Something in me just won’t allow me to enjoy eating an item the same way over and over. After receiving lots of ears of fresh corn in my CSA boxes, I needed to come up with some new ways to utilize it. That’s where I found out how to do these “Two Ways with Corn”.
Both are terrific and easy recipes and they can even be served together to make a meal! A creamy yet chunky Corn Chowder garnished with chopped bacon and green onion and a Romaine and Charred Corn Salad with Avocado Dressing. Did I mention that many of the other recipe ingredients were from my CSA box also?
Let’s begin with a cooking tip that I use when cutting fresh corn off the cob. I place a cutting board inside a rimmed baking sheet and I cut a small piece off of the pointed end of the cob. To keep it steady, I place it on that end on the cutting board and proceed to cut down the length of the cob removing the kernels in strips. This keeps the kernels from flying all over my counter. This process can work for both recipes.
1 1/2 quarts low sodium canned or homemade chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon whole fennel seed
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons flour
1 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 3/4 cups diced potato)
1 cup half and half
Kosher salt and ground white pepper
4 slices Applewood smoked bacon, chopped and fried
3 green onions, finely sliced
- Hold one corn cob upright in a large bowl and cut off kernels with a sharp knife. Repeat with remaining cobs and reserve kernels and cobs separately. (I place a cutting board inside of a sided sheet pan so that the kernels stay on the board and in the pan. It eliminates the mess and having to chase the kernels!)
- Use the back of a knife to scrape corn cobs into a medium saucepan to collect and milk left in the bases of the kernels. Break corn cobs in half and add to saucepan. Add chicken or vegetable stock, bay leaf, fennel seed, coriander seed, and whole black peppercorns. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to just below a simmer, and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and discard cobs and spices.
- While stock infuses, melt butter in a separate 5 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, jalapeño and corn kernels, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened and kernels are tender, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat if butter begins to brown. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Stirring constantly, gradually add infused corn stock, letting mixture come to a simmer. Add potatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add half and half and stir to combine. Soup may look broken with melted butter floating on top at this stage.
- Transfer 1/4 of soup to a blender and blend on high until smooth, about 1 minute. (NOTE: You must be careful when blending hot liquids. Hold a cloth over the top of the blender and begin at a slow speed and then ramp up to ensure that it won’t explode) Return to pot and whisk to combine. Alternatively, use a hand blender to blend in the pot until desired consistency is reached. Season to taste with salt, pepper. (White pepper is stronger than black so use it sparingly to taste) Serve immediately, sprinkled with bacon and sliced scallions.
I halved the recipe and it came out perfectly.
ROMAINE AND CHARRED CORN SALAD WITH AVOCADO DRESSING
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 Hass avocado, 3/4 peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice, 1/4 sliced for garnish
Kosher salt
Pepper
Three 6- to 8-ounce romaine hearts, torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup very thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup shredded pecorino cheese, plus more for garnish
- Preheat the broiler. Spread the corn kernels on a large rimmed baking sheet. Broil 6 inches from the heat for about 5 minutes, until lightly charred. Let the corn kernels cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice, honey and garlic. Add the avocado and, using a fork, lightly smash it against the side of the bowl and mix it in to form a chunky dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, toss the cooled corn with the romaine pieces, sliced onion and the 1/2 cup of pecorino cheese. Add the dressing, season with salt and pepper and toss well. Garnish the salad with shredded cheese and serve right away.
If you have a BBQ grill handy, you can just grill the corn and then remove the kernels for the salad.
(Printable recipes can be found in my recipe index under Soups and Salads)