Seasonal Ontario Food

Well, this was excellent. I thought it would last for 2 meals but we ate it all at once. It's pretty light, being mostly fish and vegetables so that was quite possible. With some good crusty bread and butter on the side, it might stretch to 3 or 4 servings, and if it was served as a first course to a larger meal it should be enough for 6 people.

If you had some corn and corn cooking water left from another meal, that would speed up the making of this soup. This is not a difficult soup to make, but getting the timing for cooking the corn and fish lined up with the cooking of the other vegetables in the butter requires a little attention. The main point, I think, is to not overcook the fish so it should not go into the pot until the vegetables are well under way.

If you do have leftovers, refrigerate them promptly and eat them the next day. I do not believe this soup will keep well for long.

2 to 6 servings
45 minutes prep time

Mix the Seasonings:
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, ground
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons wheat OR barley flour
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Grind the fennel seed with the salt, then mix all the spices and flour in a small bowl. Set aside

Trim, peel, and dice the onion, carrot, and zucchini. Wash and trim the celery, and dice.
Put the water in a heavy-bottomed soup pot and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, husk the corn. Boil the corn for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer it to a bowl or the sink, and run cold water over it until it is cool enough to handle. KEEP the pot of water in which the corn was boiled; it is the base for your soup. Leave it on the back of the stove until ready to resume.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook gently, stirring regularly.

Cut the corn from the cobs while this cooks, and return the scraped cobs to the pot of water. Simmer them while the vegetables in the skillet continue to cook. Add the fillet of fish to the corn cob pot, being sure that it is without any skin or bones, and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. It should break up into pieces as you cook the soup and stir.

When the vegetables in the skillet have cooked for 5 minutes, add the zucchini and mix in well; let it cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally, then mix in the corn. Continue cooking and stirring regularly for another 5 minutes or so.

Sprinkle the little bowl of seasonings over the vegetables after a few minutes and mix it in well. Once it is well absorbed and no dry white specks can be seen, slowly mix in the milk or cream. Cook gently until thickened, continuing to stir.

Remove the corn cobs from the pot of soup, and discard them. Break the cooked fish into large flakes with a spoon. Mix the skillet of vegetables and cream into the soup. Let the soup sit and steam on the edge of simmering for another 5 minutes or so, but do not let it boil. Sprinkle with the basil or parsley and serve.




Last year at this time I made Green Bean & Cauliflower Salad in Gremolata-Tahini Dressing.

Corn has been late and not great this year, thanks to a terrible spring that has done terrible things to lots of crops. Still there is a little bit around. I'm including cooking the corn in the directions, but this is a great use for leftover cooked corn, and also corn that was maybe not everything corn should be. 

Making a pie is a bit of a faff but on the other hand a little salad - heavy on the tomatoes - will make this a complete meal. 

4 to 6 servings
2 hours - 1 hour prep time


Make the Pastry:
2 cups soft whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup mild vegetable oil
1/4 cup buttermilk

Mix the baking powder and salt into the flour.

The butter should be very soft. Mix it with the oil and milk in a mixing bowl. The butter can be in fairly large lumps. Mix the flour into the wet ingredients. Stir until everything is amalgamated. There should no longer be large lumps of butter, but small lumps or streaks are not only fine, but good.
Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 or 20 minutes, then roll it out to fit an 8" x 10" shallow baking (lasagne) pan. 

Make the Filling:
1 medium onion
1/2 small red pepper
1 bunch Swiss chard
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup finely minced fresh basil
1 cup grated old Cheddar cheese (optional)

Peel and chop the onion. Core and chop the pepper finely. Wash, trim, and chop the Swiss chard in fairly fine shreds.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and pepper until softened and slightly browned, then add the Swiss chard and cook in until well wilted, turning it over frequently. Season with the salt and pepper. Let the mixture cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, wash, dry, and mince the basil and grate the cheese, if using. Once the mixture is reasonably cool, mix them in and spread it evenly over the prepared crust.

Make the Topping & Finish:
3 large cobs of corn
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons soft unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cream

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

Cook the corn in boiling water for 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well and let cool enough to handle.  Cut the kernels from the cob. Put them in a mixing bowl and whisk in the eggs. Add the flour, salt, and cream and whisk again until well blended. Pour this evenly over the Swiss chard, etc.

Bake the Pastel for approximately 1 hour at 350°F until the topping is set and very lightly browned. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving, although it is good just warm or at room temperature. Leftovers should be refrigerated, and can be re-heated or brought up to room temperature before serving.






Last year at this time I made Tender Pan-Fried Eggplant.

Poblano pepper time! Here is a classic way to prepare them. This will make a good vegetarian meal or it can be served alongside some grilled meat. Refried beans might keep it vegetarian while adding a bit more substance (as long as they were cooked with vegetable oil).

Very delicious but gosh, it's starting to feel like fall and this recipe confirms it...

2 to 4 servings
1 hour - 45 minutes prep time


Prepare the Chiles & Corn:
3 medium fresh Poblano chiles
1 large cob of corn

Wash and dry the chiles and roast them under the broiler or over a gas flame, turning them as the skin chars. You will need good ventilation for this! As they are done, put them in a bowl or other container that can be covered. When they are done and cooled, peel of the skins. Remove the seeds and stems and cut them into bite-sized strips.

