Jan Birnbaums Roasted Chicken On Summer Greens With Corn Recipes

ROASTED CORN AND CHICKEN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Put the corn on a rimmed baking sheet; broil, turning, until lightly charred on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. (Alternatively, char the corn directly over a gas burner or on a grill over medium-high heat.) Transfer to a cutting board; let cool slightly, then cut off the kernels and transfer to a bowl. Working over the bowl, run the back of a chef's knife down the cobs to extract the juices; discard the cobs.
• Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add all but 2 tablespoons of the scallions, the celery, sweet potato, thyme, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the cornmeal; cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, 1 minute. Add the corn, its juices and 5 cups water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is tender and the soup has thickened slightly, 15 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the chicken and milk. Cook until the chicken is warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes (do not boil). Season with salt and black pepper. Top each serving with the reserved scallions and serve with the dinner rolls.

GRILLED CORN SALSA

Steps:

• Brush the corn liberally with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Grill, turning every few minutes, until light gold all over and cooked, about 12 minutes. Let cool and cut off the kernels. Discard the cobs.
• Core the tomatoes and cut a small X on the bottom of each. Brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place on the grill, X side down, away from direct heat. Cover the grill and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften but are not cooked all the way through (or they will melt through the grate!), about 15 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then peel. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze out the juice and the seeds through a sieve into a bowl. Reserve the juices and chop the flesh.
• Put the onions in the non-reactive medium bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Let marinate until the color changes, about 10 minutes.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, onions, basil, and 1/3 cup olive oil to the corn. Toss well. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper, and remaining vinegar. The salsa is best eaten the same day but will keep, covered and refrigerated, a day or so.
• Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos.