My favorite time of year to cook

by Justin Segelstrom

It has been a little while since I have written here, and there is a reason for that. I have been dealing with some pretty serious health issues over the past year.

It has not always been an easy road, but I am working through it, and I am happy to say I am feeling a lot better than I was at this time last year. One of the things I have really enjoyed getting back to is spending more time in the kitchen.

And I could not have picked a better time for it.

This stretch between the end of summer and the beginning of fall has probably become my favorite time of year to cook. We still have fresh corn, tomatoes, peppers, and herbs coming out of the garden, but cooler weather and comfort food are right around the corner. Just recently, we were able to use fresh rosemary and thyme from our own garden in a big pot of soup, which is pretty much the perfect example of this time of year.

I can make something with fresh summer produce one day and pull out the slow cooker the next. Football food starts sounding good again, soups are back on the menu, and pretty soon the house smells like something has been cooking all afternoon.

I have also been spending a lot of time working on My Complete Cooking, my recipe website. After years of having recipes scattered across social media, old posts and various other places, I finally wanted to build one home for all of them. There is still plenty more to add, but I am really excited to see it coming together.

For this post, I thought I would share three recipes that fit this exact time of year.

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Parmesan Herb Corn Fritters

Fresh corn is one of the things I always want to take advantage of while it is still around, and these fritters are an easy way to do it. They are crisp around the edges, tender in the middle, and loaded with cheddar, Parmesan, and fresh herbs.

They make a great side dish or appetizer, especially with a little sour cream and extra parsley and chives on top.

Ingredients

• 3 cups corn kernels, fresh, thawed from frozen, or canned, drained and patted dry
• ¾ cup all purpose flour
• ¼ cup fine cornmeal
• 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder, optional
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup whole milk
• ½ cup green onions, thinly sliced
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Sour cream, grated Parmesan, chives, green onions and crumbled bacon, for serving, optional

Instructions

1. If using frozen or canned corn, drain it thoroughly and pat it dry. Excess moisture can make the batter loose and cause the oil to splatter.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, black pepper and garlic powder, if using.
3. Add the corn and toss to coat.
4. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Pour the egg mixture into the corn mixture and stir just until a thick batter forms.
5. Gently fold in the green onions, cheddar, Parmesan, parsley and chives. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
6. Pour about ½ inch of vegetable oil into a deep skillet and heat over medium high heat. The oil should shimmer, but it should not smoke.
7. Scoop 2 tablespoon portions of batter into the skillet and gently flatten each mound. Avoid crowding the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until deeply golden brown and crisp.
8. Transfer the fritters to a wire rack or paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, allowing the oil to return to temperature between batches.
9. Serve immediately. Top as desired with sour cream, Parmesan, chives, green onions and crumbled bacon.

Recipe Note

Fry one fritter first. If the batter spreads too much, stir in flour 1 tablespoon at a time. If it feels too stiff, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time.

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Ground Turkey Tamale Pie

This one has been a favorite for a long time.

When I first started making this tamale pie, I think we ate it for dinner about six times that month. If you like smoky, slightly spicy Southwestern flavors, you will absolutely love it.

Ground turkey, beans, tomatoes, chipotle peppers, cheese and cilantro make up the filling, and everything gets covered with a golden cornbread topping.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 can pinto beans, 15 ounces, drained and rinsed
• 1 can diced tomatoes, 8 ounces
• 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
• 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 package cornbread mix, 8.5 ounces
• 1 large egg
• ⅓ cup milk

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 9 inch deep pie dish or 2 quart baking dish.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook for about 8 minutes, breaking up the turkey as it cooks, until the turkey reaches 165°F and is no longer pink.
3. Drain any excess liquid. Stir in the cumin, pinto beans, tomatoes, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
4. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cheddar and cilantro, then spread the filling in the prepared baking dish.
5. Prepare the cornbread mix with the egg and milk. Spread the batter evenly over the filling.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cornbread topping is golden and cooked through. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.

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Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken, Potato and Bacon Soup

And then we have the recipe that officially says cooler weather is coming.

This soup is hearty, creamy and full of chicken, bacon, potatoes, carrots and celery. We used fresh rosemary and thyme straight from our garden when we made it, which made it feel like the perfect bridge between summer and fall. This one came together from wanting to use up of some homemade chicken stock and a bunch of veggies we needed to use. It turned out so good, it instantly went into the saved folder.

Cream, Parmesan and Dijon give the broth plenty of richness, while a little lemon juice or apple cider vinegar at the end brightens everything up.

Ingredients

• 8 slices bacon
• 1½ to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 celery ribs, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ pounds potatoes, cubed
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• Salt, as needed

Instructions

1. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon and set it aside.
2. Leave a little of the bacon fat in the skillet. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until they begin to soften.
3. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
4. Transfer the vegetables to the slow cooker. Add the potatoes, chicken, chicken stock, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, bay leaf and black pepper.
5. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 7 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is tender and the potatoes are completely cooked.
6. Remove the chicken and shred it.
7. Mash several pieces of potato directly into the broth to naturally thicken the soup.
8. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker. Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan and Dijon mustard.
9. Cover and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes.
10. Stir in the lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Taste and add salt as needed.
11. Stir in most of the cooked bacon and save the rest for topping.

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Back to Cooking

More than anything, I am just glad to be spending time doing something I love again.

There are plenty more recipes coming, both here and over at My Complete Cooking, and this next stretch of the year gives me about a thousand excuses to get back into the kitchen.

Soups, football food, slow cooker dinners, comfort food, holiday cooking and, knowing me, probably more Mexican food than anyone really needs.

I am looking forward to all of it.

I think this really might be my favorite time of year to cook.

 

We are happy to have Justin back posting for On Your Table. His posts will appear monthly. Visit this page to view some of the recipes he has shared with us.

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