Rick Bayless' Mexican-Style Zucchini Tacos

Inspiration:
Rick Bayless


Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium white onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 pound ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (6 to 8 Italian-plum or 2 medium- large round)

2 large fresh poblano chiles

1 cup fresh corn kernels (about one ear of corn)

4 medium zucchini cut into 1/2" cubes (about 1 1/2 pounds or 5 cups)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2/3 cup homemade crème frâiche or heavy cream

Salt

1/2 cup Mexican queso fresco or other crumbly fresh cheese-like salted, pressed farmer's cheese or feta

24 fresh, warm corn tortillas

Instructions:

1. Measure the oil into a large (12-inch skillet) and set over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until richly browned, about 8 minutes.

2. While onion is cooking, coarsely puree the tomatoes in a food processor or blender. Add garlic to the browned onion, cook 1 minute, stirring, then add the tomatoes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Roast the poblanos directly over a gas flame or on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler, turning regularly until the skin has blistered and blackened on all sides, about 5 minutes for an open flames, about 10 minutes for the broiler. Remove from heat and cover with a kitchen towel and let stand for 5 minutes. Rub off the blackened skins, then pull out the stems and seedpods. Rinse briefly to remove stray seeds and bits of skin. Slice into 1/4-inch strips.

4. Uncover the skillet, return to flame and raise the heat to medium-high. Stir in the poblanos, corn, zucchini, epazote and crema. Cook, stirring frequently, until the zucchini is crisp-tender and the liquid has thickened enough to coat the vegetables nicely, about 8 minutes. Taste and season with salt, about 1 teaspoon or to taste. Serve in a decorative bowl, sprinkle with crumbled cheese and pass hot tortillas separate for do-it-yourself tacos.

Nutrition facts per serving (1/6 of the recipe): 453 calories, 18 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 43 mg cholesterol, 66 g carbohydrates, 12 g protein, 604 mg sodium, 8 g fiber


Tim's Rating: 8.5/10 ("better than 'facos'")
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Bobby Flay's Grilled Corn Salad with Lime, Red Chili, and Cotija

Inspiration:
A side dish tasted at Mesa Grill over a year ago that we couldn't forget. I finally looked online to see if a recipe was available when we received corn from our CSA. It was!


Ingredients:

• 8 ears fresh corn, silks removed, husk on, soaked in cold water 30 minutes
• Canola oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup creme fraiche
• 2 limes, juiced and 1 zested
• 1 tablespoons ancho chili powder
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup grated cotija

Instructions:

1. Heat grill to high. Grill corn until charred on all sides, 10 or so minutes. Take off the grill and remove the kernels with a sharp knife. While you are cutting the corn, put a cast iron skillet on the grill to heat.
2. Add the corn and the remaining ingredients to the hot pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until creamy and heated through.

Notes: Cotija is the food of the gods. This is a fantastic recipe to enjoy the sweet corn of summer.

Tim's Rating: 10/10
Liz's Rating: 10/10

Low-Country Seafood Boil

Inspiration:
A fall get-together with friends, including our co-host and friend Eric
and
Captain Jim Lemke and Patrick Nolan's recipe, promoted by Bobby Flay


Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 ounces crab boil spices
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 3 to 4 whole garlic cloves
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 3 pounds mushrooms, cleaned
• 3 to 4 scallions
• 2 to 3 peeled whole onions
• 9 ounces hot sauce
• 10 pounds smoked hot sausage
• 5 pounds tiny whole potatoes
• 25 to 30 ears corn
• 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 7 to 10 pounds mussels
• 15 to 25 pounds medium or large shrimp

Instructions:

1. Start with a 20-quart pot filled over 1/3 with fresh cold water. In the pot add crab boil mix to the water. Squeeze juice from 2 of the lemon quarters into the water, and drop in the rinds. Add the garlic cloves, red and green pepper slices, mushrooms, scallions, whole onions, and hot sauce into the water. Bring to a boil, and then add sausage and potatoes. Bring to a second boil, and continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes, or until potatoes start to get soft. Add the corn, chopped garlic, and start a count of 5 minutes. Do not wait until water boils. At 5 minutes, add mussels. 3 minutes later, add shrimp. Boil for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Drain immediately.

2. Serve with plenty of napkins.

Recipe Notes:
Serves 25-30. For different variations, any seafood could be added to the pot.


My Notes:

• I don't think it could be much easier for a party planner than choosing a menu that involves only one pot!
• We had 10 guests and scaled down the recipe to include 2.5lbs sausage, 3lbs potatoes, 10 ears corn, 3lbs mussels, 3lbs shrimp, and 2.5oz Old Bay. We probably had enough to serve 12-15 people.
• We had a smaller pot for our vegetarian friends, with all ingredients except sausage and seafood. Our friend brought veggie sausage, which was a nice addition.
  
• Luckily our friend Eric has a big (16 gallon) pot, and a spoon with a really long handle. Plan on borrowing some large pots if you aren't so lucky!
  
• This was a fun event that will likely become an annual experience.

Menu:
Seafood Boil
Cornbread and Collard Greens, brought by a guest
Peach and Pear Custard Pies, brought by a guest
Beer!

Goat Cheese and Roasted Corn Quesadillas

Inspiration:
Cooking Light

I love quesadillas. I make them a lot, especially when I don't feel like cooking or have leftover ingredients sitting in my fridge.

I found this recipe and had all of the ingredients on hand. It was a nice, quick lunch that I could enjoy while my non-goat-cheese-loving husband was working on a weekend afternoon.

