Green corn soup

Active: 30 minutes; Total: 30 minutes plus 2 hours refrigeration; Serves: 8 to 10

Corn, shucked	8 ears
Oil, extra-virgin olive	3 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon
Shallots, chopped	1 medium
Garlic, 3 thinly sliced, 2 crushed	3 cloves + 2 cloves
Salt	½ teaspoon + 1 tablespoon
Pepper, freshly ground	1 teaspoon
Water	1 ½ cup + 1 cup
Baby spinach, ¼ cup chopped	1 cup packed + ¼ cup
Jalapeños, stemmed, seeded; 2 rough chopped, 2 thinly sliced	4
Lime juice, fresh	1 tablespoon
Pumpkin seeds; toasted, lightly salted	½ cup
Feta, crumbled	¼ cup
Parsley, chopped	¼ cup
Vinegar, white	1 cup
Sugar, granulated	2 tablespoons

1. Using a thin knife and work in a bowl, cut the kernels from the cobs; you should have 6 cups. 
2. Working over another bowl, scrape the cobs with eh back of the knife to release the corn milk; discard the cobs. 
3. In a large skillet, heat 3-tablespoons oil over moderately high heat. 
4. Add the onion and sliced garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. 
5. Add 4 ½-cups corn kernels and the corn milk, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is tender crisp, about 6 minutes; season with salt and pepper. 
6. Transfer to a blender, and let cool slightly. 
7. Wipe out the skillet. 
8. Add 1 ½-cups water to the blender with the corn, and puree at high speed until very smooth, about 5 minutes. 
9. Strain the puree through a fine sieve set over a large bowl, pressing on the solids. 
10. Return the corn puree to the blender, and add the spinach, chopped jalapeños, and 1-tablespoon juice, and puree until the spinach is finely chopped and the soup is green. 
11. Cover and refrigerate the soup until cold, at least 2 hours. 
12. Meanwhile, in the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 ½-cups corn kernels, and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, about 1 minute. 
13. Transfer the corn to a small bowl, and refrigerate until cold. 
14. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the vinegar, 1-cup water, crushed garlic, and sugar; bring to a boil.
15. Place the sliced jalapeños in a mason jar, and pour the pickling mixture to cover; let sit 8 minutes, then seal with a clean lid.
16. In a small bowl, combine the crispy corn, parsley, spinach, ¼-cup chopped pickled jalapeños, pumpkin seeds, and feta.
17. Transfer the soup to bowls, and garnish with the hardy pinch of the corn mixture. 

Recipe modified heavily from Food&Wine Magazine, August 2017.

Faux pastis

Sweet potato gnocchi with mint-pine nut pesto

Pine nuts	½ cup
Mint leaves, chopped	¼ cup
Lemon zest, finely grated	1 teaspoon
Lemon juice	2 tablespoons
Oil, extra-virgin olive	¼ cup + 2 tablespoons
Salt, gray sea
Sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced ½-inch thick	1 ¾ pounds
Flour, gluten-free	1 cup
Cornstarch	5 tablespoons
Thyme leaves	Garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. 
2. Spread the pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until golden brown, about 3 minutes. 
3. Transfer the nuts to a work surface, and let cool, then chop; transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the mint, zest, juice, and ¼-cup oil; season with salt. 
4. On a large rimmed baking sheet, spread the potatoes in a single layer. 
5. Bake until tender, about 20 minutes. 
6. Transfer to a food processor, and let cool, then pulse until smooth. 
7. Scrape the pureed potatoes into a large bowl, and stir in the flour, cornstarch, and 1-teaspoon salt. 
8. Lightly dust a rimmed baking sheet with flour. 
9. On a lightly floured work surface, cut the dough into eight pieces, and roll each piece in a ½-inch-thick rope, about 15 inches long. 
10. Using a knife, cut the ropes into 1-inch pieces. 
11. Roll each piece against the tines of a fork to make ridges, and transfer to the floured baking sheet. 
12. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the gnocchi until they rise to the surface, then cook 1 minute longer. 
13. Drain well and transfer to a serving bowl. 
14. Toss with 2-tablespoons oil, then spoon the pesto on top. 
15. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and more salt; serve. 

Recipe from Food&Wine Magazine, August 2017.

Blackberry tart with coconut cream

Almond-poached chicken salad

Chicken breast, boneless, skinless	1 ½ pounds
Almond “milk”*, unsweetened	3 cups
Salt, kosher	1 tablespoon +
Pepper, freshly ground
Oil, extra-virgin olive	¼ cup
Vinegar, apple cider	3 tablespoons
Cauliflower, cored, cut into florets, thinly sliced	1 small head
Radishes, thinly sliced	4
Arugula	2 cups
Dill fronds, chopped	2/3 cup
Basil leaves, torn	½ cup
Almonds, roasted, salted, chopped	½ cup +

1. In a medium saucepan, cover the chicken with the almond “milk”* product. 
2. Add the salt, and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. 
3. Flip the chicken, and gently simmer until cooked through, about 7 minutes. 
4. Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid, and transfer to a plate; discard the poaching liquid. 
5. Let rest 15 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cool. 
6. Shred the meat. 
7. In a large bowl, whisk the oil with the vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. 
8. Add the chicken, cauliflower, and radishes; season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. 
9. Gently fold in the arugula, dill, basil, and ½-cup almonds. 
10. Transfer the salad to plates, garnish with more chopped almonds, and serve. 

Recipe mildly adapted from Food&Wine Magazine, August 2017. 

*Almonds are not milked. As a former dairy farmer, with more than 20 years of pulling bovine teats to my credit, I feel calling an extraction of almond juice “milk” to be annoyingly inaccurate and misleading to an already bewildered customer.