Hearty recipes for cold nights (and a Thanksgiving preview)

Well, things have a way of evening out, I guess. Other areas have had rains, floods, earthquakes, fire and terrorists — and we’ve got early snow; lots of it! All things considered, I’ll take the snow — just wish my path to the road was a little shorter!

Chilly weather calls for warming, satisfying foods — and today I’ve collected out a few that should do the trick for a meal or two. Enjoy!

Southwest Rice, Bean,

& Corn Salad

1 garlic clove

1 small red or white onion

1 or 2 ears fresh corn (or frozen or 1 can drained kernels

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon coriander seeds, ground

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup regular long-grain rice

¾ cup drained canned black beans

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Mince garlic and chop onion very finely to measure ½ cup. Cut enough kernels from cob to measure ¾ cup.

In small heavy saucepan with tight-fitting lid, bring water to a boil with garlic, onion, cumin, coriander and salt. Stir in rice, lower heat, cover and cook over low heat 15 minutes. Stir in corn and cook covered, just 3 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice is just tender. Fluff mixture with a fork and transfer to a large bowl to cool completely. When room temperature, rinse and drain black beans and stir cilantro into rice with beans, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.

Recently, I scored some Chanterelles and added them to store-bought button mushrooms for this rich, savory, incomparable dish! Note — you add the pasta to the sauce, not the sauce to the pasta!

Mixed Mushroom Pasta

(4 servings)

12 ounces fettuccini

2 Tb. butter

1 pound mixed fresh button and wild mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried tarragon*, crumbled

3/4 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons rich red wine, Madeira or Sherry

Chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta in large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente or to your preference; drain well. Cover and set aside

Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-low heat; add mushrooms and garlic. Saute, gently stirring until mushrooms begin to release some juices — 2 or 3 minutes or so. Add whipping cream and wine; simmer just to blend, stirring in gently. Add pasta to the sauce, folding and tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide between four plates, garnish with parsley and serve with a glass of the red wine.

* I had (thankfully) dried tarragon leaves on hand, and really recommend you use it if possible since it provides the unique, exotic taste this dish calls for. Note for next spring: Tarragon plants in the potagers!

Thanksgiving’s just a week away, and recently, I provided some good stuffing recipes to bake as main entrees. Many folks don’t go for the traditional turkey, but still love dressing. Here’s a take-off that gives you the how-to for some great corn bread, and a savory stuffing to utilize it.

Buttermilk Corn Bread

2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

6 Tb. granulated cane sugar

1 Tb. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 400F. Butter bottom of 9x9x2-inch baking pan. Mix first 6 ingredients well together. Add butter and cut in with 2 knives (or food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal. Beat buttermilk and eggs together in large bowl to blend. Add cornmeal mixture to egg mixture and blend well. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake cornbread until light golden-brown on top and tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan in rack.

Enjoy warm with our previous hearty salad or let stand covered for next day’s recipe — which follows.

California Oyster Cornbread Stuffing

(8 servings — 12-cup casserole)

Use all of the cornbread for this recipe; cut or crumble into 1-inch pieces onto baking sheet and bake in pre-heated 325F oven until slightly dry, about 20 minutes. Transfer to very large bowl.

3/4 of a 10-ounce pkg. ready-to-use fresh spinach leaves, stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped (about 8 generous cups)

2 Tbs. butter

1/2 cup minced shallots

3 celery stalks, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 8-oz. jars/cans oysters, drained coarsely chopped

2 Tb. chopped fresh tarragon (2 tsp. dried)

3 eggs, beaten to blend

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or salted water

Add spinach to bowl of bread cubes. In large heavy skillet over medium heat, melt 1 Tb. of the butter, add minced shallots, celery and garlic and sauté, stirring until tender but not brown; stir into bread mixture. Melt remaining Tb. butter in skillet over medium heat and add oysters. Saute 2 minutes. Mix with tarragon and stir into stuffing mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper; mix in the eggs.

Preheat oven to 350F: Butter a 15x9x2-inch baking dish. Mix 1 1/2 cups broth into stuffing mix, incorporating well; transfer mixture to prepared dish. Cover with buttered aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is crisp, about 20 minutes longer.

If you’d like a no-frills-but-delectable dessert for your Thanksgiving piece de resistance — look no farther. I just found this old favorite that’s perfect; rich but light, easy and delectable with a side of vanilla ice cream. Best of all, it uses up that last zucchini you’ve been harboring in the crisper.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

(12 servings)

2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 3/4 cup pure cane sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini

1 6-ounce pkg. (about 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Beat sugar, butter and oil in large bowl with hand mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each. Mix in grated zucchini, blending all together well. Pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts evenly over top. Bake cake until tester inserted comes out clean, about 50 minutes Cool completely in pan.

Valle Novak writes the Country Chef and Weekend Gardener columns for the Daily Bee. She can be reached at bcdailybee@bonnercountydailybee.com or by phone at 208-265-4688.