Pablano Polenta Stuffed Peppers

My usual course of action with several peppers on hand is to stuff them. Typically, fillings involve ground meat and rice, smothered in tomato sauce. On rare occasions an Indian inspired version comes about, using lentils or chickpeas and copious amounts of cumin and garam masala. This tex-mex corn-centric version is a first for me. I blame the endless sea of sweet corn we were blessed with late this summer.

adapted from Martha Stewart's Polenta Stuffed Peppers and Stuffed Poblano Peppers

serves 4-6

The Ingredients:
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 pablano pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup coarse cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
2 ears of corn
1 1/2 cup shredded monteray jack cheese
4 bell peppers, halved, stem and seeds removed

The Process:
In a large saucepan set over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp of butter. Add the poblano, onion and garlic.  Sautee util tender, 2-3 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil.

Slowly whisk in the cornmeal, salt, pepper and cumin. Reduce to a simmer. Whisk frequently until the polenta thickens, about 5 minutes. Add additional water as needed. Remove from heat and fold in the remaining butter, corn kernel, and half of the cheese. Stir until cheese and butter has melted. Season with addition salt, pepper and cumin to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375

Arrange the pepper halves in a large shallow baking dish. Spoon the polenta into the peppers.  Add 1/2 of water to the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with foil.

Bake, covered, for 30 minutes.

Uncover and sprinkle the peppers with remaining cheese. Return dish to oven and bake an additional 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the peppers are tender.

Serve garnished with salsa and cilantro.

Skillet Corn Cakes

Corn, corn and more corn. But this time, for breakfast!

These cakes, fritters or patties (what you will) are quite lovely served with fried or poached eggs...runny yolks soaking into the cornmeal...

Mmmmm.

adpated from Cookie Monster Cooking

serves 4

The Ingredients:
1 cup yellow cornmeal
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsps baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¾ cup milk
3 ears corn, shucked and and kernels removed
3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup olive oil, divided

The Process:
In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.

In a second bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Fold in the corn kernels and green onions.

Heat half of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches,  spoon 1/4 cup amounts of batter into the skillet, flatten each dollop slightly. Cook 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through.

Serve hot, with salsa or garnish of your choice.

Corn Dog Fritters

Corn dogs are a guilty pleasure of mine. With mustard. Always with mustard. This portable meal is not something I would consider making at home. Until now. This recipe is state fair food at its finest, in bite-size form! On-a-stick optional.

adapted from Mantitlement

yields 15-20 fritters

The Ingredients
canola or vegetable oil for frying
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp butter, melted
2 ears of corn, shucked and kernels removed
3 all beef hot dogs, diced

The Process:
Fill a large, heavy-bottomed deep-sided saucepan half way full of oil. Bring oil to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and melted butter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until just combined. Fold in the corn kernels and diced hot dog.

Working in batches, gently drop the batter by heaping tablespoon into the oil. Fry 2-3 minutes, turning once, until the batter is cooked through and golden brown.

Remove to a paper towel lined cooling rack and immedieately sprinkle with a touch of salt.

Serve hot, with condiments of your choice.

Sour Braised Beef with Polenta Fries

Some mornings I spend the entire bus ride to work day dreaming about what to concoct for dinner.  I have taken to carrying a notebook about with me (finally) lest I be hit with an idea unprepared. The inspiration for this dish first came about after an amazing beer dinner at Stout's Pub in Roseville, featuring the skills of chef Daniel Parker and the wonderful ales of Ommegang.  Five courses and several drinks in, we were served an amazingly fork tender mound of meat accompanied by bacon fried potatoes and sweet and sour onions.  The beef had been braised in Curvee Brut to compliment the sour cherry hints in the Three Philosopher's that was paired with the course.  Daniel lamented the lack of tartness to come through in the braising process.  Thus the sweet and sour onions served alongside.  Daniel truly had little to lament.  The dish was the highlight of the dinner for me.

Vamping off that...and out a desire to have a bit of leftover beef for a recipe down the road...I turned to a classic beef carbonnade, but with a much, much more sour beer.  The cooking time can be reduced slightly by cutting the beef down into smaller chunks, but I opted to stick with a full roast.  Look for a cut of meat with a lot of fat marbled throughout.

For the beer, Flanders red and oud bruins are a good place to start. I found myself looking towards the Rodenbach Grand Cru.

 This is a sour I can never seem to get enough of. The result was amazing.  Because of the acidity of the beer, there was no need to add vinegar as many recipe variants recommend.  The sour dissipates to an earthly, slightly tart flavor that perfectly compliments the sweet caramelized onions and rich fat of the bacon.

The cooking process generated far, far more jus than I was anticipating.  But you know what?  After dinner is done, skim the fat off of the remaining juices and transfer it--onions, bacon bits, and all--to the fridge.  The next day, heat it up, ladle it into a ramekin and top with a bit of crusty bread and some Gruyère.  After a quick trip under the broiler, you'll be treated to an amazing twist on French onion soup...

beef carbonnade adapted from chef Charlie Palmer and Saveur
polenta fries adapted from Epicurious

serves 4-6

The Ingredients:
for the beef
3 lb beef chuck roast
salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
4 Tbsp butter
4 slices of bacon, coarsely chopped
3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cup sour beer such as a Flanders red ale
1 cup beef stock
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh parsley
1 bay leaf

for the polenta fries
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 Parmesan (optional)
additional salt for sprinkling

The Process:
 Generously season the beef with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour.

 In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium-high heat.  Add the beef and brown, 3-4 minutes per side.  Transfer beef to a plate, cover and keep warm.

Add the bacon to the same pot and cook until most of the fat renders, 6-8 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low and add the remaining butter, along with the onions and garlic.  Cook until the onions have caramelized, about 30 minutes (long, low and slow is key).

Add half of the ale to deglaze the bottom of the pan.  Simmer for about 5 minutes or until reduced slightly.    Whisk together remaining beer, broth and sugar.  Return the beef to the pot.  Add the herbs and pour the beer mixture over top.  Bring to a boil, cover tightly, and reduce heat to simmer.  Cook until the beef is tender, about 2 hours.

Slice or shred to serve.

for the polenta fries:
Combine the milk and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Once the mixture comes to a simmer, whisk in cornmeal and salt.  Cook the mixture until thick and creamy, about 20 minutes.  Stir in the butter and Parmesan.

Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with a coat of non-stick cooking spray.  Once the polenta has thicken, pour in to prepared dish.  Spread into an even thickness, smoothing the surface out as much as possible.  Cover and chill 30-45 minutes, or until the polenta has set.

Preheat the broiler and place the oven rack 4-6 inches from the heat.

Carefully turn out the polenta onto a large cutting surface.  Cut crosswise into four even rectangles.   Cut each rectangle into 10- 12 even strips.  Line cut polenta onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bring the fries with oil and generously sprinkle with salt.

Broil, flipping once, about 10 minutes per side or until evenly browned.

Serve immediately with beef and juices.

Cheesy Corn Porridge with Garlic-Chives and Bacon

A few months back I made up a batch of pale ale corn muffins, and ever since this recipe has been kicking around in the back of my head.  The muffin recipe started out with a polenta-like base.  The green chilies, butter and cornmeal smelled so amazing as I stirred up the thick mixture.  I briefly contemplated eating the first batch straight from the pot, and mixing up a second one for the muffins.

It took a few weeks, but I started toying around with a few variations until this corn porridge came to be.  The dish is equally as wonderfully with a bit of diced jalapeno sauteed up with the bacon, but that heat is a bit too much for me first thing in the morning.

Feel free to play around.  One stalk of green onion and a clove of garlic is a great fragrant base, but with the arrive of our first CSA box, I had to give the garlic chives a whirl

the recipe is my own

serves 1

The Ingredients:
2 slices of bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
2-3 Tbsp chopped garlic chives
1/3 cup coarsely ground cornmeal
1 cup water
1/4 cup shredded cheese (pepper jack, colby, cheddar blend)

The Process:
Heat a medium saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the bacon and saute until the bacon is crisp and most of the fat is rendered.  Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain.  Add the chives and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the cornmeal to coat in the bacon grease.

Add a small amount of the water, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the remaining water, bring the mixture to a boil.  Promptly reduce heat and simmer until the cornmeal is thick and creamy, about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in the cheese and reserved bacon.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.