The corn should be cooked and using leftovers is certainly fine. Generally, husked and boiled for 6 to 8 minutes. Cut it from the cob. Both of these can be prepared in advance.

Do the Final Stir Fry:
1 large or 2 medium onions
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup sour cream
50 to 75 grams (2 or 3 ounces) crumbly cheese, such as feta

Peel the onions and cut them into slivers.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chiles, corn, and onion and stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes until soft and slightly charred. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and dollop the sour cream over it. Sprinkle with the crumbled feta cheese.

Serve with warm tortillas or with steamed rice.





Last year at this time I made "Chaat" Corn Salad with Tomatoes. 

Things seem to be taking a turn towards the Mexican around here at the moment; I guess you can thank those Poblano peppers. Tomatillos too. Mr. Ferdzy always wants to grow some and I have so few ideas of what to do with them. However, here's one, and it went over very well.

Gotta admit I just used a can o' beans. I'm going to have to get cooking on all the ones in jars in the basement at some point though. 

4 servings
45 minutes prep time not including cooking the beans or corn


2 cups cooked black beans OR 1 540 ml (19 oz) tin black beans
1 cob of corn
1 medium onion
1 medium Poblano or other frying pepper
300 grams (10 ounces) tomatillos (8 to 16 of them)
3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil or bacon fat
1 teaspoon cumin seed, ground
1/4 teaspoon more or less chipotle or similar ground hot chile
salt to taste
2 cups bean cooking water, vegetables stock, or chicken stock
the juice of 1 large lime
1 ripe medium avocado to garnish
chopped cilantro to garnish
sour cream to garnish

The beans and the corn must be cooked in advance. For the beans, 3/4 cup raw beans should give the right amount when cooked. Soak them in boiling water overnight, then bring to a boil and simmer until tender, stirring frequently. The corn should be husked and cooked in boiling water for 5 to 7 minutes until tender, then cooled under cold running water. This can be done the day ahead. You can avoid most of this by using a can of black beans.

Cut the cooked corn from the cob and set aside. Peel and finely chop the onion. Core and finely chop the pepper. Remove the husks from the tomatillos and wash them, then chop them finely. Peel and mince the garlic.

Heat the oil or bacon fat in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Grind the cumin seed and add it once the oil is hot; let it sizzle for a minute until aromatic. Add the hot chile and a bit of salt. Add the onion, pepper, and tomatillos, and cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened and reduced in volume. Slight browning is okay. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute more.

While they cook, mash half the beans. On a plate with a fork is the easiest way for this small quantity.

Add the cooking water or stock, as well as the beans, both mashed and unmashed, and the corn. Let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the lime juice and serve it with the garnishes - peel and dice the avocado; wash, dry and chop the cilantro; the sour cream just needs a spoon.





Last year at this time I made Bread Fritters.

And here they are! The first of the Poblano chiles, along with corn, cheese, and eggs. The cheese, milk, and eggs make this a main dish; all it needs is a green salad or steamed green vegetable to keep it company and dinner is ready. Actually, a nice selection of sliced heirloom tomatoes sounds like a good plan too.

You could broil or grill the pepper the day before, and the corn could be prepared then too. (*cough* leftover *cough*). 

It's still pretty hot, but I am happy we are starting to get some days when turning on the oven isn't a completely crazy idea.

4 servings
2 hours - 1 hour prep time


Prepare the Poblanos and Corn:
4 Poblano (450 grams; 1 pound) chiles
4 cobs or corn

Wash the peppers and place them on a baking tray to fit under the broiler in the oven. Heat the broiler and broil them until the skins blisters and chars slightly. Turn the peppers so as to broil them as evenly as possible. When they are blistered and charred all over, cover them with a tea-towel and set them aside to cool.

Put a pot of water on to boil the corn. Husk the corn and remove the silks. Boil them until tender; 6 to 8 minutes. Rinse in cold water then drain and let them cool. 


Make the Pudding:
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
125 grams (1/4 pound) old Cheddar cheese

Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk them. Whisk in the milk, cornmeal, flour, and salt.

Pull the stems and seeds from the peppers. Peel off the skins. Cut them in half and rinse them in cool water to remove any lingering seeds or skin. Dice them finely; a little larger than the kernels of corn. Add them to the eggs, milk, etc.

Cut the corn from the cobs and scrape the cobs. Add the scrapings to the mixing bowl. Break up the kernels of corn so that they are not in big clumps. Add the to the mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Melt the butter in a shallow 2 quart baking (lasagne) pan. Swirl it around to cover the bottom and sides of the pan, and dump any extra into the batter.

Grate the cheese, and mix all but a handful into the batter. Scrape it into the prepared pan and spread it out. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top. Bake the casserole for about 1 hour at 350°F until firm and lightly browned. Let rest for 10 or 15 minutes before serving it.




Last year at this time I wrote about Pickled Sweet Spanish Onions.

This is a very simplified version of a popular Indian recipe, but as usual I can't really get half the typical ingredients. For some reason I did have the amchur powder and the black salt, which with the cumin are probably the most distinctive flavours for this dish, and I decided it would have to do. I don't know that this would be recognizable to any person of Indian extraction, but it was eaten quite enthusiastically here.

The presentation in a hollowed-out tomato is nice, but not required. If you don't want to fuss with that, you can replace the whole lot of tomatoes with one medium one, peeled and chopped fine, and everything mixed as a straightforward salad. 

