Corn And Tomato Parfait With Basil Recipes

SWEET CORN-TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• Place corn in a large stockpot; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cook, covered, until crisp-tender, 6-8 minutes; drain. Cool slightly. Cut corn from cobs and place in a large bowl. Stir in red pepper, tomatoes, onion and basil., In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients until blended. Pour over corn mixture; toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour.

CORN AND TOMATO GRATIN WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions to skillet. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add corn kernels and sauté until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Stir in ground nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool.
• Spray 2-quart glass baking dish with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Combine half and half, eggs, egg whites and hot pepper sauce in large bowl and whisk to blend. Stir corn mixture into custard. Pour into prepared dish. Bake until custard is set, about 30 minutes.
• Remove gratin from oven. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper. Sprinkle evenly over gratin. Bake until tomatoes are heated through, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

CORN SALAD WITH TOMATOES, BASIL AND CILANTRO

Steps:

• Microwave the corn in their husks on high for 3 minutes. Shuck the corn - the silks will come off easily. (If you want to boil or steam the corn on the stovetop, you can shuck the corn first then cook just until brighter in color, 2 to 3 minutes.) Cut the kernels off the cobs, transfer them to a large bowl and add the tomatoes.
• Finely grate the zest of the lime directly over the corn mixture, then squeeze the juice from the lime all over. Add the oil, a generous pinch of salt and the chile, if using. Mix well, then tear the herbs over the salad and gently fold them in. Season to taste with salt and serve, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

FRESH CORN AND TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk together the vinegar, 2 teaspoons salt and some pepper in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream, to make a smooth dressing.
• Shear off the corn kernels with a sharp knife over a bowl (you should have about 4 cups). Toss in the tomatoes, mozzarella and scallions. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat. Cover and let stand for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours. Before serving, tear the basil over the salad and stir.

CREAMY CORN PASTA WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until 1 minute shy of al dente, according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in large sauté pan over medium heat; add scallion whites and a pinch of salt and cook until soft, 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and all but 1/4 cup corn; simmer until corn is heated through and almost tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, transfer to a blender, and purée mixture until smooth, adding a little extra water if needed to get a thick but pourable texture.
• Heat the same skillet over high heat. Add butter and let melt. Add reserved 1/4 cup corn and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. (It's O.K. if the butter browns; that deepens the flavor.) Add the corn purée and cook for 30 seconds to heat and combine the flavors.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add pasta and half the reserved pasta cooking water, tossing to coat. Cook for 1 minute, then add a little more of the pasta cooking water if the mixture seems too thick. Stir in 1/4 cup of the scallion greens, the Parmesan, the herbs, the red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice to taste. Transfer to warm pasta bowls and garnish with more scallions, herbs, a drizzle of olive oil and black pepper.

CORN-AND-TOMATO PARFAIT WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Make the corn pudding: slice the kernels off the cobs with a knife into a bowl. Scrape the length of the cobs with the knife to collect the ''milk'' remaining on them. Pass the liquid and kernels through a juicer. Place the corn juice in a nonreactive saucepan and slowly heat it up, stirring frequently. As it gets close to a simmer, season with a pinch of salt. The juice will begin to thicken like custard because of the natural cornstarch. Continue to stir until it completely thickens, then remove from the heat, strain and cool. Cover the top with a piece of plastic wrap so it does not form a skin. Refrigerate.
• Make the tomato jelly: roughly chop the tomatoes and place in a bowl. Tear 1 cup of the basil leaves. Mix the basil with tomatoes and season generously with salt. Pass through a juicer or purée in a blender. (You might have to do this in batches.) Pour the juice or purée into a nonreactive bowl lined with a kitchen towel or several layers of cheesecloth. Gather up the corners of the towel and tie with string. String the bag up carefully to the bottom of a shelf in the refrigerator so it hangs over the bowl and allows the tomato water to drip slowly into the bowl. (Do not squeeze the cloth.) Drain for 6 hours. Taste the water and adjust the seasoning with salt. Ladle out 3 cups of the tomato water into another bowl. Place 1 cup of the remaining tomato water in a saucepan and add the gelatin; let stand 10 minutes, until completely soft. Slowly heat this mixture, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is dissolved. Stir the gelatin mixture into the remaining tomato water, cover and return to the refrigerator to set overnight.
• Make the basil oil: place the remaining cup of basil leaves in a strainer and blanch in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 10 seconds. Plunge the basil into ice water to chill completely. Remove and squeeze out the water. Slice the basil thinly and then place in a blender and turn on a low speed. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blend for 2 minutes. Pour the basil oil into a strainer lined with a kitchen towel and allow to drain a clear, emerald oil. Refrigerate.
• To assemble the salad, have ready 6 martini glasses. Spoon 2 tablespoons of corn pudding into the bottom of the glass so it fills approximately 1 1/2 inches of the bottom. Spoon on top 1 tablespoon of the basil oil. Next, gently spoon on a layer of the tomato jelly about the same thickness as the pudding. Season with a grind of pepper. Garnish with a basil sprig.