Pickled Corn

Lately I am SO obsessed with anything pickled! Except actual pickles, I hate pickles. Over the summer I found a recipe for Pickled Corn in Bon Appetit and it is JUST the best. It's super easy, and it only has to sit for a few hours before you can eat it.

Pickled Corn

• 2 cups fresh corn (I used 3-4 ears)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1/4 thinly sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• pepper

Combine all of the above in a heat-proof dish.

• 1/2 cup white or apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons salt (I use kosher)
• 1 teaspoon sugar (I always put a little extra sugar)

Bring the above to a boil, and pour over corn mixture. Stir, and if needed, cover with additional water. Chill & let sit for a few hours or more. This just gets better with time! I can literally eat this with a spoon, no tacos needed, but it is also DELISH on tacos.

Also on this taco is some homemade queso fresco! I had no idea how easy it was to make cheese from scratch!!! Maybe I'll write a blog about it one day :)

xoxo,
janie from scratch

Fancy Burger

Hey you guys!!! (Make sure you read that in the Goonies voice) So I just got back Sunday from an 11-day transatlantic cruise, 2 days in Barcelona and 2 days in Berlin with the bf. The last part was a total whirlwind but the cruise was SO relaxing. It was totally different than the other round-trip-type cruises I've been on where I always feel like I'm racing against time to do everything and see everything on the boat. We had 10 days at sea and it was AMAZING!

Look how much fun we're having!!

But, while I LOVE traveling, it is nice to be home. My mom is actually also in Europe, just off a Rhine river cruise and spending a few days in Amsterdam so I've been eating whatever frozen meats she has in the fridge. (She always goes to Sams and gets a bunch and then freezes individual portions--super helpful and easy for us since we're either always one or two for dinner.) Last night I had a pork chop, and today I made a delish burger!

For the burger part, I used ground kobe beef (I know, Jane B is FANCY!) with some seasoned salt and pepper. I bought a ciabatta roll at Publix this morning and toasted it in the oven. I was just going to use regular ketchup, but we didn't have any, so I mixed some balsamic sauce with mayo to make a yummy aioli. I sauteed up some mushrooms and onions, and then topped the burger with swiss. I also baked a corn on the cob (350 for 30 minutes in the oven with the husk on). It turned out SO good! I even impressed myself with this quick dinner :)

Hope yall are ready for summer and more grilling and burgers and fun in the sun!
xoxo,
Janie from Scratch

Aunt Sybil's Corn Casserole

As you may or may not know, I'm going to Europe over Thanksgiving, so I'll be missing all the traditional fixins' this year (because, as shocking as it is to us self-centered Americans, they don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Europe). I could really take or leave the turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet potato mush. And thank god my family doesn't make that green bean crap. I make enough homemade mashed potatoes during the year that I never crave those. But, one thing I CANNOT live without on any holiday (including Easter sometimes in our family) is corn casserole. My darling Aunt Sybil started making this for us when my brother and I were really young, and Jamers just LOVED it. She has since passed, so now he usually makes it at holidays. Since I'm missing Thanksgiving this year, I wanted to make a whole feast, but decided against it (partially because my roommate is morally opposed to eating meat attached to bones.. weird, I know), but I still wanted to make corn casserole because it's easy and so so yummy and it'll be JUST enough Thanksgiving food to get me through to Christmas!

Aunt Sybil's Corn Casserole
1 box Jiffy Cornbread mix
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 stick butter, melted
1 can creamed corn
1 can whole corn, drained

Mix everything together, pour into casserole dish and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until the middle is set. Last night, mine took over an hour to bake. I baked mine in a 8" cake pan (we are sadly short on casserole dishes at the "penthouse," housewarming gift anyone??) so it was a little thicker than usual, I think that's why it took so long. So if you bake it in a larger pan where the batter is thinner, check on it because it will cook faster (maybe even faster than 45 minutes). You can also easily double this recipe and bake in a 9" x 12".

I just ate this by itself last night (literally 1/3 of the pan and then I felt sick haha), but it's a super easy, Southern side dish that goes with almost anything. It'd be REALLY good with BBQ!

Enjoy :)

Edamame Succotash

Succotash is such a old southern food, but I think it's totally delicious and flavorful. And it's super healthy since it's packed with veggies. It's usually made with lima beans, but I switched it up and made it with edamame to give it a new twist. This dish will take you max 15 minutes to make, and it tastes delicious. Feel free to switch up any of the ingredients to make it your own--like always!

Edamame Succotash
1 1/2 cups shelled edamame, steamed (follow the directions on the package to steam or cook them in the microwave)
2 cups frozen corn
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/3 cup white or yellow onion, diced
3 tablespoons vegetable stock
salt & pepper to taste

Start by sauteing the onion and red bell pepper until they are soft. Add in the edamame, corn & stock. Cook until most of the stock has reduced (about 5 minutes). Taste and season with salt and pepper. (I like my succotash really peppery, but use as much or as little as you like.) If you are ever reducing any liquid make sure to season AFTER you've reduced all your liquid. If you salt before your liquid is reduced, you'll end up with an oversalted reduction. So wait until you get the consistency you want, and then season.

Hope you enjoy this quick and easy side dish!