4 servings
45 minutes prep time


Make the Spice Blend:
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
1/4 teaspoon black salt
1 1/2 teaspoons amchur powder
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon hot red chile powder (to taste)

Start the water for the corn before making the spice blend.

Toast the cumin and fennel seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Transfer them to a plate to cool at once, then grind them very fine with the black salt. Mix with the amchur and chile powders.

Make the Salad:
2 cobs of corn
4 to 8 small salad tomatoes
1/4 cup finely diced sweet onion
2 to 3 tablespoons finely minced cilantro
1/4 cup finely diced green pepper
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
the juice of 1/2 lime

Put a pot of water on to boil for the corn. Husk it, and boil for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Rinse under cold water until cool enough that it can be handled, then cut the corn from the cobs. Set it aside for the moment.

Wash the tomatoes and cut off the top one-third of each. Use a grapefruit spoon or other small, sharp-edged spoon to remove the flesh, leaving the shells intact, from the bottom two-thirds of each. Salt the interiors and set them aside. Discard the stem scars and green cores (if any) and chop the remaining flesh and tomato tops to a size with the corn kernels. Put them in a mixing bowl.

Peel and finely dice the sweet onion, and add it to the chopped tomato. Wash, dry, and mince the cilantro. Wash, core, and finely dice the green pepper. Add those to the tomatoes and onions.

Peel and grate the ginger, and add it to the bowl of vegetables, along with the juice of 1/2 lime. Mix in the spice blend.

Lightly oil a large skillet - only enough to prevent the corn from sticking - and cook the corn kernels over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until fairly crisp and browned in spots. When it looks done to your liking, add it to the salad.

Rinse and drain the tomato shells well. Arrange them on a serving plate. Fill them with as much of the salad as they will hold, then spoon the rest of it around them.




Last year at this time I made Three Variations on Blackberry Jam (or Syrup).

This delicious summery salad is adapted from one by the California Avocado marketing board, but apart from the avocado and the lime juice, it contains mostly things that are local to here right now. If you want to cook the beans from scratch, I always think 2/3 to 3/4 of a cup of dry beans are the equivalent of a can of beans. At this time of year, though, I am inclined to ignore all the jars of dried beans in the basement and just buy a can. It's far too hot to be boiling beans for hours.

I would have been tempted to put another avocado in - I love avocados - but there were only 2 in the bin when I was shopping, and the other one was hard as a brick. Oh well; I was lucky to find one ripe enough to use right away. They are generally better bought a couple of days in advance but I have trouble being that organized. One was fine, and it's a salad after all; the exact proportions of things to each other can vary according to how much you like or have of each.

I used some Aleppo pepper for my hot chile powder, mostly because I still have well over a cup of the stuff in the cupboard from growing it a few years back, but something more Mexican would be entirely appropriate, if you have it.

As ever, the 2 of us ate it all and called it dinner, but if you were serving it with other things it would go further.

2 to 6 servings
30 minutes prep time


Make the Dressing:
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) hot red chile powder
the juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil

Grind the cumin seeds and mix them with the remaining spices in a small bowl or jam jar. Add the lime juice and olive oil, and stir or shake well.

Make the Salad:
2 cobs of corn
1 large tomato
1 540 ml (19 ounce) can black beans
1 small banana pepper OR 1/4 bell pepper
1 medium-small sweet onion
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 large ripe avocado OR 2 medium avocados

Put a large pot of water on to boil the corn. Husk the corn and boil for 5 to 8 minutes, until done to your liking. Plunge the cobs into cold water and let them cool. While the corn is cooking, drop the tomato into the boiling water for 1 minute. Rinse it in cold water and peel it and chop it.

Cut the corn from the cold cobs and put it in a salad bowl with the chopped tomato. Drain and rinse the beans, and add them. Wash, trim and chop the pepper fairly finely. Peel and chop the onion, also fairly finely. Wash, dry, and mince the cilantro. Add these to the salad along with the dressing and toss together.

Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. I find it easiest to use a large, flattish, and rather thin spoon to cut and remove small slices from the halves, but it could be peeled and chopped fairly coarsely. Sprinkle the avocado pieces over the salad and toss it very gently to incorporate them. I add them last to avoid smooshing them too much.




Last year at this time I made Cherry Tomato & Shallot Clafoutis. 

When I looked at all the lovely vegetables we have right now, I couldn't decide which one to cook, so it was "All of them, Katie!" I've made Hodge-Podge before, with a slightly different selection of vegetables. This one will take you later into the summer, once the peas are gone (which, let's face it, they are).

We ate this as our entire meal so a little grated cheese seemed like a good idea. If I was serving it as a side dish, I wouldn't add it and I would expect it to go a lot further than just the 2 of us. 

3 to 6 servings
30 minutes prep time


2 cobs of corn
4 to 6 medium new potatoes (about 2 cups when cut)
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup diced green beans
1 cup chopped green or Savoy cabbage
1 medium-small zucchini
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh dill, parsley, chives OR basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup sour cream
freshly ground black pepper to taste
a little more salt if needed
grated cheese to top, if liked

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Husk the corn, and when the water boils, cook the corn for 5 to 8 minutes; however long you like to cook your corn. Remove it with tongs to a bowl of cold water to cool once done, but keep the pot of water on the stove.

