Freedom is delicious


Day 3 of my freedom from the Thesis, and I have entered a new level of food nirvana. M and I embraced the end of this academic era with a gastronomic adventure, starting with late night sushi, breakfast on the terasse of a quaint Kingston bakery, farmer’s market produce shopping and a exquisite dinner that celebrated the bounty of summer – sweet Picton corn, tender local yellow cherry tomatoes, crisp, deep green bunches of basil and mint, fragrant fresh thyme, pungent red and green onions….
Our mid-August supper was rather simple, starting with mojitos, brewed with 60 mint leaves, rum in a (large) plastic jug.

Mojito mania!


Refreshed, we then proceeded to make our mains: chili cumin chicken thighs, and grilled corn salad. Unfortunately, city living made it impossible to barbeque the cobs, but, pan fried, this salad was still excellent – I can only imagine how charring the corn on the grill would elevate its flavor to outstanding.

A note: we unfortunately did not marinate our chicken for long enough (30 minutes instead of the recommended 2+ hours); in addition to this, the Kingston Commons did not stock ancho chili powder, so we substituted with the normal variety. However, the meat was moist, the flavor was still intense and lingering and the texture, slightly crisp from the pan and interestingly grainy, most definitely gives this recipe staying power. Fresh lime juice is best in the salad, if possible, and try to stay under ¼ cups to start – the salad is quite tangy as it is!

Mint mojitos
Adapted from Allrecipes.com 

Makes 6 drinks
Ingredients:
- 300 ml white rum
- 60 mint leaves
- 3 cups club soda
- 3/4 cup white sugar, or to taste
- 3 limes, cut into wedges

Place mint leaves and 6 lime wedges into a sturdy glass. Use a muddler or the handle of a heavy knife to release the oils from the mint leaves and the juice from the limes. Add 2 more lime wedges and the sugar, and continue to muddle.

Transfer to a large jug, without straining, and add rum and club soda. Add 3 cups for ice cubes and stir well; adjust to taste. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve cold.


Cumin and ancho chicken
Adapted slightly from Epicurious.com

Ingredients:
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 3 tbsp ancho chili powder
- 3 tbsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp salt
- Olive oil (for frying)

1.     Toss chicken in chili, cumin and salt in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight.

2.     Heat cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and coat pan with a thin layer of oil


3.     Place thighs in a single layer, without crowding, and cook until a crust forms (about 5 minutes). Turn and cook until fully done, about 5 minutes more.

4.     Remove from heat and serve immediately; can also be served at room temperature, or even cold (ie. Straight from the fridge).

Charred corn salad with tomatoes and basil
Adapted slightly from Epicurious.com

Ingredients:

- 6 ears of corn, husked
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh basil, torn into small pieces
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped thyme
- Salt and freshly ground pepper

1.     If cooking on the stove: Cut kernels from the cobs. In a deep, heavy bottom skillet, fry corn kernels until cooked and bit blackened. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. If cooking on the barbeque: Heat a gas grill to high. Rub corn with 1 tbsp oil and grill, turning frequently, until corn is charred, about 10- 12 minutes. Remove from grill and transfer to a large bowl; allow to cool. When cooled, cut kernels from cobs and transfer to a large bowl.

2.     Place onion in a strainer and rinse with cold water – this mellows the flavor, allowing the corn to stand out.

3.     Mix onion, 2 tbsp of olive oil, tomatoes, basil, ¼ cup of lime juice and thyme into corn. Season to taste with salt, pepper and more lime juice. We found that the salad is best when serve at room temperature, as the sweetness can be somewhat dampened by the coldness of the fridge. 


A dinner fit for two Masters of Science.

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