Corn Cakes with Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa

I really enjoyed these corn cakes. I found the recipe on Ezra Pound Cake, which I really enjoy following. The were easy to make and the salsa gave the dish a wonderfully fresh taste. 

I loved the salsa so much that I have plans to pretty much keep it around all the time. It would be delicious on just about anything. Well, maybe not anything, but you get my drift.

Don't these look great. I think I actually added more salsa before I ate it.

I had some little heirloom tomatoes that I used. Aren't they pretty? Yummy!

I'm growing both purple and green basil this year.

I just love the color and it tastes exactly like the green. I used both.

This is a picture before the avocado. It's a great salsa with a ton of uses.

The cakes are simple too.

Cut your kernels off and put 2 cups of them, (which was almost all of mine),

in your food processor and give them a couple of whirls . You want to keep some texture.

Add the cornmeal, flour, onion, basil, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper.

Give it a stir and then,

stir in the eggs, buttermilk and butter. Don't overmix.

Fry them up in some hot oil. Just remember not to over-crowd your skillet.

When they're nice and golden brown, drain them on a paper bag or paper towels

and keep them warm until your ready to eat.

The only thing left to do is ENJOY!

Note:  I froze my leftover cakes. I'm just gonna throw them in the oven and serve with some fresh salsa. I'll let you know how they held up.

Corn Cakes with Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa

Makes about 12 large cakes; serves 6 to 8

3 ears corn, shucked

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal (If you can only find cornmeal mix, skip the baking powder.)

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons well-shaken buttermilk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Canola oil, for frying

Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a brown paper bag.

2. Cut the corn from the cobs into a large bowl, and scrape the stripped cobs with the back of the knife (or a spoon) to release the juices into the bowl.

3. Place 2 cups of the corn kernels into a food processor, and pulse several times, until the corn is slightly pureed but still chunky. Scrape into the bowl with the remaining corn kernels.

4. Add flour, cornmeal, onion, basil, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper to the corn. Stir to mix.

5. Add the eggs, buttermilk and butter, and stir just to combine. (Do not overmix.)

6. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add just enough canola oil to barely cover the bottom, and heat until sizzling hot.

7. One heaping tablespoon at a time, scoop the batter into the skillet. Cooking in batches of 4 to 5 to avoid overcrowding, fry the cakes 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown.

8. Drain on the lined baking sheet, and place in the oven to keep warm while cooking the remaining corn cakes. Serve warm topped with a heap of Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa.

Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa

Makes about 2 cups

1 large tomato, cored and chopped

1 scallion, trimmed and minced

1/2 jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or flat leaf parsley 

1 garlic clove, minced

Juice of 1/2 lime

1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

1. Place all of the ingredients (except the avocado) in a bowl, and stir to mix. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve, for up to 2 days.

2. Just before serving, add the avocado, and mix gently.