Corn salad

I work from home. During the week, I got hungry for lunch, opened the fridge, assessed its nearly empty contents, and decided to walk to a nearby restaurant. Arriving after the lunch rush, I waited to be seated. I watched patiently as the two servers on staff walked back and forth across the restaurant with no hostess in sight. The restaurant operates like restaurant + market. One can dine in, shop for specialty ingredients, or order take out from the deli counter. As I stood waiting for a table, I looked towards the deli counter where three staff members were behind the counter, performing different tasks. One was helping their only customer in line. The other two were putting food away.

A few minutes passed. I looked again to the open dining area, the "please wait to be seated" sign, and the staff members. I waited. Was I waiting in the right area? Yes. I didn't disturb anyone, but as I waited and attempted eye contact, I grew annoyed. Even as I was standing there, I was the waitstaff's responsibility, a separate customer.  I waited a bit longer, then turned around and left. I can ignore myself at home. I won't be going back there anytime soon.

On the walk home, I picked up a baguette, and pulled out the remaining fridge contents. I had a crusty container of goat cheese, and a ziplock of corn and cucumber salad leftovers. On the counter, a sole ripe tomato waited, along with some freshly made za'atar.  Most of my lunches are scrambles like this, but the amazing part is that they end up always tasting good and filling me up. This za'atar recipe is really excellent. The za'atar has been topped on pizza, roasted pumpkin squash, yogurt, and has been added to cream cheese on toast. It is an addiction. This was the start:


A nice lunch:

I've made this corn salad several times over the summer. The sweet creamy corn kernels taste excellent paired with freshly grated parmesan cheese and flaky sea salt. Another time, lemon juice, basil, olive oil, and cucumbers were added. I cook the cobs in the pressure cooker. They cook in 4 minutes, and the pressure release time is only 1-2 additional minutes. The cobs come out of the cooker looking golden and steamy. Cooked to perfection. The best part of the cooker, is that multiple cobs can be cooked at once. Trim them in half if they don't fit.


Option 1: Corn and parmesan salad


Option 2: Corn and cucumber salad with basil

Summer corn salad, two ways
Yield: enough to feed 4 people as a side, or 2 main large portions

Option 1: Corn and parmesan salad 
Ingredients:
2 corn on the cobs, cooked and shucked
olive oil, your finest and generous pour
freshly grated parmesan
Flaked sea salt + freshly ground pepper

Option 2: Corn and cucumber salad with basil
Ingredients:
2 corn on the cobs, cooked and shucked
olive oil, your finest and generous pour
2 tbsp of fresh basil cut in chiffonade or finely sliced
Fresh lemon juice from 1/2 a small lemon
1/2 cup sliced cucumbers, cut in quarters; peel if waxy.
Flaked sea salt + freshly ground pepper

Special tools: large chef's knife, cutting board, pressure cooker (small pan or large pan fine), mixing bowl.

Directions:
Step 1:  Peel the husks off the corn and trim the ends if they extend over the cooker diameter. Place the trivet on the bottom of the pressure cooker and add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the cooker. Place the naked cobs on top and close the lid. Bring the pressure cooker to high pressure and cook 4 minutes. When time is up, use the natural release method to bring the pressure down.

Step 2: Once done cooking, remove the cooked corn to a plate or cutting board to cool off to handle. Shuck the corn and place the corn in a medium mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and serve immediately.

Za'atar in spice jars

I hoard spices. I do. Every so often, I set out to make spice mixes. Recently, I picked up Bryant Terry's new cookbook: Afro-Vegan. The cookbook is awesome. I've already bookmarked many recipes. This is an example of one of six dry spice blends featured in the book. Earlier this week, I took out my big box of spices and set out to make za'atar and blackened seasoning. Za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend of thyme, oregano, and sumac. The sumac gives it tang. Terry's book is loaded with many song recommendations; they accompany the title on each page. After reading through Afro-Vegan,  I went and found the playlist on Spotify. Then, I hit play, and got to work. 

With Mother's Day coming up, I thought this would make a nice gift for mom (or a great Father's Day gift, or really - any occasion). I repurposed some old spice jars, and used a stamp and paper to make labels. The labels are just strips of nicer paper cut to about 1.75" (4.5 cm) wide by 5.5" (14 cm) long. I hoard stamps too, and liked this "Destination" stamp as a label for the contents and the date. I wrote the ingredients on the side. Once the labels are ready, I affixed the labels to the jar with clear packaging tape. 

I like to use za'atar on pita bread. Coat the pita bread with a bit of olive oil and salt. Sprinkle on the za'atar and toast until just barely crispy. In high school, I used to baby sit and tutor for a Lebanese family. They always served me this in the mornings. I can still remember getting a steamy thick small coffee and pita bread with za'atar. In the past, I've used za'atar in spinach veggie burgers, on roasted potatoes, over a sunny-side up egg, and for tofu kebab skewers. 

