Labor Day Weekend Corn and Black Bean Salsa "Nachos"

The school where Chris teaches has an amazing culinary program. Many of their students graduate to further their education at Johnson and Wales or the Culinary Institute of America, and the lunches he eats on a daily basis compare to some gourmet restaurants we've been to.

That hasn't been the case at Amy's school until recently, with the hiring of "Chef Dave" a couple of years ago, and the new addition of "Chef Debbie," both of whom are turning the school's culinary program upside-down (in a good way!!!). We non-culinary teachers got a taste of things to come Friday afternoon when a school-wide email advertised samples of "Labor Day Weekend Corn and Black Bean Salsa" for immediate noshing along with some conveniently packaged for us take home. Oh happy Friday!!!

Not ones to simply dip a chip, Chris and I took this delicious salsa to a whole other level by making nachos with it, using corn chips (Fritos to be exact) to heighten that delicious summer corn flavor. We laid out some corn chips, topped them with a cup of the salsa and some shredded cheese, and broiled them until the cheese melted. A fabulous snack, indeed! We saved the rest for our Labor Day BBQ with neighbors D and J who loved it as-is.

Laid out on aluminum foil

Topped with shredded cheese

Brown and bubbly nacho deliciousness

Special thanks to the FCS Kitchens at EHS for the samples and for sharing the recipe, (which I have typed verbatim below)!

Labor Day Weekend Corn and Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients:

5 ears corn on the cob, grilled or roasted

1 clove garlic, minced

3 Roma tomatoes, diced 1/2 inch

1 pepper (red, yellow or orange), diced 1/4 - 1/2 inch

1 small red onion, diced

8-10 sprigs cilantro, chopped finely

4 stalks chive, chopped

2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (the juice of 2-3 limes)

Cook off the corn on the cob; cut kernels off and place in bowl. Drain and rinse black beans and add to corn. Dice to spec the tomatoes, peppers, and red onion and add to bowl. Mince garlic and add to bowl. Remove cilantro leaves from stem. Discard stems. Chop cilantro leaves and place in bowl. Add to bowl the white vinegar and lime juice. Mix all ingredients. Place in presentation bowl and garnish with chopped chives.

Mexican Spring Dinner (Including Recipe for Rum Baked Black Beans)

To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, we took a cooking class at our local community college (Manchester Community College, Manchester, CT). The class was called "Mexican Spring Dinner" and it was such a fun time! A chef, an assistant chef and five students (including us) all spent a warm spring evening cooking, sharing tips and stories, and of course, breaking bread (well, nachos) together - what's not to love?

We paired off and split up the recipes so that our many hands could make lighter work. Chris and I started the Rum Baked Black Beans - aromatics, mustard, spices and rum mixed in with black beans, topped with crumbled bacon and baked for an hour - these were delicious, and the recipe is below. Our second task was to make the Lime Tortilla Soup, a fresh and healthy medley of vegetables and chicken with a tangy hint of lime and crunchy tortilla chips. A great tip from the chef - place fresh corn on the cob (still in its husk) in the microwave for four minutes and the corn steams itself, then you can eat it or remove it from the cob, depending on your needs!

Meanwhile, another pair of students worked on the Grilled Shrimp Nachos with Orange Salsa Fresca and Guacamole. The shrimp were marinated in a garlic/lime juice mixture then grilled and placed on a nacho with a cool, citrusy, tangy salsa made from herbs, honey, oranges and jicama; these also received a small dollop of guacamole. I can't wait to try the salsa with other things!

The final student worked twice as hard as the rest of us on the Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce (Forgot to take a photo! Darn!), a sweet challah-bread concoction covered with a silky, boozy, caramel-colored topping that was a wonderful end to our convivial feast and learning experience.

Here are some photos from the class, and a recipe for that tipsy take on baked beans (yum!). Special thanks to Lisa Montag Weikert for a great class and for permission to take photos and share her recipe for Rum Baked Black Beans.

Ingredients:
8 strips bacon
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon gground giner
fresh black pepper (approximately 1/2 teaspoon)
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 15-ounce cans black beans total - Use 3 cans black beans drained and rinsed plus 1 can black beans not rinsed or drained
1/3 cup dark rum

Preheat oven to 325. In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons of the drippings. Place saucepan containing the reserved drippings over medium heat, and cook onions and garlic in it for about five minutes. Add chicken stock, vinegar, ginger, pepper, mustard, honey, brown sugar, allspice and cinnamon. Heat to boiling while stirring. Add the beans and mix well. Remove from heat and add the rum. Transfer to a baking dish and crumble bacon over the top. Cover and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour; remove cover and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes. Enjoy!