Aug 03 2013
Corn Stew over Creamy Polenta
Be Corny!
Summer in the Midwest means lots of sweet corn. Inspired by the lovely yellow cob, I created this stew recipe to embrace the flavor of these delicious golden kernels. Serve it over polenta and its double the corn power!
Corn Stew over Creamy Polenta
Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup coarse cornmeal
4 1/2 cups of vegetable broth
3 ears of corn
1 bell pepper
1 medium red onion
1/2 cup grape tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 fresno chili pepper or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil
Boil the corn for 10 minutes and simmer for another 10. Allow to cool before removing kernels and pulp with a knife.
Chop the peppers, onion, garlic, and basil. Slice the grape tomatoes in half.
In a medium heated sauté pan pour the olive oil and add the chopped onion. Let it sweat out for a couple minutes and add the peppers until they’ve all softened. Add the oregano and thyme. Finally, add the grape tomatoes, corn, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. After a couple minutes, add 1 cup of vegetable broth. Bring to boil; then reduce to simmer for about 10 minutes.
Bring 3 1/2 cups of vegetable broth to a boil. Gradually, add the cornmeal with one hand and whisk with the other. The whole process will take 15-20 minutes, so be patient. Once it’s creamy and no longer grainy, stir in the vegan butter, season it with salt and pepper and ladle some in a bowl, top with the corn stew, and garnish with fresh basil.
Bon Appetit!