A Summer Soup Break

A few summers ago to be "healthier," I tried to cut corn out of my summer cooking repertoire. What a mistake. Fresh sweet corn offers a special taste of summer goodness that it turns out is actually pretty good for you.

So with a leftover cob and another whole one in the fridge, I thought I'd try my hand at a little chicken and corn soup. Also leftover? Two strips of bacon whose compatriots made my quiche of last week so tasty and the sole survivor of a 3-breast chicken package.

Put it all together and you have a wonderfully rich summer-time lunch. I usually lean on lighter cuisine when the weather is so steamy, but sometimes having something that's not too heavy but still hearty is a nice change of pace.

Corn and Chicken Soup

2 strips smoked bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 large onion, diced

2 small potatoes, diced

1 corn cob (leftover, no kernels)

1 whole corn cob

2 cups 1 % milk

1 chicken breast

5-6 leaves basil

Salt

In a larger sauce pan or dutch oven, over high heat start to cook bacon pieces. When they begin to crisp up, add the diced onion and potato. Cook, stirring, until onions are translucent and potatoes are slightly tender. The potato is adding some starchy heft to the broth. You could skip it, but it makes it a little heartier and adds texture.

Meanwhile, cut the chicken breast into three sections (mine was huge.) Place it on top of the onion/bacon mixture and add the milk to cover. Bring to a simmer then lower the heat to keep it just steaming and poach the chicken until cooked the whole way through. (I pulled it out to check.) Mine took about 15 minutes, but it really depends on the size of the breast, so best to check.

Remove the chicken breasts and set aside. Cut the kernels off the whole corn cob. I've seen "easy" ways to do this that involve multiple bowls, etc. Um, no. Just go slow and cut from midway on the cob, downward, on a cutting board with a sharp knife. Then flip the cob upside down and repeat. If you don't get the kernels cut close to the cob, don't worry, you'll get all that goodness out when you...

Add the de-kerneled cobs to the milk-onion-bacon mixture and keep the mixture at a simmer. While the cobs are getting nice and warm, shred the chicken into bite size pieces. Remove the cobs with tongs and hold up on a cutting board. Scrape the cob with a knife to get out all the remnant corn bits and return the bits and their liquid to the pot. Add the chicken and uncooked reserve kernels into the pot. Salt to taste. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in some basil leaves and serve.

Tally:

Leftover bits and pieces come together for big flavor

A hearty summer soup to break up the lighter fare and fuels some summertime adventures

Corn's sweet summer flavor pops in this soup

Zippy Cucumber and Corn Salad

I come from a long line of "good cooks" and there are two things that stand out in both my mother and grandmother's recipe boxes, of which I am the lucky heiress: a love of fresh vegetable-laden summer "salads" (although lettuce is rarely an ingredient in these sort of PA Dutch salads) and a talent for creative naming. My grandmother didn't make Sloppy Joes (already a creative moniker.) She made Wimpies. Tuna Casserole? Try Fish Wiggle, instead. You get the idea.

So when I threw together this refreshing and healthy salad for lunch last week, I decided it was zippy. Yes, zippy. This would be a nice side to some grilled chicken or maybe some grilled salmon. But for just me, it was a healthy and light lunch with a dollop of ricotta that I had leftover from a recent gathering. Plus, with the basil from our terrace and the corn, onion and cucumber from the CSA, this budget-friendly dish helped me empty out the overstuffed vegetable drawer in the nick of time.

ZIPPY Cucumber and Corn Salad

1 medium onion, diced

1 cob corn, kernels sliced off

1/2 large cucumber, diced and skin on

10-12 basil leaves, washed

1 Tablespoon honey

3 Tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

Dollop of ricotta cheese

In a saute pan, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil and cook the onion and corn until just cooked. Cool.

Meanwhile, in a food processor (my mini Cuisinart is salad-dressing sized) blend the basil, honey, 2 T. olive oil and salt and pepper. If you have trouble mixing you can add a little more oil or water, depending on how healthy you want to be.

Combine the cooled onion and corn with the cucumber. Toss with basil-honey dressing and top with ricotta cheese.

You could probably have the corn and onion uncooked for a raw dish, but uncooked corn can be tough on tummies, so go easy with it. And be sure to save the corn cob for soup...it's what my grandmother would have done.

Tally:

Zippy salad that's healthy and filling

Summer "salad" cleans out the fridge

Using a rich leftover in small quantities = sort of healthy

Pear Basil Sorbet

I have a dirty little 8-oz. secret:

For many years I've been serving up a pear sorbet that you make by freezing -- in the can!-- pears in heavy syrup. Then you open the can, pry out the frozen contents and whip it until smooth in a blender.

It is smooth, purely pear and delicious. I've never owned an ice cream maker, and this is my version of making a frozen treat.

