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For the Queso Blanco Salsa: |
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5 italian plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped |
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4 fresh Anaheim, roasted, seeded, peeled, chopped |
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1 red bell pepper, seeded, deyeined, and diced |
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1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, deveined, and diced |
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1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
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1/2 Lb cream cheese, cut into small pieces |
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1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper |
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1/3 cup finely diced red bell peppers |
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1 Cup fresh or thawed, frozen corn kernels |
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1/3 Cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal |
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2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled |
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1 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper |
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1/4 Cup finely minced scallions, including the green tops |
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1/4 Cup stemmed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped |
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3 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese |
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melted butter for cooking |
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2 tablespoons butter, melted |
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2 Cups fresh or thawed, frozen corn kernels |
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1 Cup finely diced zucchini |
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1 Cup finely diced red bell peppers |
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2 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, finely chopped |
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1 fresh cilantro (coriander) sprigs for garnish |
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To prepare the salsa, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter sizzles, add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chiles, red and yellow bell peppers, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and add the half-and-half, stir ring well. When heated through, add the cream cheese. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cheese melts and the mixture is thick, about 12 minutes. Stir in the cayenne pepper and remove from the heat, Let cool, cover, and refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving. (You may prepare the salsa up to 3 days in advance.) Just before serving, reheat the salsa by placing it in the top pan of a double boiler over gently simmering water; stir frequently to prevent scorching. Adjust to taste with cayenne pepper. To prepare the corn cake batter, combine the bell pepper, corn, eggs, milk, flour, cornmeal, butter, and salt in a blender or in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process for about 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, and stir in the Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper, scallions, cilantro, and Parmesan cheese. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature. Preheat an oven to 250 F. To cook the corn cakes, warm a 7-inch nonstick sauté pan over medium heat until hot. Brush the pan with melted butter. When the butter sizzles, ladle 3 or 4 tablespoons of batter into the center of the pan, then tilt and swirl the pan to spread the batter thinly over the pan’s surface. Cook until lightly browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip the cake and cook until the second side browns slightly, another minute. Slide the cake out onto a plate and cover with waxed paper. Make 6 cakes in all in this manner, brushing the pan with butter as needed. As the cakes are cooked, stack them, slipping a sheet of waxed paper between them to prevent sticking, and place in the oven to keep warm until serving. They may be cooked up to 1 hour ahead of serving. To prepare the calabacitas, wrm a sauté pan over medium heat until hot. Brush the pan with the melted butter. When it sizzles, add all the remaining ingredients. Cook, shaking the pan to rearrange the ingredients frequently, until the vegetables are just heated through and slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes. To assemble, place the corn cakes on individual plates and divide the calabacitas evenly among them, spooning it on one-half of each corn cake. Fold the other half over to form a half-moon. Ladle the warm salsa over all. Garnish with cilantro sprigs. |
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