Corn, Je t'adore!

Bowl o' Cornbread Salad

So I realize that we are heading into the autumn season and I should be thinking about pumpkins, squash, and apples. However, I have fallen head over heels for corn over the past few weeks. It's like I have suddenly woken up and discovered this delicious summer vegetable at the very end of summer.  And not just the vegetable, mind you. No, I am excited for cornbread and corn muffins too! I recently made a delicious Cornbread Salad - a variation on several recipes.  And tonight I created a variation on a recipe I found, Pancetta Polenta with a Tomato Balsamic Compote. It. Was. Delish. (not to toot my own horn or anything)


While I love cookbooks, food blogs, etc, I don't like recipes. The same way I never enjoyed coloring in the lines. I love to experiment, to mix and match ingredients. And also, because I am usually cooking for myself, I like one-pan recipes - simple and easy to clean up.


So if you are corn lovers, here are the aforementioned "recipes":

Cornbread Salad (for 1 w/ leftovers or 2 people)

2 large pieces of cornbread or corn muffins, torn and crumbled
1 can of black beans, drained
1/2 cucumber, diced
1 pepper, any color, diced
1 green onion, chopped
1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded
A smidge of ranch dressing

Mix and ENJOY!

Pancetta Polenta w/ Tomato Basil Compote (for 1 w/ leftovers or 2 people)
I was inspired by this recipe from The Yellow House (awesome DC food blog)

2 tablespoons of butter
1 shallot, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 package of pancetta, diced
2 cans of white corn (or corn sliced off the cob)
1 large tomato, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette (or however much you would like)

Heat medium-size pan and add butter until melted
Add minced shallot and garlic and sautee for a minute or two
Add pancetta and let cook until slightly brown
Add corn and stir mixture until corn starts to get mushy, almost like a lumpy pudding but still delicious
Season with salt and pepper (not too much salt due to the pancetta)
Toss the diced tomatoes with the balsamic vinaigrette and salt and pepper

Dish up the polenta and sprinkle the compote on top or just mix it all together - whatever you want!!