While the corn cooks, prepare the other vegetables. Scrub the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Break up the cauliflower florets. Top and tail the beans and cut them in pieces. Chop the cabbage. Wash, trim, and cut the zucchini into chunks. Wash, dry, and mince the herb of your choice.

When the corn comes out, add the salt to the boiling water and put in the potatoes to cook for 10 to 12 minutes. When there are 6 or 7 minutes left for them to cook, add the cauliflower, beans, and cabbage. When there are 3 or 4 minutes left, add the zucchini.

Meanwhile, drain the corn well and cut it from the cobs.

When the vegetables are cooked, drain them and return them to the pot on the stove. Add the butter and the corn. Season them generously with pepper, and with a little more salt if you think they need it. When they are well mixed and bubbling again, mix in the minced herb, then the sour cream. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve with a little grated cheese to sprinkle on top, if you like.




Last year at this time I made Naan.

These are a little different from the classic fish and potato fish cakes, being made with corn and zucchini instead of the usual potatoes. Nothing wrong with that! Serve them with the same chow-chow, tartar sauce, or wedge of lemon that you might serve with more typical fish cakes. Accompany them with some lovely sliced tomatoes and a roll, and you have a terrific summer meal.

8 fish cakes
4 servings
45 minutes prep time


300 grams (10 ounces) boneless whitefish
2 cobs of corn
1 medium zucchini
2 green onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons potato starch
mild vegetable oil to fry - about 1/4 cup

Skin the whitefish and discard the skin. Chop the flesh into small pieces, discarding any bones should you find them.  Put it in a mixing bowl.

Husk the corn and cut it from the cobs. Add it to the fish. Wash, trim and grate the zucchini; add it in. Wash, trim, and chop the green onions finely. Peel and mince the garlic, and add both to the bowl. Peel and grate the ginger; add to the bowl.

Break in the egg; season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the potato starch and mix well again.

Heat enough oil to coat the bottom of your skillet generously over medium-high heat. Spoon in 1/8 of the batter at a time to form 4 patties (assuming that is what your skillet will hold) and cook until set and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Turn over the cakes and cook on the other side. Keep the finished cakes warm in a 200°F oven while you cook the remainder. Add oil to the pan as required to keep them cooking and browning well.




Last year at this time I made Keema Mattar (Ground Meat Curry with Peas).

Well, this is not so much a recipe as a bunch of things thrown into a pan, but at least they were thrown in to good effect.

I put in the bacon, mostly because I already had some left over to use up. I assume about 15 minutes to cook it;  without it this will be really quite quick. On the other hand; bacon. Likewise the amount of cheese I call for assumes that this is your main dish, but you could put in less or even none and serve this as a side dish with something else. That's why the number of servings is so variable. It depends on what, if anything, else you are serving with it.

You could use about 2 cups of diced potatoes instead of zucchini if you preferred, but they should be par-boiled first. Or as we say in this household, leftovers. 

You can use a bell pepper if you like, but I prefer something more interesting. Mexican, for preference, but I haven't seen any ancho peppers so far this  year and the hot Banana peppers we found were about the only other option. It has been a terrible year for peppers, and it shows at the market. (And if it wasn't a terrible year for peppers, we wouldn't be trying to buy them... but, yeah. Ours are nowhere in sight.) If you use a hot pepper though, be careful about using a hot pepper flavoured Monterrey Jack. I'm not saying you can't, just that you should decide that's what you want to do (or not) first. 

2 to 6 servings
40 minutes prep time


1 medium onion
1 large sweet or hot red or green pepper
3 cobs of corn
1 medium zucchini
6 slices of bacon, optional 
1 to 2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
about 150 grams (5 ounces) Monterrey Jack or similar cheese
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Peel and chop the onion. Wash, de-stem, and chop the pepper. Husk the corn, and cut the kernels from it, scraping the cobs to get it all. Wash, trim, and cut the zucchini into small dice.

Chop the bacon into bits, and sauté it in a large skillet until crisp. Remove it from the pan. If you are not using bacon, put some oil in the large skillet and heat it. You may need to use a little more oil even if you do put in the bacon, but only assuming it was very lean, or conversely if it looks like too much drain off a bit before you start the vegetables.

Add the onion and peppers and cook, stirring, for a few minutes until softened. Add the zucchini and the corn. Continue cooking, stirring regularly but giving things time to brown a bit between times. When it's cooked to your liking, mix in the presumed bacon, and sprinkle the cheese cut in dice or grated, over the hash. Cover with a lid and let continue to cook for a few more minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro, and serve.




Last year at this time we cooked some Artichokes. 

I found the inspiration for this recipe in an old cook book of South American recipes from the 1930s. Most of them were pretty Americanized, and who knows; this one may be too.

It originally called for you to roast a chicken in order to make it but my immediate reaction that this was the ideal dish to use up the leftovers from an already cooked rotisserie chicken such as many grocery stores have available. I haven't actually bought any such chickens in a while because the quality available to me has really gone downhill, but you may be luckier. Or if you had leftover grilled (barbecued) chicken it would do very well and in that case you might even have leftover grilled corn and should certainly use if for this and skip the blanching.

Because I think it is the perfect dish to use up leftover cooked chicken I am quite vague about the amounts of chicken to use; it will depend on how much you think you will eat and even more on how much you have.