I substituted canola oil for the cooking spray and used frozen corn kernels since we don't have fresh available this time of year. I would not suggest using flour tortillas (too gummy); corn tortillas are best for any non-burrito recipe!


Liz's Rating: 9/10

Squash with Mexican Flavors

Inspiration:
Adapted from Emily's blog, originally from the cooking school Chez Cherie.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups butternut squash cubes
  
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
  
• salt and pepper
  
• chili powder
  
• drizzle of olive oil
  
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  
• 1/4 cup spicy green salsa
  
• 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed
  
• 1 1/2 cups grated Mexican-blend cheese

Instructions:

1. Place the squash cubes and onion on a baking sheet, and season with salt, pepper and chili powder to taste.

2. Drizzle with olive oil and roast until squash is tender, about 18-20 minutes.

3. Toss roasted squash with drained beans, salsa, corn and cheese. Heat in a covered skillet until warmed through. Remove from heat, adjust seasonings to taste, sprinkle with cheese, and cover until cheese melts.

Notes: We really enjoyed this new flavor combination. We used Mrs. Renfro's Green Salsa, which is really spicy. We added some sour cream to counteract the heat and because sour cream is good!

Tim's Rating: 8.5/10
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

TWD: Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins

Inspiration:
A Tuesdays with Dorie recipe chosen by Rebecca of Ezra Pound Cake and found on page 6 of Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

Notes:
These were really, really good. A bit crumbly. I omitted the bell pepper and added extra corn. We enjoyed them with big bowls of Cumin Chili.
Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Bolivian Corn Chowder

Inspiration:

The Amazing Race's visit to Bolivia

this recipe

and potatoes, garlic, and onion from our CSA

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed
• a 15 ounce can of whole-kernel corn, drained
• a 15 ounce can of cream-style corn
• 2-1/2 cups vegetable stock
• a 4 ounce can of diced green chilis
• 1 chipotle pepper (in adobo sauce), minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt
• 1 cup half and half or whole milk
• 2 limes

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds longer. Add the potatoes, whole-kernel corn, cream-style corn, and stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the diced green chilis, chipotle pepper, oregano, and cumin. Continue cooking for 10 minutes longer.
   


2. Shortly before serving, add the half and half or milk and heat through, without allowing the soup to come to a boil. Cut the limes in half. Squeeze 3 of the lime halves into the soup. Season the soup with salt as necessary and ladle the soup into serving bowls. Cut the remaining lime half into thin slices. Float one or two of the lime slices in each bowl as an attractive garnish.

Notes:

I substituted 32 ounces frozen corn for the canned corn. Don't omit the limes or chipotle-- they make this recipe!

Liz's Rating: 8.5/10
Tim's Rating: 8/10

Next week on The Amazing Race:
New Zealand!

Potato, Leek, and Corn Soup

Inspiration:
Potatoes, leeks, corn, and parsley from our CSA

Ingredients/Instructions:
This recipe, adapted from SimplyRecipes.

Notes:
This recipe is obviously vegetarian if vegetarian broth is used (vegan if the butter and broth are replaced). It's very easy to make. I used red potatoes with thin skins, so I left the skins on. I used kernels from two cobs of corn and added some imported grated parmesan at the end. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve with crusty bread and a glass of wine.

My photo quality will probably continue to deteriorate as we go from 17 hours of sunlight to 7... it's too depressing to think about, so I'll leave it at that.

Tim's Rating: 10/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Squaw Corn

Inspiration:
My Grandma Lois used to make this recipe while camping and has passed it down to my mother and now on to me. It's reportedly an old Girl Scout recipe, although I can't find a similar version online.
This recipe dates back to at least the 1950s. Since the use of the term "squaw" may now be considered derogatory, please let me know if you think the recipe title should be modified.
(Also corn and an onion from our CSA.)

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, minced
• 6-8 strips of bacon, cut into 1-inch wide pieces
• 3 cups of corn kernels (cut from 4 ears of corn) or about 16-oz frozen corn
• Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
  

Instructions:

1. Place onion and bacon in a large skillet and cook, over medium heat, until bacon is rendered and onion is soft and beginning to carmelize, 15-20 minutes. Remove some bacon drippings, if necessary.
   
2. Add corn kernels and cook an additional 3-5 minutes.
3. Season with salt and pepper.

Notes: The bacon will not be super crispy. If you want crispy bacon, cook it in batches first, remove, and drain on paper towels. Cook the onion in the bacon drippings and proceed with the rest of the recipe, adding in the cooked bacon at the end.

Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Fresh Corn Risotto

Inspiration:
Food and Wine and fresh corn from our CSA

Ingredients:

• 6 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, very finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice (12 ounces)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup white corn kernels (from 2 ears)
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
  

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil with the bay leaf. Keep the stock warm over very low heat.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring until opaque, about 3 minutes. Add the white wine and cook, stirring, until completely absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the warm stock and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the stock 1 cup at a time and stirring until it is absorbed between additions. After about half of the stock has been added, stir in the corn, then add the remaining stock. The rice is done when it's al dente and creamy, about 25 minutes total. Stir in the cheese and butter; season with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf and serve.

My Notes:
This is a delicious recipe! It seems too simple, and obviously isn't very colorful, but it tastes great. I love the combination of the slightly-crunchy sweet corn kernels and the nuttiness of the Parmesan.

Liz's Rating: 9/10
Tim's Rating: 9/10