December Project: Vegetables

I know corn salad on Christmas Day doesn't necessarily scream festive or seasonal, but that's what the Teo clan dined on for our Christmas lunch. Ha! 

I first busted out this recipe in the Summer when my friends and I took our picnic basket to Griffith Park to watch Shakespeare in the Park (A midsummer Night's Dream). This corn salad really epitomizes the freshness of Summer (or Christmas, if you're a Teo?). The sweet corn kernels merry well with the tangy tomatoes and kick of red onions, while the balsamic vinegar adds a nice caramel acidity. 

Ingredients

8 ears of corn
2 quarts cherry tomatoes ( I used baby heirloom tomatoes the first time and then those yellow ones for Christmas)
3 tablespoons high-quality balsamic vinegar
1 medium red onion
1 quart sugar snap peas (Optional)
1 handful rough-chopped basil or flat-leaf parsley (Optional)
salt, preferably a large, coarse sea salt like Maldon.
pepper

Directions 

1. The recipe calls for you to strip raw corn from ears, but I par-boiled mine first for 3-4 minutes since I am not a huge fan of raw corn.

2. Slice all tomatoes in half or quarters depending on your preference. Chop the red onion into a large dice. If using the sugar-snap peas (they can be hard to find when the corn and tomatoes are available -- their seasons barely overlap, and even then you're likely getting corn and tomatoes from the south and sugar snaps from the North.) Anyway, if you're using them, cut in half or thirds to make more bite-sized. Blanch these briefly in salted boiling water. Rough chop the basil or parsley if you are using them.

3. Toss all vegetables in a bowl, along with the vinegar, salt and pepper. That's it!

Serves 4

Recipe from Food 52

Marinated Mozzarella in Crème Fraîche with Lemon

I surprised myself the other day by making this marinated mozzarella for a snack. I must say that this dish was really quite lovely and the marinate transforms a lovely piece of mozzarella cheese into something really special. The lemon juice really brought out the tang of the crème fraîche and leftovers were perfect on top of a piece of baked cod.

Ingredients:

4 balls of buffalo mozzarella

6 heaped tablespoons of crème fraîche

sea salt and pepper

1 lemon

fresh marjoram leaves

fresh chilies

4 tablespoons of EVOO

Directions:

1. Slice the buffalo mozzarella into 1/2 inch slices. Place on dish and smear the crème fraîche over the cheese. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

2. Wash and peel a lemon with a vegetable peeler and finely chop half the rind. Sprinkle this over the mozzarella and crème fraîche. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon and reserve the rest in case the flavor needs tweeking.

4. Sprinkle a handful of fresh marjoram leaves

5. Halve, deseed and finely slice a couple of fresh chilies and sprinkle over the mozzarella. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over the dish and serve.

Makes 4 servings. Leftovers will keep for a couple of days in the fridge and are scrumptious on a piece of baked cod (Pre-heat over to 425 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes).

Recipe courtesy of Jamie Oliver from Happy Days with the Naked Chef.