The challenge for September was to come up with a soup or salad featuring corn. If you enjoy this staple vegetable, you will be delighted with the entries we received this month. Of course, it will be difficult to pick a favorite, but please do vote for your favorite entry via email, or leave a comment. Do note that my submission is not eligible for voting.
Our first entry comes from Cathy of
What Would Cathy Eat? She offers up this delicious summer
Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad. Cathy quotes Da Vinci, noting that "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication". This easy to prepare salad is made up of raw sweet corn, tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice and olive oil. Simply toss it all together. How easy is that? (Brooklyn, NY, USA)
Next up is Sadie of
So Many Veggies, So Little Time with this tempting
Smokey Corn Chowder with Sweet Potatoes and Baby Spinach. Sadie used corn cobs to make a stock for this chowder that consists of corn, onion, carrots, sweet potato, potato, red pepper, a dash of creole seasoning, black pepper, cornstarch, milk, gouda cheese, spinach and some smoke flavoring. Such a healthy bowl of nutrients, and you can throw in any veggies you happen to have on hand. (Deep South, USA)
Aine of Pea Soup Eats submits this tried and tested
Sweetcorn Chowder that has become a staple in her kitchen. Blended together are sweetcorn, onion, cumin, milk and salt and pepper to taste. This versatile recipe is sure to please the pickiest of eaters, including children. Garnish with parsley or some finely chopped onion if desired. (UK)
Mango Cheeks of
Allotment 2 Kitchen serves up this mouthwatering
Spiced Tamarind (Imli) Corn Soup that brings back fond childhood memories. Sweet corn, onion, romano pepper, cumin, coriander, chili powder, tamarind, and vegetable stock are pureed for a burst of flavour. This certainly would be enjoyable with some cornbread. (West of Scotland, UK)
Vanessa of
Sweet Artichoke contributes an inventive and exciting
Corn & Saffron Capuccino. Corn is combined with urad dal, cream, espelette chili, veggie stock and then garnished with saffron infused in cream. What a lovely dish to serve your guests or to just indulge in on your own. Vanessa notes you can replace the urad dal with potatoes, though I am especially smitten with the idea of urad dal in this dish. (Switzerland)
Megha of
Live to Eat weighs in with this recipe for
Mixed Baby Corn and Cinnamon Salad. Crunchy baby corn is tossed with sprouted beans, gherkins, green olives, tomatoes, celery, cinnamon, basil, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Megha loves corn and this is certainly a salad that would fill out a meal and it is easy to prepare too. (India)
Denise of
Oh Taste n See enters the fray with this spicy and warming
Chipotle Corn Tomato Soup. How could I resist this blended combination of corn, onion, carrot, garlic, stewed tomatoes, chipotle chilies, Adobo sauce, turmeric, paprika, thyme, oregano, tomato paste and milk. (Seattle, USA)
Our next entry is from Akheela, who blogs at
Torviewtoronto. This most tantalizing
Corn and Vegetable Salad includes corn (grilled or boiled), onion, tomatoes, red pepper, mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. For a variation, you might want to consider adding other vegetables or fruit, such as avocado. (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Satyasree of
Super Yummy Recipes is up next with her
Sweet Corn Bell Pepper Soup. This creamy and healthy soup is sweet and just plain good for you. This smokey soup is made up of sweet corn, bell pepper, mushrooms, onions, milk, corn flour, pepper, parsley, and a wee bit of sugar. Such a lovely Autumn soup. (Minneapolis , MN, USA)
Tanvi of
Sinfully Spicy cooks up this amazing
Grilled Corn Salad with Cilantro-Tamarind Dressing. This most satisfying salad is made up of husked grilled white corn, ripe avocado, sliced roma tomatoes, red onion, lettuce and dressed with olive oil, lime zest, tamarind, chili powder, a bit of sugar, cumin, coriander, salt and black pepper. A perfect accompaniment to any meal if you want to spice it up a bit. (Las Vegas NV, USA)
Our next entry is courtesy of Sweatha of
Tasty Curry Leaf with her fine
Curried Corn Salad. Fire roasted corn is tossed with bell pepper, red onion, tomatoes. Add lemon juice, chili powder and curry powder and garnish with cilantro or parsley for a most appetizing soup.
Chat masala would also be nice alternative to curry powder. (Bangalore, India)
My dear friend Susan of
The Well Seasoned Cook cooks up a special Asian inspired
Japanese Corn Cream Soup. This comforting bowl of delight would grace any table. Here we have yellow onion, veggie broth, cream, and corn all blended together. Garnish with green onion and/or deep-fried lotus root slices for a real culinary treat. (New York, USA)
I am pulling a favored recipe from the archives this month. This recipe for
Tomato Corn Chowder, inspired from a local Mexican restaurant, is made up of onion, garlic, corn, tomato, hot peppers, spices and herbs (cayenne, turmeric, cumin, mustard powder), fresh lemon juice, tomato juice and cream. I could not resist sharing this again. (London, Ontario, Canada)
Jacqueline will be hosting the next edition of No Croutons Required. Check back at the beginning of the month for the theme for October.
Of all the "little foods" of the eastern Mediterranean "meze" tradition, hummus has always been a favourite choice of mine not only for entertaining friends but also for simple and convenient light meal solutions. The simple background of ground chickpeas lends itself to adaptation to many varieties of spices and flavourings, making it one of the most versatile of foods in the vegetarian kitchen. So for me, it's another opportunity to make use of my favourite marinated sun-dried tomato recipe, which I've already put to good use in this delicious vinaigrette and in this rich and wonderful pasta sauce. And how could I resist including olives?
by Brian Eno
Milk, rice and honey — and only just the littlest bit of time and attention — are almost all you need to make one of the great comfort foods, warm rice pudding. Delicious at any time of year, rice pudding is gentle on the stomach with plenty of easy-to-digest nutrition, so it is also good choice to serve to those under the weather.
by Robert Polidori
Modern Spice by Monica Bhide is quickly becoming a favored cookbook in my kitchen. And best of all, Ms. Bhide includes lots of recipes for paneer cheese! I've been meaning to post this recipe for a while now, but better late than never. The first time I made it, the pictures turned out muddy, so I was loath to share until I could properly capture this pretty dish. 
by Talk Talk
Good pre-blended and packaged chat masalas are always available in Indian grocers, but making your own is always a preferred option for freshness and for experimenting with flavours — besides which, it only takes minutes to prepare a batch that will keep for months. This recipe comes from Yamuna Devi's indispensible treasury of authentic Indian cooking, Lord Krishna's Cuisine
. Mango powder, black salt, garam masala and asafoetida are also available at Indian grocers, but rock salt is an acceptable substitute when black salt cannot be found.
by Milan Kundera
