Chilled Corn Puree Recipe from Chef Bill Telepan

MYFOXNY.COM - On Good Day Café, Mike Woods is at the Bronx farmers market. Chef Bill Telepan from the Food Council at City Harvest is making Chilled Corn Puree.

>CITY HARVEST

>TELEPAN

CHILLED CORN PURÉE WITH EGGPLANT AND BASIL

Serves 4

FOR THE SOUP
1 small leek, white and light green parts only, split lengthwise, sliced and washed
1/2 small onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 russet potato, peeled and sliced
3 cups shucked corn
2 cups vegetable stock or water
Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a 2-quart pot over low heat. Add the leek, onion, and garlic and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Add potato, corn, and stock, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Carefully purée in a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper and chill.

FOR THE EGGPLANT
1pound eggplant-white or lavender preferred
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons parsley
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove stem from eggplant and cut in half lengthwise. Place in baking dish, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil, season with salt and cover with foil. Place in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes until very soft. Remove from the oven and cool. Then scrap the eggplant from the skin and put on a cutting board. Chop the eggplant well, until it looks like caviar. Place in the bowl and add the remaining oil, parsley and season to taste, reserve.

FOR THE BASIL PURÉE
1 cup packed basil leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice-water bath. Boil basil leaves for 20 seconds, drain, and plunge into ice water for 1 minute to stop cooking. Gather basil together with your hands, squeeze out liquid, and put into jar of a food processor with oil and blend until finely puréed. Season and chill.

When soup is cold, divide between 4 chilled bowls. Place some of the eggplant in the middle of the soup. Drizzle with basil purée.

Note: To intensify the corn flavor of this soup save the cobs and place them in with the stock. Remove cobs before puréeing soup.

Bonus Recipe: MARINATED CHERRY TOMATO BREAD SALAD

2 pints mixed heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved vertically (stem to tip)
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1 clove of garlic-minced
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 cups diced ciabatta or sourdough bread
1 teaspoon each chopped oregano and thyme
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 cup basil leaves-torn into pieces

In a small bowl, toss tomatoes with the salt and garlic and let sit 1 hour (they will slowly release their juices). When tomatoes are ready, stir in oil, vinegar, bread and herbs, let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. Adjust seasoning.