Raspberry Corn Muffins

This will likely be the last raspberry recipe until next year. We feel fortunate to have enjoyed such abundance.

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Raspberry Corn Muffins

Source: food52
Yield: 14-18 muffins


1 1/2 c flour (all purpose or substitute white wheat for half)
1 c granulated sugar
3/4 c cornmeal
1 T baking powder (or a scant T at high altitudes)
3/4 teas salt
2 eggs
1/2 c unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c milk
1/2 sour cream
1 pint fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare muffin tins with paper liners, butter, or cooking spray. In a large bowl mix dry ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, butter, and milk. Stir into dry ingredients and mix well for about 1 minute. Stir in sour cream until mostly incorporated. Gently fold in the raspberries.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 c full. Bake for 20-25 minutes (depending on your oven, it took about 17 minutes today). Test with a toothpick, making sure it comes out clean. Remove from oven; after 5 minutes place on cooling rack. Eat while warm or at room temperature.

Zucchini Ribbons and Almond Pesto Salad

With some strategic placement of old sheets and assorted other row covers, I was able to keep below freezing temperatures from totally wiping out my zucchini plants. Unlike many who may be tired of zucchini production by now, I'm still happy to have a harvest since I didn't plant my seeds until August (in a successful attempt to thwart squash bugs). Here is one more zucchini recipe to enjoy this growing season as well as those in the future.

 

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Zucchini Ribbons and Almond Pesto Salad

Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman
Serves 4

1/2 c almonds, toasted and cooled
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
pinch red pepper flakes
2 T lemon juice
1/4 teas salt
1/3 c olive oil
2 pds medium zucchini, trimmed (longer squash are better)

Grind the almonds, Parmesan, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a food processor until they are finely chopped. Add the lemon juice, salt and olive oil and pulse a few times, until combined. Pour the dressing in the bottom of a large salad bowl, and turn the bowl so the dressing rolls up and around the sides of the bowl.

Using a vegetable peeler (a Y-peeler or a mandolin work best, but any peeler will do) slice the zucchini into ribbons about 1/16 of an inch thick. Work from the top to bottom of each zucchini. Place the ribbons in the dressing-coated bowl.

Toss the ribbons gently with your hands, attempting to coat the zucchini as evenly as possible. Serve at room temperature. The longer the salad sits out, the more relaxed the ribbons will be. I think this is better when the ribbons are on the crisp side.

Fruit Crisp

Before fruit season is completely over, here's a delicious crisp. I love the cardamom in it. The source is lost in the sands of time, but I'm glad the recipe itself isn't!

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Fruit Crisp

Yields a 9x13 pan of crisp, but the recipe is easily halved and baked in an 8x8 pan

8-9 c sliced, peeled cooking apples, pears, peaches (or frozen unsweetened peach slices), or apricots
4-6 T granulated sugar
1 c regular rolled oats
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c packed brown sugar
1 teas cinnamon
1/2 teas ground cardamom
1/2 c butter
1 c nuts of your choice (walnuts are a good bet)

Preheat oven to 375F. Place fruit in a 9x13 baking dish. Stir in the granulated sugar.

Combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, and spices. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts. Sprinkle topping over filling.

Bake crisp for approximately 40 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is golden. Serve with vanilla ice cream. 

Lemon Chiffon Pie

I'm enjoying a deluge of berries so I'm always on the lookout for desserts that can be enhanced by either raspberries or strawberries. Recently I watched an episode of America's Test Kitchen which featured this lemon pie which I imagined would go well with some berries, either sliced or macerated. I was right.

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Lemon Chiffon Pie

This recipe uses raw egg whites in the filling. You may wish to purchase pasteurized eggs or egg whites if you feel concerned about serving raw egg whites.

Source: America's Test Kitchen
Serves: 8-10

For the crust:

9 whole graham crackers (or 12 digestive biscuits)
3 T sugar
1/8 teas salt
5 T unsalted butter, melted

Heat oven to 325F. Process graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground. You should have 1 1/4 cups crumbs. Add sugar and salt and pulse to combine. Add melted butter and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Place the crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate. Press crumbs evenly into bottom and up the sides of the plate. Bake until crust is lightly browned, 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

For the filling:

1 teas unflavored gelatin, divided
4 T water, divided
5 large eggs (2 whole, 3 separated)
1 1/4 c sugar, divided
1 T cornstarch
1/8 teas salt
1 T grated lemon zest plus 3/4 c juice (you may want to mix the two so you don't forget the zest)
1/4 c heavy cream
4 oz cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and softened to room temperature

Sprinkle 1/2 teas gelatin over 2 T water in a small bowl and let sit until gelatin has softened, about 5 minutes.  Repeat with a second small bowl, letting 1/2 teas gelatin dissolve in 2 T water.

