Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [158]
Remove from the grill and let cool slightly. Remove the husks and brush generously with the tomato oil.
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KEEP IT SIMPLE:
Of course, you can slather your grilled corn with other sauces like pesto or good ol’ butter and salt.
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TOMATOES
Grilled Tomatoes Stuffed with Gorgonzola, Poblanos, and Pine Nuts
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
The Poblano-Gorgonzola Butter that we developed to go with lamb noisettes was so good that we had to use it again with tomatoes. It’s hard to know which combination tastes best. Usually we don’t seed tomatoes because you lose too much of the flavorful gel that surrounds the seeds. But when grilling tomatoes, you have to get rid of some of the liquid. If you don’t, it steams the fruit and the concentration of flavor that is the hallmark of great grilled vegetables never happens. When tomatoes are at their peak of ripeness in the summer, pull out this recipe. It makes a great late-summer first course.
INGREDIENTS:
4 medium-size ripe tomatoes
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
¾ cup Poblano-Gorgonzola Butter
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large scallion (green and white parts), finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
DIRECTIONS:
Light a grill for direct medium heat, about 350°F.
Remove the tomato cores by cutting a cone shape around the core that’s about 2 inches in diameter at the top. Scoop out the seeds. Lightly season the insides with the salt and pepper.
Stir together the butter, Parmesan, scallion, parsley, and 3 tablespoons of the pine nuts. Stuff the mixture loosely into the tomatoes, mounding it well above the top (it will shrink some when cooked). Top with the remaining 1 tablespoon pine nuts.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Put the stuffed tomatoes directly over the heat and close the lid. Grill until the stuffing is warm and the tomatoes juices begin to run, 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove to plates and serve warm.
CHILI PEPPERS
Grilled Chiles Rellenos with Corn
MAKES 3 TO 4 SERVINGS
Stuffed peppers are great on the grill, and these will satisfy both carnivores and vegetarians. Traditionally, chiles rellenos are made by stuffing poblano chiles with copious amounts of cheese, rolling them in thick egg batter, and deep-frying them. We always thought there was room for a grilled version filled with grilled vegetables and a bit less cheese. Here it is–the lighter relleno, with grilled corn and scallions in the stuffing and a grilled ranchero salsa on the side. If you can’t find poblanos, you can use the slender, longer Anaheims.
INGREDIENTS:
4 large poblano chiles
2 medium ears corn, husks and silks removed
2 scallions (green and white parts), trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup finely crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese
½ cup crumbled or shredded Chihuahua or Monterey Jack cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup plain dry breadcrumbs
¼ cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
½ teaspoon ground ancho chile
Cooking spray
1 cup Salsa Ranchero
DIRECTIONS:
Light a grill for bilevel medium-high/medium heat, about 425/325°F. Brush the grill grate and coat with oil.
Grill the chiles directly over medium-high heat until soft and blackened all over, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once or twice. Remove the chiles to a paper bag or shallow baking dish. Seal the bag or cover the dish and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skin with your fingers or the edge of a paring knife (wear plastic gloves if you’re very sensitive to the heat-producing capsaicin in chiles). Cut a 2-inch-long slit through the flat side of each chile and use a melon baller or grapefruit spoon to scrape out the seeds and core, leaving the stem intact.
While the chiles are grilling, coat