Polenta Bowl with Garlicky Summer Squash & Kale

Stone-Ground Cornmeal1 cup Nash’s corn meal
3 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter or oil

In a 3-quart saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add salt and gradually stir in corn meal. Reduce heat, stirring continually until mixture is thick and smooth. Blend in butter or oil, stirring with a metal spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking. Continue cooking for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

2-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium summer squash, cut into thin rounds
1 (14.5 ounce) can chickpeas, drained
1 bunch Nash’s Red Kale, stems removed, torn into bite-sized pieces
Fried eggs for serving
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Heat 1-1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, for about 1 minute. Add the garlic, summer squash and chickpeas. Cook, occasionally stirring, until the summer squash and chickpeas are golden brown and the mixture is fragrant, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the veggies from the pan to a large bowl. Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the remaining oil. Toss in the kale and cook, stirring often, until the kale is bright green and beginning to brown up a bit, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to low, add the squash and chickpea mixture back to the pan and keep on very low heat.

While the veggies cook, fry a few eggs in some olive oil until the whites are set and the yokes are still slightly runny.

Divide the cooked polenta between bowls. Top each bowl with with the veggie mixture, fried eggs, salt and pepper, pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and extra Parmesan cheese.

Recipe from dishingupthedirt.com.

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Sid’s Southern Skillet Cornbread

Now’s a great time to get cozy with freshly ground local cornmeal. Nash’s sales manager and miller Sid Maroney is from Tennessee and is quite the cornbread maker. Southern cornbread traditionally doesn’t include wheat flour or sugar, just good, fresh cornmeal. Try this simple recipe to wow and amaze your friends and family with the tastiest cornbread they’ve every had!
skillet cornbread3 cups Nash’s cornmeal
1 tsp kosher salt (1 1/2 if using unsalted butter)
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups buttermilk or milk
3 eggs
1 stick unsalted butter

Place 12-inch cast iron skillet on the center rack of oven and preheat to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk all wet ingredients. Combine wet into dry, mix thoroughly but avoid over-mixing.

Butter up the skillet (careful, it’s hot!) and spread the batter into the pan. Bake until lightly browned and starting to crack. YUM!

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Hush Puppies

Stone-Ground Cornmeal

Our cornmeal is not only grown and milled on the farm, it’s also GMO free!

Pair these with some of Nash’s hearty vegetables for a warm and filling winter meal.

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 (8 1/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1/2 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
1/2 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
1/2 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil, for frying

Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Pulse buttermilk, butter, hot sauce, cream-style corn, jalapeño, red pepper, onion, and black pepper in a food processor until almost smooth. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir together until combined. Cover batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate 10 minutes.

Pour enough oil to reach a depth of 2″ in a 6-quart saucepan. Heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°. Using a 1-ounce scoop, drop 2 tablespoons batter into oil, making sure not to crowd the pan. Cook, flipping once, until golden and cooked through, 2–3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer hush puppies to paper towels to drain; season with salt.

We thank saveur.com for this recipe.

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Parmesan Polenta with Sausage Ragù

Cornmeal, different grinds

Both the polenta and the ragù can be made ahead of time, for a quick, easy, yet delicious weekday meal.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound Nash’s Italian sausage
1 red onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups Nash’s medium-grind cornmeal (use the coarse grind if you like a more rustic texture)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat; add sausage and cook, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned, 5 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add tomatoes and boil; simmer until thick, 20 minutes. Add basil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring sea salt and 5 cups water to a boil in a 4-quart saucepan. Slowly add cornmeal and cook, stirring constantly, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy, 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add remaining oil, Parmesan, and salt. Divide between bowls and top with ragù; garnish with more Parmesan. Serves 4.

We thank Saveur.com for this recipe.

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Cream of Turnip & Potato Soup

golden turnips

It’s time to cream those turnips into a warming wintertime soup.

4 tablespoons butter
2 large turnips, peeled and chopped
1 large onion peeled and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon corn flour
1 liter warm chicken stock (vegetable if preferred) (about 4 1/4 cups)
1 bay leaf
Freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
200 milliliters cream (about 3/4 cup)
1 medium carrot, finely grated

In a large casserole dish, melt butter over a medium heat. Add turnips, onion and potato. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until onion is tender and translucent. Using a slotted spoon, remove vegetables from casserole; reserve.

Away from heat, stir flour into casserole juices until smooth. Slowly pour in chicken broth, stirring. Simmer for 3 minutes, until slightly thickened.

Transfer reserved vegetables back into casserole dish; add bay leaf and sprinkle with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Lower heat; simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally. Remove casserole dish from heat, discard bay leaf and puree soup mixture, a little at a time, in a blender.

Pour puree back into casserole dish; return over low heat. Stir in cream; simmer soup for 4 minutes, until hot. Do not boil. Remove casserole dish from heat; pour soup into 4 individual bowls. Sprinkle each bowl with a little finely grated carrot and serve.