Za'atar

Recipe from Bryant Terry's Afro-Vegan cookbook.

Yield: about 4.5 oz, or enough to fill up 2 spice jars

Ingredients:

3 tbsp dried thyme

2 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp sumac

1 tsp cumin seeds, ground

1 tbsp sesame seeds (I used a mixture of black and white seeds)

ground black pepper

Directions:

Toast the cumin and sesame seeds. Once hot add them to a bowl and let them cool off slightly. To the same bowl add all of the herbs and black pepper. Grind them in a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. Store in an airtight container, away from direct sunlight, or refrigerate.  

Spinach burgers

There have been so many variations on the spinach veggie burgers that I never consult the recipe anymore. The original recipe called for so much oil that I tweaked it many times to get a healthier version. I had two leeks sitting on top of the fridge, and the remnants of a several days old baguette which helped me incorporate the two in the dish.

First wash and drain the spinach several times (a baby or young spinach is ideal). I use a huge bowl and place half the spinach in it. I fill the bowl with cold water and gradually shake the spinach with my hands to loosen the grit or any dirt. I drain twice. Filling up a watering can is a good option to reuse the water e.g. houseplants or garden. 

While the spinach is cooking make some homemade breadcrumbs. Remember that big bowl? Give it a good rinse and dry it thoroughly. Get out a box grater and grate the baguette stump over it. You can use the wide holes or the super pointy scratchy ones.

Wash the leeks well. Cut them into 4" segments, cut them again lengthwise and fan the layers through water ensuring that you wash the grit out. Save the rest (prepped) as you can quickly make leeks in white wine with provencal herbs.

Spinach leek feta (veggie) burgers with Za'atar and homemade breadcrumbs
Adapted from Kate's Mainly Veggie Blog Greek spinach veggie burgers
Yield: 4 servings; 8 patties, 2 per person

Ingredients:

1 large bag young spinach
olive oil, enough for pan frying, and about 2 tbsp for the burger "batter"
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup of chopped leeks (white part only)

1/2 cup or less feta cheese, crumbled

1-1/2 cup breadcrumbs (see homemade breadcrumbs post below)

1-2 tbsp dried basil

1/2 tsp of red chili flakes (more or less to taste)

1-2 tbsp of prepared Za'atar (or use the recipe here)

1 tsp salt

1 egg, mixed roughly

Directions:
Take the washed spinach and place it a large pot (like the kind to boil pasta). Heat it up over medium-low heat and turn it several times until it wilts down. It will reduce in volume almost 4 x the amount. Once it is done, turn the heat off and remove to a plate (along with it's juices). Meanwhile, heat up a the large pot and make sure the water bakes off. Once hot, add in 1 tbsp of olive oil, add the leeks and saute 5 minutes. Once fragrant stir in garlic and spinach (along with it's juices). Let the water cook off and turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, to the breadcrumbs in a large bowl, add in 1-2 tbsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp or less of red chili flakes, 2 tbsp of za'atar, 1 tsp salt and stir everything together. Stop. Smell it, does it need anything else?  Honestly it smells like pepperoni. Don't ask me why.

To the breadcrumbs add some crumbled feta cheese, the spinach and leek mixture (make sure it's cool enough to handle) and stir to combine. I use my hands. When it's warm enough for your hands add in the egg and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil and combine everything until it becomes a wet mixture. It will hold up well enough to shape and place in a cast iron pan.

Heat up a cast iron pan over medium heat. To the pan pour in 1-2 tbsp of oil. Shape patties with your hand and place in the pan, cooking 5-6 minutes per side.  The patties are done when golden on each side. I suggest serving 2 patties with quinoa cooked in vegetable broth and leeks simmered in white wine.

Homemade bread crumbs
Shredding a stump of a dried out days-old baguette over a box grater is a fabulous, cheap, and resourceful way to obtain bread crumbs. If you buy bread everyday (such as is widely done in Europe) you'll know what I'm talking about with a day (or two) old very dry baguette.

Use at least a 5-7" stump of a dried out baguette to yield 1-1/2 cups bread crumbs. Shredding it over the wider holes gives the breadcrumbs a panko-like texture (hello awesome), and using those horrid spikes on the back gives you fine breadcrumbs and a decent arm workout. Season with a bit of salt or herbs. If not using that same day, store in a airtight container in the freezer.

Using a food processor would work as well. Someone comment below if you use a food processor to make breadcrumbs. You've never made breadcrumbs. Sheesh. Get to work.