Corn Puree with Mushrooms and Burst Tomatoes
Author: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • Corn Puree:
  • 8 ears corn, shucked
  • 3 Tablespoons unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • Optional: Unsweetened, unflavored milk of choice, if needed (sometimes I need it, sometimes I don’t; I like almond or oat)
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  • Topping:
  • 2 Tablespoons unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound shiitake mushrooms or any kind, wiped clean with a damp paper towel, sliced thinly
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Fresh thyme (basil and chives would be fabulous, too)
  • Sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
  1. Cut the kernels over a large bowl, then use the dull end of the knife to scrape any juice from the cob into the bowl. You will have about 4 cups of corn. Discard the cobs or save them to make corn stock (see notes). Add the freshly cut corn and any juices into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. A blender will give you a smoother consistency than a food processor.
  2. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and when warm, add the pureed corn, salt, and turmeric. Cook, stirring constantly, until the corn has thickened to the consistency of polenta, about 8 minutes. Taste for seasoning and thin out with a couple drops of milk if needed. Cover and keep off the heat. You can make this an hour or two in advance, reheat gently and add milk to thin it out if needed.
  3. To make the topping, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and when warm, add the mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms soften, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, thyme, and 2 big pinches of salt plus pepper to taste. Cook tomatoes, stirring, until they start to lose their shape, about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve over corn puree.
Notes
Corn cobs can be used to make corn stock.
Place corn cobs in a stock pot with plenty of water. You can also add a quartered onion, garlic clove, handful of parsley stems, and two celery stalks for extra flavor. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hour. Strain the stock and use immediately or allow it to cool before storing in the refrigerator or freezer.
Corn stock is great for recipes where you would use vegetable stock, such as soup, rice or risotto.
Topping options can be anything from spicy shrimp, scallops, sautéed peppers, zucchini or other cooked veggies.
Recipe by Pamela Salzman at https://pamelasalzman.com/corn-puree-with-mushrooms-and-burst-tomatoes-recipe/