Potatoes and Tomatoes with Corn-Two-Ways

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I’d been meaning to try out several recipes from the July issue of Gourmet, but I hadn’t gotten around to it before this weekend. I was headed to Indiana to visit my parents, so I figured it would be a good time to try out some new dishes.

Saturday morning, my mom picked me and the dog up, and we stopped by the Green City Market for ingredients before heading south. And not a moment too soon. It had been a couple of months since I’d been out of the city and I was feeling a little claustrophobic.

We found just about everything we needed for basil lemonade, berry bread pudding and a corn, potato and tomato dish. The basil lemonade was good, but I’m not sure I’d make it again. I don’t think I’ll find myself craving it. Most everyone who tried it said simply, “Hmm, it’s basily.”

The berry bread pudding plan was ditched when I couldn’t find a brioche loaf and instead bought a pound cake. Which I then realized would probably turn into mush if soaked in berry juice. But it tasted just fine served with the berries on top.

The corn dish, however, was a big success. The corn was super sweet and mixed well with the savory potatoes, tangy tomatoes and salty bacon. We paired it with salad, watermelon and blueberries for a perfect lazy summer lunch.

Here’s the recipe:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• salt
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 1/4 cups, plus 1 taplespoon, water
• 3 cups corn (from 6 ears)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 pound bacon (4 slices), cooked and chopped

Heat olive oil in large pan over medium heat. Add shallot and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Add wine and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half (about 3 minutes). Stir in potatoes, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, puree 1 cup corn with 1 tablespoon water in a blender. (You can then force the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard solids. I skipped over this step accidentally, but it still tasted great.)

Add remaining corn kernals, paprika, thyme, 3/4 cup water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to potatoe mixture. Cover partially and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until corn and potatoes are tender.

Remove from heat. Stir in tomatoes, corn liquid and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and salt to taste. Serve sprinkled with bacon.

Note: I adapted the original recipe, which calls for the bacon to be cooked first and the rest of the dish to be cooked in the bacon fat. My version can easily be made into a vegetarian or vegan dish by eliminating the chopped bacon or using vegetarian bacon.

Enjoy.

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