Summer's Bounty Quinoa

Summer is definitely one of my favorite times to cook because the quality and quantity of so many fruits and vegetables are at their peak. I received a large bunch of basil in my CSA box recently and wanted to come up with another way to use it besides in pasta. I ended up using quinoa as the base of the dish, combining it with a basil puree, and adding cherry tomatoes, corn, romano beans (similar to green beans, but slightly flatter and bigger), red onion, and some feta. The result was a flavorful, satisfying, healthy, and very summery dish that was equally good warm or at room temperature.

Summer's Bounty Quinoa

Serves 4 as a main dish, 6-8 as a side

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

1 c. quinoa

2 c. water

2 c. packed fresh basil leaves

1 clove garlic, minced

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Black pepper

2 ears white corn, kernels cut off the cob

1 large red onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced

1 lb. romano beans or green beans, ends snapped or trimmed off, then chopped

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 c. feta cheese, crumbled

Put the quinoa and water into a medium sized saucepan, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, prep the vegetables. Then, in a large skillet, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add the red onion and a pinch of salt and saute for about 7-10 minutes, or until softened. Set aside in a medium-sized bowl and cover with foil or a kitchen towel. Return the skillet to heat, add the corn and a pinch of salt and saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring, then remove from the pan and set aside in the bowl with the onion. In a small saucepan, bring some water to a boil for the beans. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then drain and add to the bowl with the onion and corn.

Add the basil, garlic, 1/2 t. kosher salt and 1/8 t. black pepper (or, a few grinds) to a food processor. Measure out 1/4 c. olive oil. Start the food processor, then slowly add in the olive oil until it comes together.  

When the quinoa is done, add the basil puree and stir to combine. Then, add in the reserved onion, corn, and beans as well as the tomatoes and feta and stir to combine. Season to taste for additional salt and pepper, garnish with a sprig of basil (if you have any left over) and serve.

Summer Corn "Chowder"

The corn around here in Northern California has just started to come into season and I've been thinking of new ways to use what is possibly one of my favorite vegetables. I've done corn salad, corn salsa, cornbread, you name it, but never tried corn chowder. One of the things that has held me back is that they tend to always be quite heavy and cream-laden, which is not exactly what you want in the middle of the summer. I found a recipe in my Outstanding in the Field cookbook which brought up the notion that corn has so much flavor and a creamy consistency on its own that you don't really need cream. I took the basis of that idea and came up with my own (easier) version, which I think is now certainly one of my favorite soups - and I really like soup.

Summer Corn "Chowder"

Serves 6

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

6 ears corn (white or yellow, whichever looks best)

1 large yellow onion

1 carrot, small diced

1 1/2 lb. yukon gold or fingerling potatoes, peeled and diced

1 t. dried summer savory

2 bay leaves

5 c. water

Kosher salt

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 T. butter

Creme fraiche, for serving

Chopped chives, for serving

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large stockpot or dutch oven or medium heat. Once the butter melts and starts to foam, add the onion and a pinch of salt. Saute for about 5 minutes or until softened and translucent. Add the carrot and saute another 3-5 minutes until it starts to soften. Add the potatoes, corn, and summer savory and saute for 2 minutes. Add the water, bay leaves and 2 t. kosher salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low/medium-low and simmer for about 40 minutes until the potatoes are cooked. Then, either use a hand immersion blender to blend the soup slightly so that you end up with some smoothness and still some chunkiness, or take about half of the soup out of the pot and pulse in a blender or food processor until pureed slightly. Return to pot if you used a blender/food processor, stir, ladle into bowls, and if you'd like to do as I did, top with just a little creme fraiche and chives (these are already stirred in in the picture above).