Pro Corn

Inspired by the buttery brightness of a bag of polenta and the sunshiny sweetness of sweet corn, I made this delightfully versatile corn cake or corn bread for dinner. And served it with a bowl of home-made tangy tomato and garlic sauce. You could make it for breakfast, a picnic, in the form of muffins….the variations are endless. It’s a dish that you can really have fun with it. It took me all of forty minutes to assemble and bake, so stow away the recipe for a lazy day when you want a good meal but don’y feel like slaving over it.

I added sharp cheddar, jalapeños and fresh cilantro to the basic batter. You can experiment with bacon, feta, cooked spinach, onions, chopped olives or just about anything to give it your own little twist of flavour. It makes a nutritious, substantial and interesting vegetarian meal – a fact that gives me a smug sense of satisfaction when I’m trying to notch up meatless days on my calendar.

Savoury Sweet Corn and Polenta Cake

Serves 4

1 1/2 cups buttermilk or yoghurt (or barely warm milk mixed with 1 tbsp white vinegar

2 tbsps butter or olive oil

1 1/2 cups polenta

1/2 cup wholemeal flour

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

1 1/2 tsps chilli powder or paprika

1 1/2 tsps salt

1 tbsp honey or sugar

1 large egg

1 cup sharp cheddar grated (optional)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped

1 cup fresh sweet corn kernels (optional)

1 tbsps jalapeños finely minced (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C, and place the oil or butter in an 8-inch baking pan in for  about 2 minutes till hot, then turn off the heat.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Beat the egg into the buttermilk or milk mix and stir the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients, combining well; if it seems too dry, add another tablespoon or two of milk or buttermilk.
3. Now fold in the corn, jalapeños, cilantro and cheese. Pour the batter into the preheated fat, smooth out the top and bake  for about 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown and the sides have pulled away from the pan. A toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.