Roasted Corncakes with Goat Cheese and Tomatoes

Share healthy recipes with you, I have an incredible, fresh, easy summer-into-fall recipe to share with you that primarily uses corn and tomatoes, two vegetables just coming into season. This is one of the best things that I’ve made all summer, and one of the best recipes I’ve posted on this blog. It has so many textures and flavors that retain their individuality at the same time that they meld perfectly. The smooth, tangy goat cheese compliments the sweet, juicy corn and tart tomatoes so well. It’s cheap, so healthy, local, fresh… everything you could ask for in a recipe. Try it, really.

Roasted Corncakes with Goat Cheese and Tomatoes

Serves 5

• 6 ears of fresh corn
• 3 TBS butter + more for frying
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 c. flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 c. milk
• 4 eggs
• 8 oz. goat cheese
• 3 TBS minced fresh chives
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 10 leaves fresh basil
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1. In a small bowl, melt butter in microwave.  Add salt, pepper, and paprika and mix.  Shuck corn and use a pastry brush to spread paprika butter evenly over ears.
2. Roast corn for 10 minutes, either under the broiler (on high) or on the grill.  Rotate halfway through to ensure that it cooks evenly.  Allow to cool, and then scrape or cut kernels into a bowl.  Drizzle extra paprika butter from roasting pan into bowl as well.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda.  Add milk and eggs, and whisk until smooth.  Add corn kernels, stir to incorporate, and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes.
4. Place goat cheese in a medium bowl.  Microwave for 10-15 seconds, just to soften.  Add chives to goat cheese and mix.  Set aside.
5. Core and dice tomatoes.  Chiffonade basil.  Mix basil, tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, and kosher salt in a medium bowl.  Set aside.
6. Heat medium-sized non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat.  Add a small pat of butter, then scoop 1/2 cup of corncake batter into pan.  Top with a heaping spoonful of goat cheese mixture.  Spread goat cheese as best you can over surface of corncake.  Top with another 1/4 cup of batter to cover goat cheese.  Allow to fry for 1-2 minutes, then flip, and fry for another minute on the other side.  Repeat with remaining batter and goat cheese, keeping finished corncakes warm in an oven at a low temperature.
7. To serve, place several spoonfuls of tomato-basil mixture on top of each corncake, as well as any remaining goat cheese.  One corncake is sufficiently filling for a meal.

Nutritional and Cost Analysis (Nutrtition estimated using SparkPeople’s recipe calculator):Nutrition: 494 calories per serving (5 servings per recipe), 27.4 g fat, 4.2 g fiber, 20.8 g protein.
Cost: Estimated $11.70 per batch (corn at .35 each, tomatoes at $1 each, sundries at $2 total, chives at $1, goat cheese at $4, eggs at .15 each), $2.34 per serving.