elote style white corn

barbecue season is coming friends. with a summer baby on the way, many a baby bbq are now on our late spring/early summer calendar and i am STOKED. i LOVE barbecue food. ALL of it. the messier the better and in preparation for all that grilling goodness, i’m working on my perfect summer side dish game.

one of my all time favorites is corn. white corn to be specific. it has such a juicy sweetness to it that i will chow down on it with no salt, butter or other corn condiments. now, if you do it up with this zesty avocado & greek yogurt sauce and some crumbled cotija cheese, it will BLOW YOUR MIND.

now, if you aren’t all about that mess, you can easily serve this corn OFF the cob by simply slicing the kernels from the ear of corn once you have finished cooking the corn. if you are all about eating with your hands, no extra step required.

elote style white corn

serves: 4

prep time: 5 minutes

active time: 25 minutes

total time: 30 minutes

ingredients: 4 ears white corn, (you could sub your favorite corn or whatever you can find) husks removed and cut in half. half an avocado, completely smashed so you don’t have any lumps. 1 cup greek yogurt. 2 tbs lime juice. .25 cup finely crumbled/grated cotija cheese. 2 tbs kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. .5 tsp turmeric. .5 tsp chili powder. .25 tsp cayenne pepper. 2 tbs cilantro leaves. nasturtium petals, optional. large pot of water (if you have room on your grill and prefer to grill your corn, you could do that instead of boiling. cook time on your grilled corn will be about 10 minutes on a hot grill as opposed to 25 minutes of boiling).

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start by adding all but 1 tsp of the salt to the pot of water and get it boiling. combine the remaining salt with the pepper, turmeric, chili powder and cayenne pepper to make a spice blend. add the spice blend, the avocado and the lime juice to the greek yogurt.

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stir until everything is well combined and you have a creamy sauce.

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when your water is boiling, add the corn to the pot and cook till the kernels are tender (20-25 minutes). while the corn cooks, finely chop the cilantro and the nasturtium petals together and set them aside (nasturtium petals are a little spicy so they add great seasonal flavor and color to your corn).

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once your corn has cooked, remove it from the heat and allow it to dry. if you are serving the kernels with out the ear of corn, now is the time to carefully (with a sharp knife) slice the kernels away from the ear of corn. lay your ears of corn or just the kernels on to your serving platter.

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spoon the creamy sauce over the top of the corn. sprinkle with cotija, cilantro and flower petals.

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serve hot and enjoy.

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elote style white corn

serves: 4

prep time: 5 minutes

active time: 25 minutes

total time: 30 minutes

ingredients: 4 ears white corn, (you could sub your favorite corn or whatever you can find) husks removed and cut in half. half an avocado, completely smashed so you don’t have any lumps. 1 cup greek yogurt. 2 tbs lime juice. .25 cup finely crumbled/grated cotija cheese. 2 tbs kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. .5 tsp turmeric. .5 tsp chili powder. .25 tsp cayenne pepper. 2 tbs cilantro leaves. nasturtium petals, optional. large pot of water (if you have room on your grill and prefer to grill your corn, you could do that instead of boiling. cook time on your grilled corn will be about 10 minutes on a hot grill as opposed to 25 minutes of boiling).

start by adding all but 1 tsp of the salt to the pot of water and get it boiling. combine the remaining salt with the pepper, turmeric, chili powder and cayenne pepper to make a spice blend. add the spice blend, the avocado and the lime juice to the greek yogurt. stir until everything is well combined and you have a creamy sauce. when your water is boiling, add the corn to the pot and cook till the kernels are tender (20-25 minutes). while the corn cooks, finely chop the cilantro and the nasturtium petals together and set them aside (nasturtium petals are a little spicy so they add great seasonal flavor and color to your corn). once your corn has cooked, remove it from the heat and allow it to dry. if you are serving the kernels with out the ear of corn, now is the time to carefully (with a sharp knife) slice the kernels away from the ear of corn. lay your ears of corn or just the kernels on to your serving platter. spoon the creamy sauce over the top of the corn. sprinkle with cotija, cilantro and flower petals. serve hot and enjoy.

friyay happy hour: lemon + sage sparkler

there is this really beautiful plant nursery near where we live and a couple of years ago they opened a restaurant on site focused on seasonal, farm to table food. it is one of the most beautiful places to dine, not just near me, but anywhere. and the first time i went i had a tasty cocktail that had some really impressive little star flowers in it. after some research, i discovered that they are the flowers of the borage plant.

after a little digging, i discovered it is an herb often used for medicinal purposes. the flowers and leaves are used for everything from headaches to depression and its oil can be used for all types of skin conditionals as well as arthritis. AND while you probably wont be able to purchase a plant of borage at your local nursery, they are VERY easy to grow on your own. you can find seeds HERE and before you know it, you can have your own stunning star flowers.

now with all that blubbering about a less than one inch blossom out of the way, the point is they are a great compliment to this cocktail. this spring time beverage is delicious with edible flower garnish or with out. it is a little sweet, a wee bit tart, very herbaceous and the perfect way to start your passover/easter weekend.

lemon + sage sparkler

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 1 minute

active time: 2 minutes

total time: 3 minutes

ingredients: 2 oz vodka. 1 oz lemon juice + small lemon wheel for garnish. 4 large sage leaves, torn and smashed to release their oils + a sprig of sage for garnish. 1 tsp sugar. 5 oz club soda. 2 cups ice. borage flowers for garnish, optional. muddler. shaker.

 

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start by combining the torn and smashed sage leaves, the sugar and the lemon juice together in the base of your shaker.

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muddle the mixture until the sage is really smashed and the sugar is absorbed into the liquid.

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add in the vodka and half the ice to the shaker and shake well till everything is combined.

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strain the contents of the shaker over the remaining ice in your serving glass. top the drink off with the club soda and stir well.

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garnish with your sage sprig, lemon wheel and edible flowers if you have them. serve and enjoy.

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xo, a

lemon + sage sparkler

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 1 minute

active time: 2 minutes

total time: 3 minutes

ingredients: 2 oz vodka. 1 oz lemon juice + small lemon wheel for garnish. 4 large sage leaves, torn and smashed to release their oils + a sprig of sage for garnish. 1 tsp sugar. 5 oz club soda. 2 cups ice. borage flowers for garnish, optional. muddler. shaker.

start by combining the torn and smashed sage leaves, the sugar and the lemon juice together in the base of your shaker. muddle the mixture until the sage is really smashed and the sugar is absorbed into the liquid. add in the vodka and half the ice to the shaker and shake well till everything is combined. strain the contents of the shaker over the remaining ice in your serving glass. top the drink off with the club soda and stir well. garnish with your sage sprig, lemon wheel and edible flowers if you have them. serve and enjoy.