Menus & Recipes: Green Corn Fest

Menus & Recipes: Green Corn Fest by Leah Lyon from Oklahoma, winner of the Summer Entertaining Contest 2001

Menus & Recipes: Green Corn Fest
roasted corn

This menu really brought across the meaning and feel of the holiday. Corn is used throughout the entire meal in innovative and different ways. There are a variety of textures and flavors to experience. – Web-Holidays.com

The winner by Leah Lyon from Oklahoma said, “What caught my attention was the Corn theme. My family loves to garden and the first corn “picking” is very special to us. I think we practically live on fresh corn around that time. Also, My husband, half Native American (Seminole and Chickasaw), was very enthusiastic when I talked with him about preparing a menu for the holiday, Green Corn Festival. In fact, he gave me some pointers and suggested we might invite friends and family over for this occasion. We truly enjoy entertaining and love theme parties, especially something we can celebrate outside. Many of us have young children, and outside venues make the parties fun for young and old and everyone in between. I came up with recipes and several suggestions for decorations for such an occasion, and he added a few more to the list of ideas.”

Note: Chicken and Chow-Chow need to marinate overnight.

Menu

Appetizers
Corn Tortillas with butter, honey, grilled veggies, and cheese

Main Course
Grilled Chicken with Corn and Pepper Chow-Chow
Calabacitas
Roasted Sweet Corn
Jalepeno cornbread sticks

Dessert
Mini Chocolate Corn Tortes with Strawberries

Drinks
Iced Tea
Lemonade
Beer (in ice in washtub or similar container)
Bar (as desired)

serves 8

Decorating:

We often entertain outside in our yard in the shade of a large tree. As yet, we have no real patio or deck, but these decorations can easily be adapted to yard, deck or patio, or for that matter, most will even work for a dining room. But, who wants to be inside for a summer celebration? Anyway, we plan to hang brightly-colored ribbons and strips of fabric from our tree branches, lower eaves of the house and around our fence (fly strips discreetly hidden among the streamers help keep insects from the dining area). Corn stalks from the garden; where the corn has just been picked; tied into small bundles with bright ribbons and staked to the ground haphazardly around the perimeter of the area would define the celebratory dining area. The buffet table would be covered with one of our Native American design blankets, or a brightly striped cloth would also work. We have several Native American artifacts around our house including reed flutes, stick ball equipment, mandellas, etc. These can be purchased, borrowed or substituted for other items mentioned: A large woven basket lined in the bottom with foil or a kitchen towel would hold a mound of roasted sweet corn still in the shucks. This would serve as the centerpiece of the buffet table. Other baskets and inexpensive native American-look pottery would serve as dishes for the food; for instance insert a close fitting plastic container into a pot and use it to serve the side dishes. Or, using brightly colored towels placed on the bottom of a fairly flat basket, serve the cornbread sticks. Even black cast iron skillets and pots are at home among Native American themes. I would most definitely serve my grilled vegetables and cheese with corn tortillas, at a different table that also held drinks, in my cast ironware to keep the vegetables warm and the cheese melty longer. Condiments can also be served in smaller pottery items with containers inserted into them. A large carving board or other natural looking platter; even pottery; should hold the grilled chicken. If tables are scarce, patchwork quilts or Native American blankets can be spread on the ground to sit on while eating. Or, tables can be decorated with our Oklahoma wildflowers, Indian Paintbrush and Indian Blanket flowers (Blanket flowers) in pottery or just tied with ribbons.

Appetizers

  • grilled veggies*
  • 1/2 cup fresh green peppers, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup sweet onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup thinly julienned carrots
  • 1/2 cup asparagus spears
  • marinade
  • 1/2 cup zesty Italian salad dressing
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • cheese
  • 1/2 cup queso fresco
  • 1/2 cup asadero cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
  • for serving
  • steamed corn tortillas (the extra thin kind are best)
  • softened butter
  • honey

*Use any vegetables you prefer. Combine vegetable in a bowl. Whisk together dressing and sugar. Pour over vegetables (about 20 minutes).

Place veggies in grilling basket and grill till tender-crisp. For cheese spread, spray cast iron skillet with non-stick cooking spray, and turn heat to low. Crumble queso fresco and asadero cheese in the skillet. When it starts to melt, spread shredded Monterey jack cheese over the top. Place in a 350F oven, until completely melted. Serve warm with tortillas, grilled veggies, butter, and honey.