4 servings
30 minutes prep time, not including cooking the chicken
about 45 minutes to cook bone-in chicken pieces


4 to 6 large chicken thighs
OR half a rotisserie chicken; see notes above
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 large onion
1 medium red pepper
2 to 3 cloves of garlic
3 cobs of corn
3 large tomatoes
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons rubbed savory or oregano

If you start with raw chicken, season it well with the cumin seed ground, savory or oregano, and salt and pepper. Roast at 375°F for about 45 minutes or cook on a hot grill until just done.

Put a large pot of water on to boil for blanching the tomatoes and corn.

Peel and chop the onion. Wash, deseed, and chop the red pepper. Peel and mince the garlic. Husk the corn.

When the water boils, blanch the tomatoes for 1 minute, then run them under cold water. Peel them, cut out the green cores, and chop roughly. Blanch the corn in the same water for 1 or 2 minutes, then cut it from the cobs. Scrape the cobs to get all the corn; keep the prepared tomatoes and corn aside until needed.

When the chicken is cooked, cut it in as neat slices as you can get off of the bones. (I set the bones aside and picked any remaining chicken off of them and added it to the skillet once it was cooler and easier to handle.)

When the chicken is ready, heat the oil or some chicken fat in a large skillet. Cook the onion and red pepper over medium-high heat until softened and slightly browned. If you started with a rotisserie chicken add the cumin and savory to the pan at the same time; season later with salt and pepper taking into consideration how the rotisserie chicken has already been seasoned. Put in the bay leaves now too.

 Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then mix in the tomatoes and the corn. Settle in the slices of chicken and add any juices from it. Simmer the mixture for about 10 to 12 minutes in total, stirring once or twice if you can to keep it from sticking but trying not to break up the chicken slices.

Serve with mashed potatoes, pasta, rice, or even just over thick slices of toast.




Last year at this time it was another South American corn-based main dish; Pastel de Choclo, and Zucchini Blossom Stracciatella.  

"To a pint of grated corn add two well beaten eggs; one-half cup of cream, and a half cup of flour; with one-half spoon of baking powder stirred in it; season with pepper and salt and fry in butter, dropping the batter in spoonsful ; serve a few at a time, very hot, as a relish with meats."

                                               from the Canadian Home Cook Book of 1877

There were 3 recipes for little fried corn patties in the Canadian Home Cook Book; they were all fairly similar to the one quoted above, and called Green Corn Oysters or Patties. I suppose they were about the size and shape of a fried oyster, hence the name.

I have tried versions of them at various times over the years and have never been very happy with the results. Either there is too much batter and they are like pancakes with corn in them, or else I messed around with the recipe with the result there wasn't too much batter, but they didn't hold together. At all.

However this year I remembered my success with using potato starch in crepes, and tried making them again, this time with potato starch. Wow! MAD SUCCESS!

None of the recipes indicated whether the corn should be raw or cooked; they took it for granted that you knew. Since the "recipe" for boiled corn called for it to be boiled for 30 minutes, I'm going to assume they meant cooked. However, since I wouldn't dream of boiling corn for 30 minutes I just went with raw corn. It worked fine.

You'll note that half of them are, uh, well-browned. That's because I eyeballed the pan and decided it didn't need to have more oil added for the second batch of corn. I was wrong. Also you should probably turn the heat down a bit at that point as it will get pretty hot while the cooked fritters are switched out for new batter. On the other hand, the well-browned fritters were fine, just not as pretty as the first batch.

2 to 4 servings
20 minutes prep time


2 cobs of corn (about 2 cups of kernels)
1 large egg
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup mild vegetable oil

Husk the corn, and cut it from the cobs. Put it in a mixing bowl. Scrape the cobs well and add the scrapings to the bowl. Mix in the egg.

Mix the potato starch, salt, and baking powder, and mix that into the corn and egg.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Spoon in 4 patties each consisting of about one-eighth of the batter, and spread it out a bit. Fry until a nice, crisp brown then turn and cook on the other side. This won't take more than a minute or 2 per side.

Remove to a rack covered in paper towel, add the remaining oil, and spoon out the rest of the batter and cook in the same way. Serve at once.




Last year at this time I made Cauliflower Salad.

This salad is rather fancy and a bit time-consuming to make, although it could be pretty quick if you just bought a rotisserie chicken for it. A good-sized one should provide enough for 2 people to eat one night and make salad with the other half the next day.

Either way, this is a lovely summer salad and makes the most of the best fruit and vegetables of high summer; the ones we wait for all year. Heirloom tomatoes if at all possible!

We served this alongside this quinoa salad and they went together very well. 

6 servings
45 minutes advance prep
30 minutes to assemble the salad


Cook the Chicken & Corn:
2 pounds skin-on bone-in chicken pieces
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon each of salt and black peppercorns
2 cobs of corn

Put the chicken into a pot with sufficient water to just cover.  Add the bay leaves, salt, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and reduce to at once to a simmer. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Let cool and remove the chicken from the broth. Strain the broth and reserve it for some other use. (You may wish to add the skin and bones from the chicken and let it simmer for a while again first.)

Pick the chicken from the bones, discarding the skin and bones, and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Instead of cooking your own chicken you could use prepared rotisserie cooked chicken. You should have 3 to 4 cups of prepared meat for the salad.

Put a pot of water on to boil for the corn. Shuck the cobs, and boil them for 5 to 6 minutes. Rinse under cold water until cool. Cut the corn from the cobs, and mix it with the chicken.