So when I saw some forlorn pears at the bargain bin a couple months ago, I thought about freezing them -- and of course I thought about my favorite straight from-the-can dessert. After peeling and coring them, I cut the pears into bite size chunks and added sugar 8 : 1. I had a ton of pears, but if you're just cooking up 2-3, I would add 1/4 cup sugar and 2 Tablespoons water That's a guess, and it really depends on how ripe your pears are. Mine were super ripe (thus the bargain bin) and so they let out a lot of juice. I cooked them until I had a light syrup but the pears weren't browned, let the mixture cool and froze it in 2-cup quantities.

Now for the fun part. Between our terrace pots and the CSA, we are in basil heaven, a pesto paradise, an herbaceous fantasy. In other words, I'm looking for ways to use up a lot of basil. I added about 6 fresh basil leaves to the frozen pear mixture before whipping it smooth. The leaves won't totally blend, so you'll have some nice icy bits and pieces. The basil and pear are a wonderful pair (pun absolutely intended!) and this is a light and lovely end to a summer meal.

Pear "Sorbet" with Basil

2-3 large pears (any variety), peeled, cored and diced

1/4 c. sugar

2-4 Tablespoons water

6-8 basil leaves

Cook pears with sugar and water until soft and the mixture is slightly syrupy (it will thicken when cooled). Cool and then freeze until rock hard.

Put frozen pears in blender with basil leaves and blend until there are no more visible pear pieces.

Or, you can just seek out my old pal Del Monte.

Tally:

Mostly healthy dessert is a cold and sweet summer treat

By can or from the bargain bin, this is a thrifty dish

Pear and basil mix for a sophisticated flavor

A Tale of Two Squash

I believe I've mentioned it before, but Mr. Lemon and I have found the equivalent of an overflowing garden patch here in the big city. It's the bargain bin at our local gourmet market and our veggie bin-ges lead us down some interesting paths.

What we end up with for $1.50 is a large quantity of one vegetable--one vegetable that we wouldn't normally buy in such quantity or might not even purchase at all. But it's a fun challenge that spurs creativity and usually a new healthy side dish or entree. The key is to diversify your veggie product or make one big batch if it will freeze well.

But sometimes, the veggie binge goes off the rails. This is the frightening story of the two squash--one very good and one very naughty. Read on, if you dare.

Our story begins with a large bag of yellow squash. Now, yellow squash when sauteed has to be carefully watched so as not to go slimy--it's all those seeds, I swear. But when battered and deep fried, yes I said DEEP FRIED, it becomes a very fine summer treat of silky sweet goodness wrapped in a light crispy shell. Deep Fried is a dirty word in these parts, so I break out the veggie oil about once a summer for this delicacy that I picked up from a Southern friend (and one of the best cooks I know!) Bless you, Nicki, for sharing your squash-frying wisdom.

Fried Yellow Squash

Vegetable oil, about 3 cups

2-3 medium sized yellow squash

Salt and pepper

1 cup flour

About 1/4-1/2 c. skim milk

In a deep sided pot or dutch oven, heat several cups of vegetable oil.

After removing the top of the squash, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices, lengthwise. Salt and pepper well on both sides and set aside.

Set out a plate with 1/4 cup flour. In a bowl mix about 3/4 cup flour with skim milk. Add the milk slowly and whisk. Once the batter starts to look like a smooth paste, stop. You've got your batter. You don't want it to be too liquid-y, or it won't stick.

Check that oil. It should look kind of shimmery and if you carefully slip in some of the batter or a piece of bread (which I never have), it should hold together and have little bubbles all over it. That means your oil is ready. No bubbles? Not ready. And please BE VERY CAREFUL! Hot oil is no joke and you want to avoid splatters.

Dredge the squash slices (dip on both sides into plain flour and shake off excess.) Dip slices one at a time into batter and slide into the hot oil. The squash will float and sizzle. Only cook about 3-4 slices at one time so the oil can maintain it's heat.

Now here is the Nicki Wisdom: only flip your squash once. In fact, never turn any deep frying lovely more than once, ever, ever. This prevents sogginess.

When the batter starts to look light tan/brown on one side, gently flip the squash and allow the other side to crisp up about 2-3 minutes. Remove the squash and place on paper towels or a brown paper bag (way to recycle!) to drain off some oil. Serve immediately. Delicious as a meal all by itself. And don't they kind of look like fish?

So what about the rest of that squash? A healthier take:

2-3 squash cut into half moons + 2-3 Tablespoons fresh oregano minced + 8 leaves basil cut into a chiffonade (Roll it and slice thin) + 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.

Makes a great slightly rich-tasting side dish for some leftover pork and, of course, green salad.

Tally:

One bargain buy, two different dishes, naughty and nice

Deep fried but inexpensive summer treat

Healthy summer side dish spruces up leftovers

$1.50 can't be beat.