Meatless Monday:Corn Risotto and Corn Sauce

Sweet, delicious corn is overflowing the carts at farm stands right now. Get it while it’s good. Most everyone has eaten corn on the cob, and many have given corn chowder or creamed corn a try, but I bet only a few have had the pleasure of enjoying the recipes below.

Andrea Chesman’s cookbook, Serving Up the Harvest, is organized by season. Each season is broken down into sections of vegetables that are their peak at that time. These sections provide gardening information, kitchen notes, history, tips, and, of course, recipes on said vegetable.

Corn is located in the Mid- to Late Summer chapter. The time is now, and the recipes are delicious, so let’s get cooking with corn!

Corn Risotto
There’s corn in the broth in which the rice cooks and corn folded into the risotto at the end.

SERVES 4

Ingredients
1 cup water
Kernels from 3 ears of corn
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups arborio rice
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 shallots, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the kernels from two ears of the corn, cover, and cook until quite tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool slightly. Pour into a blender, and purée.
2. Return the corn purée to the saucepan, and add the chicken broth, wine, sugar, and turmeric. Heat to boiling, then reduce the heat, and let the mixture simmer.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the rice, bell pepper, and shallots, and sauté until the rice looks dry, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add 1 cup of the corn–broth mixture, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding more of the mixture, 1 cup at a time, cooking and stirring after each addition. The liquid should be mostly absorbed before you add the next cup.
5. When all the broth has been added, remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining corn and the basil (add other veggies if desired — see note*). Season with salt and pepper. Cover, and let heat through for about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

*Note: The original recipe called for 1/4 pound of smoked turkey breast, diced. This was added in at step 5 when remaining corn and basil were added. You can also add other cooked or raw vegetables at this stage — grilled zucchini, grilled mushrooms, steamed broccoli, and diced tomatoes come to mind. But really, any vegetable cut to bite-size portions would be a welcome addition.

Pasta with Golden Corn Sauce
In the time it takes to heat the pasta water and cook the pasta, the sauce will be made. The most time-consuming part is stripping the kernels from the corn.

SERVES 4

Ingredients
Kernels from 6 ears of corn
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
Pinch of saffron threads
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup halved or quartered cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound linguine or spaghetti

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
2. Combine the corn, chicken broth, and saffron in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, and simmer until the corn is tender, about 1 minute.
3. Transfer the corn mixture to a blender or food processor, add the cream, and pulse to make a coarse purée. Return the mixture to the saucepan and add the tomatoes and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat.
4. Cook the pasta to just al dente. Drain.
5. Combine the pasta with the sauce in a serving bowl, toss well, and serve immediately.

Note: The original recipe called for 1/4 pound of smoked turkey or ham cut into thin strips. This was added in at step 3 when the tomatoes and basil were added. You can also add other cooked or raw vegetables at this stage — any vegetable cut to bite-size portions.

Recipes adapted from Serving Up the Harvest by Andrea Chesman © 2007, 2009. All rights reserved.

Download the FREE digital edition of Serving Up the Harvest —
download available September 1–30, 2012.

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Meatless Monday posts are my effort to pitch the idea of eating meatless one day or one meal a week — for health, for the well-being of animals, and for the environment. I encourage you to give it a try. I also suggest trying variations of these recipes with the produce you have on hand. Additionally, if you are not yet ready to go a full day meat-free, try using these veggie-packed recipes as the focus of your meal.

Our Meatless Monday Recipe Archives:
Braised Chard Pizza and Farmhouse Salad
Mini Frittatas and Shaved Zucchini Salad
Beet Soup, Roasted Plum Quesadillas, and Peach Kuchen
Garden Vegetable Pasta and Grilled Eggplant-Tomato-Basil-Mozzarella Stacks
Indian Spiced Eggplant and Pad Thai