Corn And Tomato Parfait With Basil Food

FRESH CORN AND TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk together the vinegar, 2 teaspoons salt and some pepper in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream, to make a smooth dressing.
• Shear off the corn kernels with a sharp knife over a bowl (you should have about 4 cups). Toss in the tomatoes, mozzarella and scallions. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat. Cover and let stand for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours. Before serving, tear the basil over the salad and stir.

CORN-AND-TOMATO PARFAIT WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Make the corn pudding: slice the kernels off the cobs with a knife into a bowl. Scrape the length of the cobs with the knife to collect the ''milk'' remaining on them. Pass the liquid and kernels through a juicer. Place the corn juice in a nonreactive saucepan and slowly heat it up, stirring frequently. As it gets close to a simmer, season with a pinch of salt. The juice will begin to thicken like custard because of the natural cornstarch. Continue to stir until it completely thickens, then remove from the heat, strain and cool. Cover the top with a piece of plastic wrap so it does not form a skin. Refrigerate.
• Make the tomato jelly: roughly chop the tomatoes and place in a bowl. Tear 1 cup of the basil leaves. Mix the basil with tomatoes and season generously with salt. Pass through a juicer or purée in a blender. (You might have to do this in batches.) Pour the juice or purée into a nonreactive bowl lined with a kitchen towel or several layers of cheesecloth. Gather up the corners of the towel and tie with string. String the bag up carefully to the bottom of a shelf in the refrigerator so it hangs over the bowl and allows the tomato water to drip slowly into the bowl. (Do not squeeze the cloth.) Drain for 6 hours. Taste the water and adjust the seasoning with salt. Ladle out 3 cups of the tomato water into another bowl. Place 1 cup of the remaining tomato water in a saucepan and add the gelatin; let stand 10 minutes, until completely soft. Slowly heat this mixture, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is dissolved. Stir the gelatin mixture into the remaining tomato water, cover and return to the refrigerator to set overnight.
• Make the basil oil: place the remaining cup of basil leaves in a strainer and blanch in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 10 seconds. Plunge the basil into ice water to chill completely. Remove and squeeze out the water. Slice the basil thinly and then place in a blender and turn on a low speed. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blend for 2 minutes. Pour the basil oil into a strainer lined with a kitchen towel and allow to drain a clear, emerald oil. Refrigerate.
• To assemble the salad, have ready 6 martini glasses. Spoon 2 tablespoons of corn pudding into the bottom of the glass so it fills approximately 1 1/2 inches of the bottom. Spoon on top 1 tablespoon of the basil oil. Next, gently spoon on a layer of the tomato jelly about the same thickness as the pudding. Season with a grind of pepper. Garnish with a basil sprig.

GRILLED CORN AND TOMATO SALAD WITH THAI BASIL VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
• Salad: Peel back the corn husks, but do not remove them completely. Carefully pick off and discard the wispy silk threads that are attached to the corn. Pull the husks back over the ears and tie the ends closed with kitchen twine. Soak the corn in large bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Drain the water, shake off the excess and put them on the grill for 15 minutes, turning every 3 to 4 minutes until the corn is tender. Remove them from the grill and let the ears cool to room temperature.
• Vinaigrette: While the corn is cooling, prepare the dressing. Puree all the ingredients, except the canola oil, in a blender or food processor. After the mixture is well incorporated, slowly drizzle in the canola oil while the processor is still running. Blend for 30 seconds, then transfer the dressing to a bowl.
• Assembly: Once the corn has cooled, cut the kernels off the cobs into a medium bowl and discard the cobs. Add the red onion and grape tomatoes and mix to combine. Drizzle in 1/2 cup of the Thai Basil Vinaigrette Dressing while lightly tossing the salad together. Reserve the remaining dressing. Gently stir in the basil leaves. Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste, and add more dressing, if desired. Serve slightly chilled on serving plates, using a slotted spoon to keep excess liquids in the bowl.

SLICED TOMATOES WITH CORN AND BASIL

Steps:

• Cut corn kernels off cob directly into a bowl, and toss with vinegar. Heat oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat until hot, and add corn mixture. Season with sea salt and pepper. Cook, stirring about 2 minutes or until corn is slightly steamed. Remove from heat, and stir in half the basil.
• Arrange heirloom tomato slices on a platter. Add cherry/grape tomatoes, and top with corn mixture. Drizzle with Rice Wine Vinaigrette with herbs, and top with remaining basil.
• Season with additional sea salt and pepper before serving.

SKILLET CORN, EDAMAME, AND TOMATOES WITH BASIL OIL

Steps:

• Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add basil; cook 10 seconds. Transfer basil to a bowl of ice water, then drain, and squeeze dry. Puree basil, 1/4 cup oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender or food processor until smooth.
• Heat remaining oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add corn, edamame, and remaining salt. Cook, stirring, until starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes (reduce heat to medium if overbrowning). Add tomatoes and vinegar; cook until tomatoes start to collapse, about 8 minutes.
• Drizzle basil oil on vegetables, and stir. Serve immediately.

SAUTEED CORN WITH TOMATOES & BASIL

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute corn in oil until crisp-tender. Stir in the tomatoes, salt and pepper; cook 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat; sprinkle with basil.

CORN SALAD WITH TOMATOES, BASIL AND CILANTRO

Steps:

• Microwave the corn in their husks on high for 3 minutes. Shuck the corn - the silks will come off easily. (If you want to boil or steam the corn on the stovetop, you can shuck the corn first then cook just until brighter in color, 2 to 3 minutes.) Cut the kernels off the cobs, transfer them to a large bowl and add the tomatoes.
• Finely grate the zest of the lime directly over the corn mixture, then squeeze the juice from the lime all over. Add the oil, a generous pinch of salt and the chile, if using. Mix well, then tear the herbs over the salad and gently fold them in. Season to taste with salt and serve, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

BASIL CORN & TOMATO BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and condensed soup until blended. Stir in vegetables, bread crumbs, basil, salt and onion. Transfer mixture to an 11x7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray., Bake, uncovered, 40-45 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with additional basil.

CORN, TOMATO AND BASIL SALAD

Steps:

• Using large knife, cut corn kernels from cob. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add corn; sauté until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add half of basil.
• Transfer corn mixture to large bowl. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, vinegar, 3 tablespoons oil and remaining basil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover; chill 3 hours or up to 8 hours.