As summer winds down, it’s time to celebrate that most ubiquitous vegetable of the season: corn. This tasty grain is rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, phenolic acids, and anthocyanins that benefit human health. While consumption of processed corn products like high-fructose corn syrup has been linked to increased risk of various cancers, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, consumption of whole corn and other grains is believed to do quite the opposite.
For a rustic, crowd-pleasing savory side, try this Corn, Swiss Chard, and Ricotta Galette. It was sent to CCSA as part of a series of emails from our resident chef, Dr. Linda Doody.
“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.”
François de la Rochefoucauld
Corn, Swiss Chard, and Ricotta Galette
Mindy Fox, Fine Cooking Magazine (August/September 2016)
Notes
Ms. Fox is a cookbook author, food writer, and editor. Formerly on staff at Saveur and La Cucina Italiana magazines, her work has also appeared in The London Times, Food & Wine, Country Living, Fine Cooking, Rachael Ray Every Day, Time Out New York, Bon Appétit, and more. Her first book, A Bird in the Oven and Then Some (now entitled The Perfectly Roasted Chicken [2010, 2013]), was included in The New York Times Best Cookbooks of the Year and Food & Wine magazine’s Best of the Best. Her second, Salads: Beyond the Bowl [2012], was chosen as a Best Cookbook of the Year by Epicurious and a Best Summer Cookbook by The New York Times.
Fine Cooking magazine was launched in 1993 by The Taunton Press and was known for its meticulously tested recipes and in-depth cooking techniques. After it was sold to Meredith Corporation in 2020, the quality of the content quickly declined; the in-house test kitchen was disbanded, and content began to be filled with recipes from other Meredith publications. The final issue was April/May 2022, and since then a dedicated community on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/finecookingcommunity/) works to preserve and provide access to the original PDF versions of the magazine's issues.
Ingredients
- Cornmeal Dough
- 1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (plus extra for rolling out the dough)
- ¼ cup fine cornmeal
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4½ ounces (9 Tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 4–5 Tbsp ice water
- Galette
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oi
- ½ cup finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion (regular onions are fine)
- 6 lightly packed cups chopped Swiss chard leaves (1–2 bunches; the larger amount provides more color and an earthy flavor. Prepare the chard by cutting off the stems [which can be sliced crosswise and sautéed with the onions if desired] at the intersection with the leaves, then removing the larger ribs by cutting along both sides)
- 2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 3–4 medium ears) (either all white or a mix of yellow and white corn is recommended. Working with 1 ear at a time, stand upright with the stem end down in a shallow bowl. Using a sharp knife, cut downward along the cob, removing the kernels and rotating the cob after each cut)
- 2 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 small fresh red chile (e.g., Fresno), seeded and finely chopped (the Fresno chile is often confused with the jalapeño. Although genetically distinct, they have a similar heat range [2500–10,000 Scoville heat units (SHU) vs. 2500–8000 SHU]. Jalapeño can be substituted in this recipe)
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk
- 9 ounces (~1¼ cups) fresh whole-milk ricotta
- 1¼ ounces (~½ cup) Parmigiano Reggiano, coarsely grated
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Cornmeal Dough
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour mixture until most of it resembles a coarse meal with some pea-sized pieces. Form a well in the center and sprinkle with 4 Tbsp ice water. Mix with your fingertips until the dough holds together enough to form a ball; if too dry, add the remaining water by the teaspoon and mix until the dough comes together. (Note: Alternatively, mix the dry ingredients together in a food processor, then add the butter and pulse until there are pea-sized pieces. Pour the ice water into the plunger in several stages to allow it to slowly pass through the drizzle hole, meanwhile pulsing until it just sticks together.) Form the dough into a ball, put between 2 pieces of cling wrap, and press into an 8-inch round. Wrap tightly with more cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days before rolling out. The dough can be frozen for up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator overnight before rolling out.
- Filling
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion (and sliced chard stems, if desired) and sauté, stirring, until softened. Add the chard leaves and cook until tender. Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in the corn, garlic, chile, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and a pinch of black pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmigiano, egg yolk, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Reserve ¼ cup of the cheese mixture. Gently mix the remaining cheese mixture with the Swiss chard mixture.
- Galette
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Roll the dough into a 14-inch round on a sheet of lightly floured parchment paper, loosening the parchment from the dough occasionally and adding a bit more flour if it sticks. Using the parchment as a carrier, transfer the dough round to a baking sheet. Leaving a 2-inch border, spread the chard mixture over the dough, then spread the reserved cheese mixture over the center of the filling.
- Fold the edge of the dough up and over the filling. If the dough sticks to the parchment, refrigerate it for 5–10 minutes, and then continue folding, pleating as needed. (Note: Folding the wider outer edge of dough onto a smaller part of the circle allows the dough to pleat naturally. Going in one direction, fold the dough at regularly spaced intervals. A 2 inch-wide rim gives a nice ratio of crust to open face filling.) To make an egg wash, whisk the whole egg and cream in a small bowl. Brush the folded dough with the egg wash.
- Bake, rotating the baking sheet once halfway through, until the crust is golden brown, 40–50 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack, season generously with flaky sea salt, and let cool for 10–15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.