Montclair Magazine Back to School 2017 | Page 28

flavor Sweet Addition Toss in local New Jersey ingredients for delicious summer dishes Fresh Corn Johnnycakes MAKES 6 JOHNNYCAKES (ENOUGH FOR 2-3 PEOPLE) WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY KATE MORGAN JACKSON Fresh Corn Nachos ne of the great joys of end-of-summer suppers is fresh, sweet, local corn. When you are choosing those perfect ears of corn, there’s no need to pull down the husks to check (that will only make your corn dry out faster). Instead, look for brown, slightly sticky tassels, and husks that are not dried out at all. Store your corn in the fridge, and try to use it within a day or so for maximum deliciousness. While fresh boiled or grilled corn on the cob slathered with butter is one of the very best ways to celebrate summer, with a little extra time you can turn those sweet kernels into a hearty johnnycakes or a simple salsa that also includes some local Jersey tomatoes. Ingredients Kernels sliced from two ears of fresh corn ½ red onion, diced lime juice 3-4 cups tortilla chips 1 cup finely shredded cheddar or Jack cheese 1 avocado, diced ½ cup sour cream Chili powder pinch each of salt and pepper O 26 BACK TO SCHOOL 2017 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE SERVES 4 Directions • Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. • Mix together corn, onion, lime juice, salt and pepper and set aside. • Spread chips in a single layer on baking sheet. • Cover with cheese and bake until cheese is just melted, about 5 minutes. • Remove from oven and cover with corn mixture. • Spread avocado on top. • Dollop with spoonfuls of sour cream and sprinkle with chili powder. Ingredients Kernels cut from 3 ears of corn (about 3 cups), divided 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature ½ cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, plus a little more for garnish ¾ cups flour ½ cup fine ground cornmeal ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder Fresh ground pepper Maple syrup for topping Directions • Using a blender or a food processor, puree 1 ½ cups of the corn kernels, the butter and the buttermilk. • Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the thyme and 1 more cup of the corn kernels (you should have about ½ cup of the corn kernels left over for the garnish, give or take). • Mix the flour, cornmeal, baking soda and baking powder together. • Add the pureed mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Heat an electric griddle to medium high, or put a large skillet over medium high heat with a little butter in it. • Ladle about ¼ cup of batter onto the griddle for each cake. It’s a thick batter, so you can quickly mush it down a little into a pancake shape. • Cook the cakes for about 2 minutes, carefully flip them and cook them for 2 minutes more. • Arrange them in a stack and top them with a modest amount of maple syrup, a scattering of corn kernels, a little fresh thyme and a grinding of fresh pepper. Serve ‘em while they are hot!