Mid-summer is the most glorious time for enjoying local fruits and vegetables- especially berries, tomatoes and corn. Of course, I enjoy all the other fresh bounty from the garden and fields as well. But mid-July is an EXCRUCIATING time for me because I am impatiently waiting for local corn. I’m talking newly-picked-that-day-still-warm-and-moist-from-the-vine-corn. On the East Coast, we are getting corn from New Jersey and western Massachusetts, but that’s not FRESH ENOUGH for me.

Still, I see the ears of corn in the local farmer’s market and they call to me… “Nina, eat me!!”
So last week I bought some and developed a recipe for Smoky Grilled Sesame Corn for the new cookbook that I’m writing.. It was so good that I used the leftovers and created another new recipe for Smoky Corn and Red Pepper Salsa. I discovered that you can camouflage the flavor of “almost fresh enough” corn by grilling it!!  My friend, Jaime Dominguez, who is a great cook, was visiting from San Francisco with his family and  taught me the easiest way to grill corn on the cob. I previously thought I had it perfected, but Jaime showed me how to make it taste even smokier.

These two recipes are the first of many that I will share from the new book. The working title is “Simple Asian Meals” and the recipes are EASY, DELICIOUS, and ACCESSIBLE. They reflect the way I cook at home and how I deal with the daily dilemma of “What to make for dinner?”  Yes, even though I’m a cookbook author, I deal with this boring issue every day just like everyone else. Although, its so much easier  now when local products are so inspiring.

The majority of the recipes in the new book are meal-in-one dishes. Smoky Grilled Sesame Corn and the Smoky Corn and  Red Pepper Salsa are from the chapter titled “Easy Sides” which accompany the “Asian Grill” recipes. “Easy Side” dishes can also be served with pan-fried, stir-fried, grilled, or steamed foods and include  Spicy Fennel Slaw,  Sake-Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Roasted Cherry Tomato Cilantro  Salsa, and Vietnamese Cole Slaw with Dill.

Enjoy the recipes and celebrate my favorite time of year!!

Nina

Photo from: www.howstuffworks.com/corn.htm

Rachel Ray recently flashed her toothy grin to promote a topic more pressing than the latest 30-minute meal. She lobbied Congress to increase the budget for healthy school lunches.

FYI, the “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010”, (a retooling of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966), passed the Senate with a $4.5 billion increase for school lunches over the next ten years. Sounds pretty good, huh? Unfortunately, it is shockingly short of the $10 billion over 10 years that the Obama Administration had suggested. Food advocates also agree that this amount is necessary for a true, healthy overhaul of the nation’s school lunch program.

It is time for change: Under the current requirements potatoes-even in the sorry form of soggy French fries- count as a vegetable. Your voice needs to be heard in order to make these reforms a reality. Here’s what you can do:

• Write or call your state representative and ask them to support greater increases to the school lunch reforms We’re hoping for an increase of 70 cents to $1. To contact your representative call the capitol switchboard at 1-800-815-3740 and ask for your state’s representative.

• Join Jamie Oliver’s revolutionary Food Revolution. Sign the petition here!

• Most importantly, make yourself aware of the issues. Check out the work

Renegade Lunch Lady, Ann Cooper, is doing: http://www.chefann.com/.

Let’s all help promote change and make it a reality.

Cheers,

Joanna

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Nibbles for six

Cantonese cooks have devised this master marinade for “quick-pickling” vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, or turnips. You can re-use the marinade by adding more vegetables.

8 slices fresh ginger, about the size of a quarter, smashed with the flat edge of a knife or cleaver

1 cup clear rice vinegar

1 cup sugar

1 ½ pounds package baby carrots

¾ pound parsnips

1. Mix together the ginger, rice vinegar, and sugar in a large bowl, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

2. Peel the parsnips and roll-cut into ½-inch sections, cutting the vegetables, on the diagonal, rolling half a turn, and cutting again. Cut the thicker section of the parsnip in half. Add the pieces to the bowls with the carrots and toss lightly to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours, tossing occasionally or overnight for more flavor. Serve chilled. (These will keep for at least 1 week in the refrigerator.)

© Nina Simonds 2008.

Grilled Sea Scallops With Spicy Green Sauce

The green herb sauce in this dish is our spin on Moroccan charmoula, which is typically served with seafood. We love it not just because it’s delicious, but also because it’s a perfect example of how strong, aggressive flavors can match up very well with seafood, promoting the subtle flavor of the fish rather than overpowering it. To expand the concept, we enliven the large sea scallops we use here with a cumin-coriander crust.

Serves 4

2 lbs (900g) large sea scallops (about 24 scallops)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

For the sauce:
¾ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 garlic loves, peeled
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Build a fire in your grill. When the coals are ignited, the fire has died down, and the temperature is hot, you’re ready to cook.

Combine all of the sauce ingrediencts in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl and set aside.

Combine the scallops, olive oil, cumin, coriander, paprika, and salt and pepper in a large bowl; toss gently until the scallops are evenly coated with the other ingredients. Put the scallops on the grill over the coals and cook until just opaque through (3-4 minutes per side). To check for doneness, cut into one of the scallops to be sure it is opaque all the way through.

To serve, divide the scallops among 4 plates and drizzle with the sauce. Pass the remaining sauce on the side.

© 2008 Grill It!: Recipes, Techniques, Tools by Chris Schlesinger & John Willoughby

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