Week 9: Sauteed Corn, Kale Chips

When sweet corn is in season it really doesn't take much to make it taste delicious.  In fact, my son usually eats an ear or two of it raw as he "helps" me shuck it for dinner.  While I love to simply grill or steam it and enjoy it straight off the cob, I have so many recipes involving corn that I can scarcely get through them before the end of corn season.  Corn salads, corn chowders, corn pudding, cornbread (try adding fresh corn kernels to the cornmeal batter!), even a sweet corn ice cream.   Last night I decided to saute the corn, but wanted to ramp up the flavor just a bit.  A bit of lime and jalapeno, a sprinkle of Manchego cheese, and a new favorite was created.  As usual, the recipe can be changed to suit your taste.  Swap cilantro for the basil, try Parmesan or Cotija (the Mexican version of Parmesan) instead of the Manchego, it is up to you.  I served it with grilled chicken breasts marinated with lime juice and basil, and some purple beans.

Sauteed Corn with Lime & Manchego

-4 to 5 ears of corn, shucked, kernels cut from cob
-2 to 3 jalapeno peppers, seeds and membranes removed, chopped fine
-1 medium onion, chopped
-2 limes, juiced and zested
-1/2 cup chopped basil
-1/2 cup grated Manchego cheese
-2 to 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
-salt & pepper

Heat oil or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute until translucent.  Add jalapeno, cook one minute.  Add corn, season with salt & pepper.  Saute about 5 minutes, until corn is brightly colored and still crisp.  Remove from heat, stir in lime juice, zest, and basil.  Sprinkle with cheese.

It always makes me laugh when I see a recipe for Kale Chips that claims, "make these the next time your craving potato chips."  Seriously? What potato chips have you been eating lately?  While I don't think the thin, crispy leaves are going to satisfy your chip craving, I do think they are a good healthier alternative to serve with sandwiches at dinner.  I served them tonight alongside sausage & peppers sandwiches, using the sweet Italian sausage and hot block peppers from this week's CSA delivery.  It seems as though there are a gazillion recipes for Kale Chips out there, but they are all basically the same.  Try adding some crushed red pepper or dried herbs for some variety.  Next time I get some mustard greens I might try this recipe on those as well.

Kale Chips

-1 bunch of kale
-Olive oil
-Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wash and dry kale leaves, remove tough stems and tear large leaves into smaller pieces.  Toss with just enough olive oil to lightly coat (I do this directly on the sheet pan).  Lay in a single layer on a large sheet pan and sprinkle with salt.  Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes, checking frequently to make sure they don't burn. 

Coming up in this week's meal plan:

Tuesday:  Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes & Basil

Wednesday:  Leftovers/Clear the fridge night

Thursday: Happy Birthday to my Mom!  Tangy Green Gazpacho, Jalapeno Shrimp, Crusty Bread & Cheese, Blackberry Buttermilk Cake

As for the remaining items in this week's CSA delivery, the peaches and apricots were devoured within two days by my boys, as were the green beans.  Eggs were served on sandwiches with sliced tomatoes and lettuce for lunch, and the rest were hard-boiled for snacks.  So I've cruised through this week's contents pretty quickly.  Almost half-way through the CSA season and I can't say I've been disappointed, plus peak harvest season is still to come! Pin It