Make the Dressing:

the juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons sunflower seed oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup mayonnaise - light is fine

Mix all the ingredients in a jam jar or small bowl, and mix until blended. It may help to heat the dressing slightly (in the microwave or on the back of the stove) to help the honey to dissolve. Don't add the mayonnaise until after that is done!

Finish the Salad:
1 small sweet Spanish onion or 1/2 large sweet Spanish onion
1/4 cup finely minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh basil
4 large ripe peaches
2 large beefsteak tomatoes
a few large whole lettuce leaves for serving

Peel and chop the onion. Salt it and set it aside to drain as you prepare the other ingredients.

Wash, dry, and finely mince the mint and basil and add them to the chicken and corn. If you like, you can blanch the peaches and tomatoes for 1 minute before dropping them into cold water and peeling them. Otherwise, just cut them into small bite-sized pieces and add them to the chicken and corn.

Rinse and drain the onion well and add it to the salad. Toss the salad with the dressing. If you like, serve it on a bed of lettuce leaves, washed and dried and arranged on a serving platter. I also saved out a few bits of the tomato and peaches to garnish the platter.




Last year at this time I made Tuscan White Bean Salad with Tuna.

Lots of flavour in this one, but not so much as to overwhelm the milder barley, zucchini and corn. There's a nice interplay of textures too, between the chewiness of the barley, the crispness of the corn and the softness of the cheese. 

While this is a substantial salad I'm not quite sure it rises to the level of being a complete meal. Serve it with simple fish or chicken, or as part as an ensemble of salads.

4 servings
1 hour advance prep - 15 minutes working time
20 minutes final assembly time


Cook the Barley & Corn:
1/2 cup raw barley
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
2 cobs corn

Put the barley, salt, and 2 cups water into a rice cooker; turn on and cook. Alternatively it can be cooked in a pot on the stove. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and simmer gently until tender and the water is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Watch carefully, especially at the end.

Meanwhile put a large pot of water on to boil for the corn. Husk the corn and boil for 6 to 8 minutes until tender. Rinse in cold water until cool; drain well.

This can be done up to 24 hours in advance, and the barley and corn covered and refrigerated. The corn should be cut from the cobs; you can do this now or when you assemble the salad. 

Make the Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
the juice of 1 medium lemon
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

Mix together in a salad bowl. 

Make the Salad:
1 medium zucchini
1/4 cup finely minced parsley
1/4 cup finely minced green onions
1/4 cup finely minced cilantro
1/4 cup finely minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh dill
100 grams (3 ounces) feta cheese
salt if required

Put the cooled, crumbled barley and corn cut from the cobs into the salad bowl with the dressing. Wash, trim and grate the zucchini and add it as well. Clean, trim, and mince the herbs, and add them. Cut the feta into small dice or crumble it, and add it to the bowl. Toss the salad gently but thoroughly together.




Last year at this time it was Classic Pea Soup Made with Fresh Peas.

You could make this all summer, but it is particularly appropriate for right now. And yes, this is my third recipe for cilantro soup. I'm not quite sure what the fascination is, other than cilantro makes a very tasty soup. So do lots of other things! This one is lighter, simpler and more suited for spring than the other two.

I somehow managed to ignore the fact until this year, but cilantro is about the earliest herb to sprout. The first wave is quite mature and even looks like bolting soon. That supposedly early spring herb, dill? I'm starting to see sprouts big enough to identify, provided I'm sticking my nose right in the bed. The chervil started up about the same time as the cilantro, as did the parsley and chives, but I haven't even planted basil yet. I suppose I could, but it won't go outside for another week or two at any rate. Summer savory, likewise. It's funny, I always think of cilantro as being a late summer herb, to go with tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, and all that crowd. It does pop up in waves so it will be in the garden then too but in the meanwhile it makes a zippy spring green.

4 servings
30 minutes prep time


1 medium onion
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon bacon fat OR vegetable oil
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups unsalted chicken OR vegetable stock
1/3 cup dried corn OR 3/4 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 cup yogurt
the juice of 1 lime

Peel and chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic.

Heat the bacon fat or oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, stirring, until softened. Add the garlic, flour, Cayenne, and salt. Continue to cook and stir, until the flour is well absorbed coats the onion pieces. Slowly mix in the chicken or vegetable stock. Stir in the dried corn and let the soup simmer for 10 or 15 minutes, stirring occasionally (reduce the heat to medium).

Meanwhile, wash, dry, and chop the cilantro.

Just before serving the soup, whisk in the cilantro, yogurt, and lime juice. Bring the soup back up to steaming hot, but do not let it simmer. Serve at once.




Last year at this time I made Cheesy Rhubarb (or Raspberry) Bread Pudding.

If you have a food dryer, and use it to dry corn when it is in season, you will have a very handy and easy winter food. It reconstitutes to be just as good as frozen or canned corn, but takes much less energy (and trouble) to make and store. It has to be simmered a little longer to reconstitute it, but that is hardly anything.

I left this simple combination of three traditional native vegetables fairly plain; I wanted all the flavours to speak for themselves. You can certainly spice them up if you like. We ate some of it plain, and added chile-garlic sauce to some. This is a great use of (planned) leftover roast squash; fire up the beans while you are roasting it, and this goes together in no time the next day.