Grilled Chicken with Corn and Pepper chow-chow

  • 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
  • 1 tablespoon cumin, ground
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • Pepper chow-chow, recipe below

Slice breasts horizontally to ensure 1/2 inch thickness. Mix remaining ingredients together. Marinate chicken breasts overnight, turning a couple of times. Grill chicken breasts over medium heat until done; about 5 minutes on each side. To serve chicken buffet style, spread the chicken on platter, overlapping edges somewhat. Spoon chow-chow over each piece. To serve on a plate, place one-two pieces chicken on plate and spoon a couple of tablespoons Chow-chow over it.

Corn and Pepper Chow-Chow

  • 1 cup fresh corn, cut off the cob
  • 1/2 cup roasted, peeled chili peppers (anaheims, poblanos, etc.)
  • 2 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh onion
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped tomato
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Steam corn in the microwave on high for 3 minutes. Mix in the remaining ingredients and refrigerate overnight.

Calabacitas

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 cups baby squash, yellow and zucchini, sliced 1/2 inch thick
  • 1 cup fresh corn, cut off the cob
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped tomato
  • 1 can green chilis or 1/2 cup chopped fresh pepper (semi-hot)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Place butter, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder into saute pan or skillet over medium heat. When hot, stir in the squash and onion and cook until tender-crisp. Stir in the corn, tomato, and peppers. Cook about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro, cook another minute. Stir in the queso fresco. Top with cheddar cheese just before serving.

Roasted Sweet Corn

  • 12-20 ears fresh picked sweet corn
  • water
  • butter
  • Cajun seasoning
  • salt and pepper

Shuck the outer corn husks off each ear, leaving a substantial portion of the husk on the corn to serve as a wrapper when grilling. Trim the top end off ears. Run cold water into the top of each ear or soak in a sink of cold water about 20 minutes. Place over medium to medium high heat on grill and grill with the lid down about 20 minutes. You can check to see if the corn is done by simply pulling back the husks on one of them and checking. If some of the outer husk is a little blackened, don’t worry as long as it hasn’t burned through all husks. To serve, remove from grill and place on a cutting board or surface. Wearing an oven mitt to hold each ear, pull back the husks to somewhat loosen them but placing them up around the ear again. Pile the corn in a large basket to use as the buffet table centerpiece. Make available: melted butter to squeeze onto the corn, Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Jalapeno Cornbread Sticks

  • 3 packages yellow cornbread mix
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped jalapeno, fresh, no seeds
  • 1/4 cup minced onion
  • 1/2 cup whole kernel corn
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, finely grated
  • 3 eggs
  • 1-1/2 cups milk
  • cooking spray

Pour cornbread mix into bowl and add all ingredients, except eggs and milk. Stir well. Add eggs and milk. Spray cast iron corn stick pans with cooking spray and bake according to directions on package of mix, but add 5 minutes more bake time, due to added ingredients. Bake until golden and crispy on the outside. Cornbread may also be baked in a baking pan and cut into squares, or baked into muffins.

Individual Chocolate Corn Tortes with Strawberries

  • 1 box butter recipe golden cake mix
  • 1 box jiffy corn muffin mix
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 5 eggs
  • 1-1/2 cups water
  • 8 oz. package cream cheese
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 12 oz. package semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 cups strawberries, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves
  • whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two cake sheet pans. Mix cake mix, corn muffin mix, butter, eggs, and water together. Spread pans. Bake according to directions on cake package. Remove from oven and cool. Using a 3 inch round cookie cutter, cut into 24 rounds. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese mixture on top of 16 rounds. Stack the rounds three high, on a cooling rack, with the top round left without cream cheese. Place in freezer, still on the rack, to chill 1 hour. Pour cream into glass bowl and microwave on high 1 minute. Pour chocolate chips in, and stir until melted and smooth. If necessary to melt completely, microwave 10 seconds at a time, stirring each time, until smooth. DO NOT BOIL. Remove tortes from freezer and pour/spread the chocolate ganache on each torte to completely cover top and sides. Chill in refrigerator until serving. Combine strawberries, granulated sugar, and preserves. To serve, place a torte on a dish, squirt a small amount of whipped cream in a line across the top of the torte, and drizzle 2-3 tablespoons strawberry mixture over top and on sides of dish. These can be brought out of the refrigerator without the cream and strawberries after the main meal is finished, and topped just prior to serving.

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⇴ image from pikrepo.com (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

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