Whisk 2 eggs and 3 yolks in a saucepan . Add 1 c sugar, cornstarch, and salt and stir well. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice and heavy cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened and is slightly translucent. The mixture should measure about 170F. Stir in one water/gelatin mixture until dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 2 minutes.

Remove 1 1/4 c curd from the pan and pour it through a fine-mesh strainer placed over a bowl. (This will ensure the curd is completely smooth.) Do not wash the bowl or the strainer. Carefully pour the strained curd into the prepared pie shell and spread into an even layer. Place in the freezer.

Add the remaining gelatin/water mixture and the cream cheese to the remaining curd in the saucepan and whisk to combine. If the curd has cooled and the cream cheese doesn't melt, place the pan on very low heat and continue stirring until the cream cheese is incorporated. Pour this mixture through the strainer into the bowl.

Whip 3 egg whites on medium-low (best in a stand mixer, but a hand mixer will work, too) until foamy and add the remaining 1/4 c sugar, raising the speed of the mixer to medium-high . Whip until egg whites are glossy and stiff. Add the curd/cream cheese mixture and whip on medium speed until few streaks remain. Scrape the sides of the bowl and stir the mixture until no streaks remain. Remove the pie shell from the freezer and pour the chiffon over the curd, allowing the chiffon to mound a bit in the center. Refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 2 days before serving.

Serve with fresh berries and berry coulis or macerate berries for a few hours before serving. I'm sure this would be equally good with blackberries or blueberries.

Corn Risotto

In my region, we are just about done with corn-on-the cob season; darn it. This is the last thing I made with fresh corn. I think it could be made with a high quality frozen corn, but I haven't done it so I can't be sure. I imagine that some of the nice crunch from fresh corn would be lost.

This would probably be prettier with yellow corn rather than white.

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Corn Risotto

Most recipes for risotto, including this one require a lot of attention while stirring in the small increments of liquid. Cook's Illustrated Magazine has a technique for avoiding the more labor intensive method. Check it out.

Source: The New York Times
Serves: 4-6

This recipe calls for making a stock out of the corn cobs which might seem like it would take too long. However, when I made it the stock simmered away as I gathered ingredients and prepped before beginning. I felt the extra effort worthwhile since the homemade stock intensifies the corn flavor. If you prefer to streamline, low-sodium chicken broth would taste great, too.

For the stock:

2 corn cobs (kernels cut off and saved for risotto)
1 onion, quartered
1 carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 celery rib, cut into 1-inch pieces
Dark green leaves from 1 leek (save the white and light green)
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 teas salt
1 teas whole black peppercorns
6 c water

Combine all ingredients with water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cover; let cook for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh  strainer. Add enough water to bring liquid back to 6 cups. Keep warm.

For the risotto:

2 T unsalted butter
1 leek, white and light green parts, rinsed and finely chopped
1 teas kosher salt or 3/4 teas table salt
1/4 teas pepper, freshly ground if you have it
1 c arborio rice, worth looking for because other rices just aren't starchy enough
1/2 c dry white wine (see note)
6 cups hot corn stock or chicken stock
1 1/2 c raw corn kernels (cut from approximately 2 years of corn)
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c heavy cream
2 T minced chives (optional)
2 T basil, cut in very thin strips, (or chiffonade)

Melt 1 T butter in a saute pan or large saucepan over medium low-heat. Add leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned. Add salt and pepper. Stir in rice and cook while stirring, until grains look slightly translucent.

Pour in the wine and cook, stirring, until it has been absorbed, a couple of minutes.

Add a 1/2-3/4 c (or a ladle full) of hot stock to the rice mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Continue cooking while stirring continuously, adding another portion of stock whenever the risotto looks dry. When half the stock has been added, stir in the corn. (If you use frozen corn, you may want to wait until 3/4 of the stock has been added.) Continue cooking until all of the stock has been incorporated and corn is tender. The rice should be creamy and tender with a little resistance to the bite.

Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan and remaining tablespoon of butter. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. If it has thickened, you can add a small amount of hot water or stock to loosen it.

Whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks. Stir the risotto and adjust seasoning if needed. Immediately before serving, stir in the chives, if using, then gently fold in the cream. (To tell the truth, I'm not sure what purpose is served by whipping the cream before stirring it in. I predict that stirring in liquid cream would be just as tasty a bit faster. Serve topped with basil.

Note: If you prefer to keep your cooking alcohol free, make a substitute such as this: mix 3 parts white grape juice with 1 part white wine vinegar. Of the various suggestions, I believe this sounds best.