Makes 4 servings
30 minutes - 10 minutes prep time
NOT including cooking the beans and squash


Cook the Beans & Squash:
1 cup dried beans
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 medium (750 grams; 1 1/2 pounds) butternut squash
a little mild vegetable oil to rub the squash

Pick over the beans and put them in a pot with plenty of water to cover them. Bring them to a good rolling boil and then cover them and turn them off; let them soak for several hours to overnight.

Add the salt and bring the beans back up to a steady simmer. Simmer until tender, stirring regularly.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds and stringy bits. Rub the squash with a little oil and roast it until tender, about 1 hour on a baking dish or tray. Let it cool, peel it, and cut the flesh into bite-sized cubes.

Both of these can (should) be done a day in advance.

Assemble the Stew:
2 cups crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups dried corn
OR 3 cups frozen corn
1 medium onion
3 to 4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put the tomatoes and bay leaves in a large soup pot, and add the cooked beans along with about 2 cups of their cooking water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer gently.

Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Heat the oil in a small skillet, and cook the onion until softened, translucent and reduced in volume. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or 2, then add them both to the beans. Add the dried corn, and the salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the corn is tender. Add the chopped squash and heat through.




Last year at this time I made Ham & Potato Dumplings.

Here is a simple and substantial salad; very nearly a meal in itself. Some bread will finish it off nicely, or you could serve it as part of a selection of salads.

Broiling the pepper is surprisingly slow, so you will be able to prepare most of the rest of the salad while it chars. Don't forget to watch it though!

4 to 6 servings
30 minutes prep time


1 large red pepper
4 cobs of corn
3 medium tomatoes
1 small sweet onion
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
200 grams (7 ounces) feta cheese
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red chile pepper
1/4 teaspoon rubbed oregano
freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil
the juice of 1 large lime

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Turn on the broiler. Wash the pepper and broil it until the skin is fairly charred, turning it to broil it evenly. When done, set it aside in a covered bowl to cool.

Meanwhile, husk the corn. When the water boils, cook the corn in it for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove them to a basin of cold water and allow to cool. Use the boiling water to blanch the tomatoes for 1 minute, then remove them to the basin of cold water as well.

Cut the corn from the cobs, and put it in a large salad bowl. Peel the tomatoes, chop them and add them. Remove and discard the stem and seeds from the pepper. Peel it, and chop it. add it to the salad bowl. Peel and chop the onion. Wash, trim, dry well, and chop the cilantro. Add the onion and cilantro to the salad bowl. Crumble the feta and add it as well.

Sprinkle the salad with the chile pepper, oregano, and black pepper. Drizzle over the oil and the lime juice; toss the salad until well blended.

Well I hate to sound ungrateful but it can stop raining any time now. We're rapidly heading for 4 inches of rain in the last week, which would have been lovely if it had been spread out over the summer. I had been consoling myself about it being so hot and dry with the idea that at least my tomatoes and melons would be fabulous. I am now watching them all nervously for signs of splitting, and don't expect great things from them.

I did get a few tomatoes picked before the deluge, and served some of them with this, which is a traditional northern South American dish. You know what I mean. It's usually regarded as Chilean, but perhaps not entirely; and it is also popular in Peru and Bolivia. Whatever its origins, it's an easy if a little time consuming casserole which makes great use of seasonal vegetables.

The Chilean corn used for this is apparently less sweet and more starchy than ours, so this is a great way to use corn that's a little over-mature. I've still omitted most of the sugar that many recipes call for, and between the corn and the raisins we thought it was plenty sweet. I've also omitted the milk usually called for, and the chicken. Chicken is an ingredient that only shows up sometimes in Pastel de Choclo recipes. If I happened to have some leftover cooked chicken on hand I would add some to the filling before the final topping goes on, but it is an elegant sufficiency without it.

4 to 6 servings
2 hours - 1 hour prep time


Prepare the Seasonings & Get Organized:
2 large tomatoes
3 large eggs
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons cumin seed, ground
2 teaspoons sweet Spanish or Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon rubbed oregano
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put a pot of water on to boil, into which you can fit the tomatoes. Blanch them for one minute then rinse them in cold water and peel them. Chop them and set them aside, with their juices, in a bowl.

Meanwhile, put the eggs in a pot with water to cover. Bring them to a boil and boil them for 1 minute. Remove them from the heat but leave them in the pot of water with the lid on for 10 minutes. Rinse them in cold water until cool and set them aside as well. 

Peel and mince the garlic, and grind the cumin seeds. Put them aside, with the remaining seasonings, in a small bowl.

Prepare the Filling:
2 large onions
1 medium red pepper
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil
500 grams (1 pound) ground beef
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup olives

Peel and chop the onions. Wash, core, and chop the red pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onions and pepper until softened. Crumble in the beef and cook, stirring regularly, until the beef is cooked and starting to brown in spots.

Add the garlic and other seasonings, mix in well, and cook for another minute or so. Add the tomatoes and their juice and mix in well. Cook, stirring regularly, for 10 or 15 minutes until the filling is still moist but the tomatoes have cooked down and their juice has been absorbed into the filling.

Remove it from the heat and mix in the raisins and the olives; the olives should be pitted and may be chopped if you like. They can be black, green, or stuffed - your choice.

