Grilled Corn on the Cob | Summer Sweet Corn

Is there anything better than sweet corn?  Here in Massachusetts the season is toward the end of July to August, but back home in Kansas City sweet corn is perfectly timed (most years...) for the 4th of July.

For years, my sister and I would sell sweet corn from our front yard that we had picked and shucked ourselves... similar to a lemonade stand, but people would actually stop.  We spent many summer days under a tree in our backyard with my Mom, Nancy and Granny while we shucked corn to "put up."  Pops (my grandpa) talks about eating 10-12 ears in one sitting when he was a boy. 



At home, it seems that there is a fondness surrounding sweet corn- maybe it is the simplicity of being able to grow something that is perfect in its most basic form?  Or maybe that it always feels like the official start of Summer, just as "mushroom season" (morels) is the official start of Spring? 

I'll admit, this "Grilled Sweet Corn" is not how we prepare corn at home, but it is a great shortcut for me to throw it on the grill with the rest of dinner instead of heating up a big pot of boiling water on a hot day.  And it is delicious.

Grilled
Sweet Corn


Sweet Corn on the Cob with Husks
Melted Butter
Sea Salt

Begin by pulling back the husks, but do not remove them.  Remove all of the silk from the corn and husk.  Soak them in water for 10 minutes. Remove from the water then brush the melted butter on the corn and then sprinkle with salt.  Pull the husks back over the corn.

Place them on a grill for 15 minutes to 25 minutes, depending on the corn and the heat of the grill.

If you need a little inspiration, here is a great summer meal with Sliced Flank Steak with a Chimichurri Sauce, slice heirloom tomatoes and avocados.

Lunch at The Pond

Last year during our first summer in Concord, I wondered... where are all of the pools?   

Surely on these hot summer days everyone flocks to a pool, right?  I searched online, looked all around town... I couldn't find a public pool anywhere.

Then a friend mentions that they were finally accepted into a pond this year after a couple of years on the wait-list. 

A pond?  A private pond?




It was so lovely.  I think this is something that all country towns should have - it was so peaceful and beautiful.

Chipotle Dipping Sauce for beer-battered onion rings

Chipotle Dipping Sauce
for beer-battered onion rings

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup 1/2 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce from can
1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Stir together all of the ingredients in a small bowl. 

Homemade Beer-Battered Onion Rings

I love onion rings.  Always have.  Even when I was really young, before I like onions on or in anything else, I loved onion rings.  When I was growing up we had a little diner in town that had been around since my parents were growing up- Dave's.   They talk about going there during their open lunch period in school to buy a burger for a quarter or something ridiculous.  When I was in 6th grade, I remember walking by there after school and stopping in for laffy taffy from their candy bar or an ice cream cone.   But what I really loved was a double (cheeseburger) with ketchup and pickles, only, and onion rings... with a chocolate milkshake, of course.  Even as I type it I can smell the onion rings and burgers frying.  Hmmmm.

Dave did not make his onion ring batter with beer (certainly not a Blue Moon), and he did not serve them with a chipotle aioli dipping sauce.  The recipe is an evolution of my grown-up tastes... inspired by my youth.  The breading is similar to a tempura type batter and works great on anything from zucchini to thick slices of portabella mushrooms.

Homemade Beer-Battered
Onion Rings


2 large Vidalia onions
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup if buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup beer
vegetable oil for frying
extra sea salt for sprinkling

Slice the onions in thick slices, then separate the rings.  Place them in a large bowl.  Sprinkle them with 1/2 cup of flour and toss, coating them with flour. 

In a separate bowl, mix together 1 cup flour, buttermilk, garlic powder, cayenne, pepper, salt and beer.  Whisk together until it is smooth. 

Heat oil on medium high in a deep pan for frying.  To test the oil to make sure it is hot, drop a little bit of the batter in the oil.  If it starts to bubble immediately, the oil is ready.

Dip each onion ring into the batter, then put it into the frying pan.  Cook only enough rings at a time so they don't over crowd.  With tongs, half way through, flip the onions so they cook evenly on both sides.  Remove from the oil and let them drip on a paper towel.  Sprinkle with sea salt.

