Humita
It’s summertime. Which means it is time for Humita. Humita is a quintessential summertime dish that is dear to my heart for many reasons:
- In the summer, my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) provider, Potomac Vegetable Farms, has corn in ample supply! Thanks, PVF! (I have professed OneandahalfSlices’ commitment to local, sustainable agriculture and farming in another post)
- It is a highly versatile Argentinian dish that comes in many, many forms. For those that know me well, you know that I consider Argentina part of my cultural heritage despite the fact that I’ve got no official Argentinian blood in my veins. Humita appears throughout the Argentinian culinary atmosphere as a soup, steamed in the husk, baked (shown here), and as an Empanada filler (one of my favorites!).
- Corn is that beautiful, golden color – the color of sunshine, the color of pure joy, and the color of the recently-reimagined Merigold Analytics, my full-time employment as of this Fall!
- The corn emoji (🌽) has a secret meaning for my sister and I… 😊
what you need
8 ears of fresh, yellow corn, cut off the cob
2 tablespoons butter
1 sweet red pepper, finely diced
1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
1 yellow onion, finely diced
1 cup of whole milk
3 eggs
1 small block of soft white cheese, like gouda, cut into small squares
Salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne to taste
how to make it
Preheat oven to 350 and lightly butter a cast iron skillet or baking pan.
On the stovetop, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the corn, onion, red pepper, and parsley, and sauté over medium-high heat until fragrant, ~4-5 minutes.
Transfer the corn mixture into a cast iron skillet. In a separate container, beat the eggs together with the milk, adding salt, pepper, and paprika to taste. Pour the egg mixture over the corn mixture and sprinkle the gouda squares over top (if they are larger, you may wish to push them down a bit into the corn).
Top with a dash of cayenne pepper and bake for ~45-55 minutes until the top is golden.
Empanadas
There are many varieties but a recipe for specifically Argentinian empanadas is difficult to find – especially in English and out of the metric system. Often served as an appetizer, empanadas are hearty little handpies that can suffice as a meal alone and their flexible filling options (savory or sweet) make them perfect for just about any occasion. Argentina will always be a special place for me. So here is the elusive no-one-writes-this-shit-down family recipe.
Salt
“I have two lovers in life that I have never slept with. The city of Paris and potatoes.” – Francis Mallmann. The taste of empanadas, parrillada, and red wine came to flavor my adolescence, calibrating my tastes – both for food and experience – for something deeper.
What are you cooking today?
If you have never tried to make the OneandahalfSlices Argentinian Empanadas, now might just be the time! This weekend we whipped up a batch along with a simple shredded carrot, hard boiled egg, and golden raisin salad. We stayed hydrated with Yerba Mate and a variety of Fernet Branca-based cocktails.