Prepare the Corn Topping & Finish:
6 large cobs of corn
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons corn starch or flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon sugar

Husk the corn, and cut the kernals from the cobs with a sharp knife. Put the kernals from 2 cobs aside. The rest of them go into a food processor. Scrape the cobs and put the scrapings in a large pot.

Add the chicken stock, cornmeal, cornstarch, and salt to the corn in the food processor. Process until everything is well blended and fairly smooth. You can add the basil to the food processor or add it later, chopped by hand if you prefer.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Heat the butter in the large pot (along with the cob scrapings) and add the contents of the food processor once the butter is mostly melted. Mix well and cook, stirring frequently, until it thickens.

Spread about 1/3 of the corn mixture evenly in the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan. (I used my 8" x 10" pan, and it all went in and was okay, but it was fullllllll, so a larger pan might be better.)  Spread the meat filling evenly over that. Peel the hard boiled eggs and cut them in slices, and arrange them over the meat filling. Top with the remaining corn mixture, also spread out - you guessed it - evenly.

Bake the pastel for 35 to 40 minutes, until bubbling around the edges. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the top of the pastel, and put it under the broiler for another 5 minutes or so - but WATCH it! - until the sugar browns. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before you serve it.

Corn season is drawing to a close, and perhaps it's not quite as nice just eaten off the cob as it was. Especially if you forget you have it in the fridge for 4 days, as I did. Ooops. Still, modern corn keeps much better than it used to, and it worked very well in these yummy little pancakes.

We ate them for breakfast, but I can see them making a nice side dish as part of a regular meal. The amount of corn does make them softer than regular pancakes, and they will cook a bit slower too, so allow for that. 

12 to 16 pancakes (4 servings)
45 minutes prep time


2 large eggs
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
kernels cut from 4 cobs fresh corn
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cups soft unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
extra oil for cooking

Put all the ingredients in the order listed into the bowl of a blender. The corn should be raw; cut the kernels off in rows onto a large cutting board then scrape the cobs well before putting it all (er, not the cobs) in the blender.

Preheat the oven to 200°F, with a heat-proof plate in it to put the pancakes as they finish cooking. Heat a large skillet (or two) over medium-high heat, with enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan(s) completely. Blend the pancake batter until very well mixed and smooth.

Pour 3 4" pancakes into the pan, and cook for 3 or 4 minutes on each side until well browned. Put the finished pancakes in the oven to keep warm, and continue cooking the rest of the batter, adding more oil to the pan as needed to prevent sticking and to keep the pancakes browning properly, as opposed to scorching. Note that the temperature to cook these should be a shade lower than the usual temperature used to cook pancakes, and they will take a little longer to cook. The finished pancakes will still be quite soft in texture.

Serve as you like, with butter and maple syrup, which is what we did, or with little breakfast sausage and broiled tomatoes, which is what we didn't, due to the lack of any sausages and being to lazy to go pick tomatoes. Not to mention we scoffed the lot, just the two of us. If we were more moderate, this recipe would cut in half quite nicely. Oh well, next time.

I hear the corn is rather late this year, and that there is something of a shortage due to it being late to mature, on account of how cool this summer has been. Fortunately, our local fruit markets seem to have plenty of their own, ripe and ready.  I note the price seems to have gone up. After having tried to grow it myself (and failing) for the last few years, I'm actually okay with that - it's still a bargain, compared to how much work it is and how much space it takes up for a relatively small return in edible produce. Not to mention the raccoons. I asked Robert of 100 Mile Produce what he did about raccoons, and he replied, "They eat an acre." And  he only has nine acres of corn. Yikes!

Anyway, if you want to make it go a bit further than just chowing down on corn on the cob, this is a good way to do it. I served it cold, but given the weather lately it might have been better hot.

8 to 12 servings
1 hour prep time


12 cobs of corn
3 medium shallots
3 or 4 bay leaves
4 tbsps butter
6 tbsps flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon rubbed savory or basil

2 cups milk or light cream
2 cups corn cooking water
2 teaspoons sweet sherry and/or white wine vinegar

Put a large pot of water on to boil for cooking the corn. Husk the corn. Peel and chop the shallots. When the water boils, cook the corn for 5 to 6 minutes, with the bay leaves added to the cooking water. You will likely need to do it in 2 batches, even with a large pot. Cool the cobs of corn under cold water, and save the cooking water. Cut the corn from the cobs, scraping them to remove all the pulp, and set aside the corn from 2 cobs by itself to be used as a garnish.

Next, in a large heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter and flour together. Add the shallots, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the shallots are softened and perhaps slightly browned, and the flour and butter well amalgamated. Add the salt, sugar, and rubbed savory or basil, and slowly stir in the milk or cream, bit by bit, stirring well between each addition to form a smooth sauce. When the milk is all in, add the 2 cups of the corn cooking water, again stirring well to blend. Transfer the bay leaves from the cooking water to the soup. Add about half of the larger portion of corn, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until the soup is thickened. Be sure not to let it boil, or the milk may curdle. Remove the bay leaves.

Purée the soup in a blender - it will certainly take 2 or 3 batches - until very smooth. Return it to the soup pot, and add the remaining half of the larger portion of corn and the sherry or vinegar. Either chill or heat the soup, depending on whether you intend to serve it cold or hot. When you serve it up, sprinkle each bowl with some of the small portion of corn set aside for garnishing.





Last year at this time I made Sautéd Beets & Greens.