Here are the onions tossed in flour- it helps the batter stick to the onions.

Here I am, whisking the batter.  It should be like a thin pancake batter.

Chipotle Dipping Sauce
for beer-battered onion rings 

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup 1/2 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced 
1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce from can 
1/2 teaspoons chili powder 
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Stir together all of the ingredients in a small bowl.  

The BEST Homemade White Cheddar Biscuits | Light, Flakey, White Cheddar Biscuits

I've said it before (I think...) and I'll say it again- I love serving a really great bread or biscuit as a "side" instead of serving potatoes or rice.  Everyone goes crazy for bread and biscuits but it can be too heavy sometimes to serve them along side another very starchy side.  So, I like to serve them as the side instead.  A great example of this theory applied in a menu would be a BBQ grilled Pork Loin, Wilted Lettuce Salad and White Cheddar Biscuits.  It is a decadent meal, but not too over the top and your guests won't be passing on the bread basket.

Homemade

White Cheddar Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for the board and cutting)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

1 cup of white cheddar, shredded
1/2 cup cold buttermilk, shaken
1 cold extra-large egg

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place 2 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a mixer with the paddle attachment.  Add butter and cheese and mix on low until it is a rough mixture.  In a small measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and egg and beat lightly with a fork.   Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. 

Dump out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly about 6 times to shape into a 2-3 inch high disk.  Using a round cutter, cut biscuits.  I use my new Copper Biscuit Cutter, here.  Place biscuits on a Baking Sheet lined with a Parchment Paper liner.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, just until they begin to brown on top slightly.

Homemade biscuits are such a treat... share them as gifts!  Here is a post about how to package them for friends and neighbors.


Products Used :

Copper Biscuit Cutter, $15
Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper liner

Spicy Chimichurri Sauce for Grilled Flank Steak

I'm one of those people that don't didn't like cilantro.  Lately, its been sneaking into things I've tried and I, gulp, have really gotten a taste for it.  Here's the secret: I think it is best used subtly.  It really shines when it is in the background.  When I've tried it in the past, so many times it has been used in too much excess and it overpowered the recipe convincing me that I didn't like it.

This chimichurri sauce is soooo flavorful.  Mix it together without the fresh herbs, then add them just before serving.  It is great as a marinade for beef or veggies or can be used as a sauce.

fresh and spicy
Chimichurri Sauce


2 minced garlic cloves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Mix garlic, olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, cayenne and balsamic together.  Add fresh herbs just before serving.





 This Chimichurri Sauce is part of my Fresh & Flavorful Father's Day Menu - get all of the recipes here!

Individual Peach Cobblers with Vanilla Ice Cream

At 9pm after Emma has gone to bed and Mike and I are winding down we're always in the mood for something sweet.  Last week, I really wanted just a bite (or two...) of freshly baked, hot and bubbly, crumbly peach cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream.  Who wouldn't?

I whipped up a mini guy for us to share and put the rest of the crumb cobbler topping (I had made too much...) in the freezer.  Perfect - next time I have a craving and have a couple of peaches (or apples or berries...) lying around, I can just grab a handful of topping from the freezer. 

simple crumbly
Cobbler Topping


2 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/4 cup of sugar (or vanilla sugar)
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 pound of butter, cold (2 sticks)

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add flour, sugar, brown sugar and salt.  Stir together. Cut butter into small pieces (about 1/2 inch cubes) and add them to the bowl and mix on medium low for a few minutes until the mixture starts to come together and is a crumbly texture.


For the individual cobblers, the amount of fruit filling and topping depends on the size of the bowl you're using.  In general, here is the ratio :

2 peaches + 1 tablespoon of sugar +  1 teaspoon of flour + 1/4 cup of topping

For this size, bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until the filling bubbles and the topping begins to brown. 

To peel peaches easily, drop them in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, then put them in ice water.  The skins will peel off easily with the help of a pairing knife.

 

Here is the extra topping ready to go into the freezer for the next last minute mini craving...

These Individual Peach Cobblers are part of my Fresh & Flavorful Father's Day Menu - get all of the recipes here!

