The Harvest on Your Table

I'm a big fan of farmer's markets. Although there are many big "gourmet" grocery stores around town, the market is the best place to find wonderfully fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables. And I happen to like the idea of continuing to support the family farm as a way of life. (Isn't it sad that everything gets bigger and bigger and more and more corporate these days?) So, during the spring, summer and into the fall, I'm at the Dallas Farmer's Market once a week. I take a twenty and end up buying WAAAAY more stuff than we can get through in seven days. And I'm a discerning consumer...I have my favorite place to buy tomatoes, the booth with the sweetest peaches and know where to find the farmer who trucks in freshly-hulled black-eyed peas.

So, get thee to the market...whatever one is close to you. Make sure you buy from a real farmer-rather than a produce dealer who buys their stuff from far away and ships it in-and concentrate on things that grow best locally. You won't regret it.

Here's a recipe I adapted from Gourmet magazine to take advantage of the fact that corn and tomatoes are two of the best things to buy here locally in Dallas during this time of year.

Corn and Tomato Gratin

4 medium tomatoes, sliced in 1/2 inch slices
Salt
Pepper
6 ears corn
1 1/2 cups milk (1% worked fine for me)
2 cups bread crumbs (You can make in blender or food processor from day-old country bread or baguette...or just use bread crumbs you buy at grocery store.)
1/2 chopped fresh basil (or substitute 2 T Italian herb blend...or whatever dried green herbs you have on hand)
1/2 cup grated parmesan (Under NO circumstances can you use that stuff that comes from a green can. Get the real thing...you can buy it pre-grated at any big grocery.)
1/2 stick butter, melted

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.



• Bring corn, milk, and a pinch of salt to a simmer in a sauce pan over high heat. Reduce heat and cook until corn is tender, about 5 minutes.



• Toss together bread crumbs, basil (or herbs), cheese, melted butter, pinch of salt and a touch of black pepper in a medium bowl.



• To assemble gratin, put layer of tomato slices in bottom of square baking dish. Cover evenly with one third of bread crumb mixture and then half of corn.



• Repeat layer with third of tomatoes, another third of bread crumbs and rest of corn.



• Top with remaining tomatoes and bread crumbs.



• Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes.



• Cool 15 minutes before serving.

Add a grilled chicken breast on the side and you have a meal to remember.

Wine Pairing: With this, we had one of our "house wines," the Columbia Crest Two Vines Chardonnay. Chardonnay is always a good bet with corn and the bread crumbs help to bring out a bit of toastiness. To top it off, the zing of citrus in the wine accentuates the sweetness of the tomatoes.

Enjoy!