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Buttercup Squash Cornbread

Buttercup Squash cutout

Buttercup Squash cutout

1 1/2 cup Nash’s stone-ground cornmeal
1 1/2 cup Nash’s triticale or white wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed or pureed roasted buttercup squash
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 cup Dungeness Valley Creamery milk
1/2 cup yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup melted butter (plus some for greasing the pan)
1/4 cup melted coconut oil, or light cooking oil, such as sunflower oil
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 400 F and grease an 8 x 11 baking pan or similar sized cast iron skillet with butter. Don’t skimp on the butter–it gives a nice crispy golden bottom and sides to your cornbread.

Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

The easiest way to roast squash is whole in the oven. Simply wash the squash, knock the stem off with the butt of a large knife, and place it whole on a pie dish. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45 min or an hour, until it is cooked through and can be easily pierced w a fork. Cut squash in half and allow to cool a bit before scooping out seeds. Mash flesh with a potato masher, or for a smoother puree, use a hand blender or food processor.

Whisk the eggs and maple syrup together until frothy. Add the pureed squash, milk, oil, and yogurt. Whisk all together until smooth. Fold this mixture into the dry ingredients until almost combined. Add the slightly cooled melted butter and stir everything together until just combined. Do not overmix.

Pour the batter into a greased 8 x 11 baking pan or a similar sized cast iron skillet. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the top is golden, the bread is pulling away from the pan at the edges, and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Place the pan on a wire rack and cool for about 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm! Yield: 12 servings.

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Sweet Corn Soup

corn on the cob

Although corn lovers often profess to have favorite varieties, the real key is freshness. Avoid corn with dry, pale husks and silks that are desiccated where they enter the cob. If pricked, kernels should squirt whitish juice. As for choosing the best-tasting corn, don’t buy a cob that’s more than 24 hours out of the field.

1 1/4 cups boiled sweet corn kernels
1/4 cup boiled and crushed sweet corn kernels
1 cup finely chopped and boiled mixed veggies (carrots, cauliflower, de-husked fava beans)
4 tablespoons corn flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
Salt to taste

Combine corn flour and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl and mix until the flour dissolves completely. Set aside.

Heat the butter in a deep pan. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté on medium heat until fragrant. Add the sweet corn, crushed sweet corn and veggies. Mix well and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add 4 cups water, corn flour/water mixture, salt and pepper, mix well and cook on medium for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately sprinkled with diced peppers as an optional garnish.

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Kia’s Skillet Cornbread

skillet cornbread

This is super simple to make, and can be altered in lots of different ways, depending on your mood!

1 cup Nash’s cornmeal
1 cup Nash’s white wheat flour (or triticale flour or red wheat flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon raw sugar
1 egg
1 cup raw milk
1/4 cup melted butter

Combine wet ingredients and mix them into thoroughly combined dry ingredients. Slather butter or bacon grease into 8” cast iron pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Variations:

  • Add a teaspoon each of chilli powder and ground cumin to the dry mix.
  • Grate or dice chunks of cheese and gently fold into batter before putting into pan.
  • Gently fold roughly chopped fresh cilantro, basil or parsley into the batter.
  • Gently fold about a cut of chopped peppers, leeks, onions, green onions, corn kernels or other veggies into the batter.
  • Use coconut oil instead of butter.
  • Top the batter with thinly sliced colorful peppers for a beautiful presentation.

We thank Nash’s own Kia for this recipe.

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About Nash’s Cornmeal

Stone-Ground Cornmeal

Nash’s cornmeal is stone-ground at our farm store from corn we grow right here in the Dungeness Valley. Try both the fine grind and the coarse grind!

Nash’s organic, non-GMO corn—grown, dried, and ground at the farm—is the perfect way to enjoy this nutrient-rich food.

Although corn is actually the fruit of the Zea mays plant, it is classified as a grain and is the only grain that contains vitamin A (though not in significant amounts). Corn also has health-supportive antioxidant benefits. In the case of yellow corn, it’s the antioxidant carotenoids leading the way, with especially high concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin.

Corn is a good source of dietary fiber and gives us plenty of chewing satisfaction. Eating organic corn meal not only helps support healthy populations of friendly bacteria in our large intestine, but also provides a direct supply of energy to the cells that line our large intestine, helping them stay healthier and function at a lower risk of becoming cancerous.

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Fontina Polenta

cornmeal

If you haven’t tried Nash’s cornmeal in the last month or so, take another look! The coarser grind is such a vibrant orangey-yellow, and the finer grind is amazing in cornbread.

It’s hard to find a good polenta recipe. This one is creamy and makes a delicious side dish to pork. You can add more nutrition by throwing in your choice of finely chopped herbs.

6 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Nash’s cornmeal
1 cup shredded fontina cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter

Bring the milk to a boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat; add the salt. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Pour the cornmeal in a slow, steady stream into the simmering milk and whisk vigorously for the first couple of minutes. Then switch to stirring every minute or so with a wooden spoon. After 15 minutes, cover the polenta with a lid and turn the heat to low. Stir about every 5 minutes and let it cook slowly for a total time of 40 minutes. Add the shredded fontina, parmesan and butter and any additional herbs desired. Adjust seasoning if necessary and serve.

We thank Virginia Newman for adapting this recipe from the original by Darin Gagner in 2015.

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