Father's Day Menu : Sliced Flank Steak, Grilled Corn, Heirloom Tomatoes, Sliced Avocados & Mini Peach Cobbler with Ice Cream

In honor of Father's Day weekend, I've decided to share some of Mike's favorite things in hopes of inspiring your Father's Day celebrations. 

He's definitely a steak and potato sort of guy... but with a twist for the summer months.  This is Mike's idea of a perfect Summer meal- steak, tomatoes, avocados and grilled sweet corn.   In the colder months the avocado, tomatoes and corn would be replaced by a baked potato loaded with sour cream and butter, and the steak would be a filet crusted with salt and pepper.

In the summer, he loves this lighter, fresher version. We top the sliced flank steak with a spice and herb filled chimichurri sauce that gives it so much flavor. I love that flank steaks are really inexpensive (usually about $7-8/pound) and cook in just a couple of minutes. This entire dinner is ready in 15-20 minutes from start to finish.

Here is the recipe for the Chimichurri Sauce.

Our all-time favorite sides are sliced tomatoes and avocados.  Real summer tomatoes aren't here quite yet, so we opt for these heirloom cherry tomatoes that have great flavor all year long.  There is no prep, no cooking- I just slice them, drizzle them with really good olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  He loves it every time.

When the corn is good, I throw a couple of ears on the grill that have been brushed with butter and salted.  Stay tuned for the recipe and method.

Isn't this a beautiful dinner?!  There is really no excuse.  This dinner costs about $15-20 and takes 15-20 minutes, start to finish.

For dessert? 

Individual Peach Cobblers with Vanilla Ice Cream

.  I make big batches of crumble topping and keep it in the freezer.  When I go to the store I grab whatever fruit looks good- berries, peaches or apples.  I toss the fruit in a little sugar and flour, put it in a small bowl, then top with a handful of my pre-made crumble topping from the freezer.  They bake for about 15-20 minutes.  Here is the recipe for Individual Peach Cobblers with Vanilla Ice Cream.

Here is the easy to pin strip!

Come back later today for all of the links to recipes and instructions!

Grilled Vegetable Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella & Pancetta

Last week I posted about a Grilled Vegetable "Bolognese" Pasta Sauce that was made completely out of vegetables that I served with Homemade Pappardelle.  We loved it so much that I decided to make it again, but with a few new ingredients that seem to make everything even better... Fresh Mozzarella and Pancetta.  Instead of making the Homemade Pasta, I opted for rigatoni.  Now, we can't decide which version we like the best... a nice dilemma to have.

Grilled Vegetable Pasta
with Fresh Mozzarella & Pancetta


1 eggplant, sliced lengthwise
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 yellow pepper, seeded and quartered
3 tomatoes, thickly sliced
1/2 cup of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
sea salt & pepper
......
2 tablespoons of sea salt
1 pound of rigatoni
......
1/4 pound of pancetta, diced
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1 inch pieces
fresh basil

Combine 3 sliced cloves of garlic and 1/2 cup of olive oil in a small bowl.  Brush the oil on all sides of the sliced vegetables.  Reserve the remaining oil.  Sprinkle each vegetable with sea salt and cracked pepper.

Grill the vegetables for 3-4 minutes on each side until good color has developed and the vegetables are tender.  Remove the vegetables from the grill and bring them inside, let cool.  Cut the vegetables into 1-inch pieces. 


Meanwhile, boil a pot of water with 2 tablespoons of sea salt for the pasta.

In a large saute pan, cook pancetta until crispy.  Add reserved olive oil with sliced garlic cloves.  Cook for 30 seconds on medium high just until the garlic begins to bubble.  Add the crushed red pepper flakes.  Cook for 10-20 seconds longer, then add chopped vegetables and stir the mixture.  The more tender vegetables like the eggplant and tomatoes will naturally break apart to create the sauce.

Cook the pasta in the salted, boiling water just until al dente.  Add a 1/4 cup of pasta water to the sauce to thin it slightly.  Add more, if needed.  Remove it from the water and add it directly to the sauce, toss it with the pasta.  Add fresh mozzarella and fresh basil.  Toss together.