Sweet Corn and Cilantro Soup

Sweet corn and Cilantro soup from CSA member Claudia!

This recipe is vegan and gluten free. 

• Sweet Corn soup with Cilantro 
• 2 Tbs olive oil (or your favorite cooking oil)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 - 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 c fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 poblano pepper, chopped
• 2 roma tomatoes, squeezed and chopped
• 2 c unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• juice of 1 lime 
• black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp agave or maple syrup
• 1/2 c water
• 1 c cilantro leaves, loosely packed

• Heat the oil on low in a large nonstick cooking pot. Add the chili powder, red pepper flakes and cumin and let it cook about 5 minutes. While that's happening, chop the onion.
• Raise the heat to medium and add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Chop the garlic as the onion cooks.
• Add the garlic and saute 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat if the garlic starts to burn.
• Add the corn and saute 5 minutes. If you're using frozen corn, add it frozen. Chop the poblano and tomatoes while the corn cooks.
• Remove about a cup of the mixture to a food processor, or blender on low 
• Add the poblano and tomatoes to the cooking pot. Reduce the heat to medium low and stir occasionally.
• Process the corn mixture in the food processor about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the almond milk and process until smooth. Add it to the cooking pot.
• Stir in the other cup of milk, salt, lime juice, pepper, sweetener and water. Simmer 5-10 minutes to heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
• Stir in the cilantro leaves just before serving.

Avocado, corn, & tomato salad with cilantro vinaigrette

This week's recipe is from CSA Member Jeremy:

Here's a recipe I got from my friend's mom - she made this for us at a barbecue and we loved it so much that we knew we had to be with it forever. She says she thinks it was a Martha Stewart recipe from the 80's but we copied (took an iPhone pic) from her cookbook.

This quickly became a go-to side dish. Pairs super well with barbecue chicken.

2 cups tomatoes (either halved grapes, or cubed)

1 ripe avocado, diced

2 ears corn

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

For the dressing- whisk together:

Juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp evoo

1 tbsp honey

s+p to taste

I prefer to do the corn on the grill, husk on. Once cooked, shuck and cut the kernels off the cob into a large mixing bowl. Scrape the cobs with a spoon to get all the juices.

Add the tomatoes, cilantro, and avocado, and dressing, and mix delicately with a wooden spoon or spatula. You don't want to break the avocado up too much. Once everything's mixed I'll usually add some more lime juice and salt and pepper till it reaches my desired level of tanginess. 

If you want to prepare ahead of time, best to wait till you're ready to serve to add the avocado. 

Elote (Grilled Corn)

This recipe was provided by CSA member Jay Chen.

I'm meh on corn, but I love elotes.  They have so many layers and textures and flavors--sweet corn kernels, mostly juicy with some burnt rows, creamy mayo and cotija cheese, a hit of spice from the ancho chile powder, a splash of acid from the lime... So good. I could easily and happily make a meal out of them.

Most elote recipes tell you to grill the corn, but I find that it's too finicky: I either always under- or over-grill them, so that they're either alternating strips of raw and cooked, or dried-out. So, instead, I parcook the corn and finish it on the grill for the char.

• 4 ears of corn, shucked
• 1/3 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 lime
• Ancho chile powder (to taste)
• Kosher or sea salt (to taste)
• Black pepper (to taste)
• .5 cup crumbled cotija cheese (feta could work, but come on, we live in Brooklyn, they sell cotija everywhere)
• .25 cup cilantro

Head over to the NY Times site for the instructions!