Corn, Tomato and Basil Salad

Thanks to Hurricane Irene our house is without power. Like generations before we are now rising closer to sunrise, sleeping closer to sunset and eating meals by flickering kerosene lamp light. Luckily, we have a generator that we can cycle to run our refrigerator and freezer and the well's pump. This lets us have drinking water, etc. and, hopefully, will help us salvage some of food. Until the power returns our meals are improvised and, if they involve cooking, they are made on the propane camp stove or the grill. 

Here's a rough recipe for a Corn, Tomato and Basil Salad I improvised the other night to go with defrosted, pre-cooked shrimp the other night. It was a fresh, satisfying and super quick. I should to keep easy meal ideas in mind when we have our power back as it is going to be a busy fall with anatomy and physiology part II, organic chemistry lab and lecture and a few other things to juggle.

I hope you aren't suffering the effects of Hurricane Irene or other natural disasters, but if you are I hope whatever troubles you are experiencing go away soon! I'm so thankful that a lack of power is my only Irene-related issue.

Corn, Tomato and Basil Salad

4 Tomatoes (from interning at Red Dog Farm!)
1 15 ounce can Corn, drained 
1/4 cup Basil, approximate measure (from the porch)
Apple Cider Vinegar, Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

1. Open the can of corn and turn it upside down with the lid on to let it drain.
2. Cut up the tomatoes into large chunks. Place in a bowl with whatever residual juice remains and add corn.
3. Slice the basil thinly, or if you would prefer tear it roughly, and add it the bowl.
4. Add a tablespoon or two of Apple Cider Vinegar, 5 twists of freshly ground pepper and a sprinkling of salt (or whatever amount of these items you prefer) and toss ingredients to combine.
5. Eat it all because you can't refrigerate the leftovers for later!

Corn Pudding

When I said I was making Lois Freedman of Jean-Georges Management's Corn Pudding as part of dinner there was excitement... Until I read Mom the directions. At which point she emphatically said "That isn't corn pudding. It is corn casserole, corn compote or something else... Don't tell your Dad it is corn pudding or he will be disappointed."

You see here in Virginia, corn pudding is an eggy, creamy custard-type dish that has always been too sweet and heavy for my taste. This recipe doesn't require any eggs, cream or much of anything beyond fresh, grated corn. It is heavenly, summer sunshine compacted into soft, sweet bites. Think of creamed corn without the gloppy cream.

No one was disappointed. In fact, I liked it so much that I ate a smaller portion just so I could have more the next day. I used Seredipity corn from Red Dog Farms, a juicy, sweet bicolor variety, and as directed added the salt and butter to taste. I left the cayenne pepper and lime juice on the side since not everyone likes spice in our household. Adding them is tasty too, but they aren't necessary.

Corn Pudding
Yields 3 servings (approximately 1/2 cup each)
Adapted from Simplest Corn Pudding at NY Times

Ingredients
8 ears of Corn, husked
1 tablespoon Butter
Salt
Optional: Cayenne Pepper and/or Lime Wedges

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place a box grater on a medium cast-iron pan and grate each ear of corn directly into the pan. I found holding the corn horizontally and moving it diagonally to be the quickest way to grate. Discard the cobs.
3. Spread the corn evenly across the pan and bake until the edges and top are golden brown and the corn milk has thickened. For me this took 35 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and salt to taste. If desired, season with cayenne pepper and a squeeze of lime juice. Mix well.