but the sheer number of zucchinis, yellow squashes, and patty pans we've been getting is turning them into the bane of my existence.  I've been putting them on the grill, chopping them up into salads, and slicing them with my mandoline into thin, noodle-like strips and sauteeing them with a bit of butter or olive oil. 

And still there are more of them in our fridge.

But then I came up with a way to use up a lot of them at the same time: squash soup.  I took five assorted squash, cubed them, and roasted them, along with one head of garlic, until they got a bit of color.  In the meantime, I sauteed in butter one red onion and a handful of aromatics from the garden (dill, tarragon, sage).  Once the onion became translucent, I added the roasted squash and garlic, sauteed all the goodness for a few minutes, then added vegetable broth.

I allowed the medley to simmer for 10-15 minutes and then processed the soup in batches in our blender. I like the soup with a bit of graininess, so that you can still feel the texture of the vegetables.  But if you prefer a smoother mouthfeel, you can put the processed soup through a strainer.  I then added a bit of curry powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper to taste.

I served it with grilled green onions and a spoonful of Greek yogurt.  It was filling, yet refreshing and fresh-tasting.  Hot Pocket Man, who had rejected my previous night's squash noodle creation, loved the soup and practically licked the bowl.

Of course, there are still five more squash in the produce bin, so if you have any additional delicious suggestions for how to use them, please let me know!

Are you part of a CSA?  How have you been using your mystery box ingredients?

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Diary of a Secret Housewife: Vegetable Tian a la Barefoot Contessa

This weekend I had the pleasure of hanging out with a few of my favorite Boston bloggers (buzz buzz!) and their significant others at a fab potluck hosted by a blogger also known as Mrs. Corn.

The last time I went to a potluck, I put a few extra pounds on everyone's waist by bringing the most decadent savory bread pudding ever.  This time I decided I was going to be good and bring Ina Garten's vegetable tian, from her Barefoot in Paris cookbook.

Don't be fooled by the mid-prep photo: the tian was topped with gruyere.  Sure, I'm trying to be "good," but I don't want to be too good.

A tian is a layered vegetable casserole topped with cheese -- some liken it to ratatouille, and others to a gratin.  I think of it as healthiness hidden under a layer of gooey awesomeness.

Here's what you need:

• Good olive oil
• 2 large yellow onions, cut in half and sliced (I ended up using 4 small onions)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound medium round potatoes (Yukon preferably), unpeeled
• 3/4 pound zucchini (I also added some squash)
• 1 1/4 pounds medium tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs
• 2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grate

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with olive oil. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.  (I actually made a gently-sloped well with the onions, putting a bit more along the edge of the baking dish to give the outer ring of vegetables a bit more height.)

Slice the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes (and squash, if you're using it) in 1/4-inch thick slices. By the way, eggplant would also work well for this dish -- the more variety the merrier.

(To get the perfect slices, I used a mandoline, which, incidentally, is a super fun unitasker.  I enjoyed mandolining so much I stood in front of my fridge for a good minute thinking about what else I could put through the mandoline.  I'm a pathetic little child, I know.)

Layer the vegetables alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only 1 layer.  (Chant with me: Potato, tomato, squash, zucchini, potato, tomato, squash, zucchini . . . .)

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs and drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil.  (It's possible that I might have used a tablespoon of butter mixed with a tablespoon of olive oil.  But don't tell Ina.)

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.  (Unless you cover your dish very tightly, you'll probably need to add 5 or 10 minutes to the baking time.  Next time I make this recipe, I'll either parboil the potatoes slightly beforehand to reduce the cooking time or weigh down the aluminum foil with a cookie sheet to create a tighter seal, thus allowing the potatoes to steam more effectively.  Putting a tomato slice directly above a potato slice also helps, I think, as the tomato juices help steam the potato.)

Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for another 30 minutes until browned. Serve warm.

The tian had a great texture: the gruyere was gooey and savory, the potatoes crispy, and the other vegetables tender and flavorful.  It was spring in casserole form.

And a nice complement to the other yumminess at the potluck: a ridiculously good beef chili and cornbread (prepared by our hostess), pasta salad, and sausagey muffins.  And a great starter to the most important part of the meal: the brownies, cupcakes, and cookies we had for dessert.

I'll definitely make this recipe again, since it was pretty, fun (mandoline! whee!!!), and a great way of using up vegetables (particularly when our CSA subscription begins).

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