Mussels with Sweet Tomato Jam on Sourdough; Corn and Zucchini Custard

An easy beach meal as August zips by

When mid-August arrives, the panic sets in. Especially here in New England, summers are a long-awaited reward for bearing through frigid winter days and Spring mud season. The realization that September is just a few weeks away brings my resolve to eke out more from each day. I had planned to entertain more, extend more invites to friends in loose connection, and to get outdoors to soak up the warm rays, preferably close to a body of water.

It’s always good to have a few easy recipes in one’s rotation. The end of a balmy beach day is best spent with a few crackers and cheese and a glass of wine or iced tea in the company of good friends. Or perhaps in solace under a tree with a rompy beach read. Certainly, not much time should be spent in the kitchen.

Mussels are a treat and an inexpensive, fast solution to summertime meals. They are a great contribution toward the two 3-4 ounce servings a week of seafood or shellfish recommended. These little bivalves are high in essential fatty acids, DHA and EPA, important for development of the nervous system and brain during pregnancy. Diets high in fish are strongly linked to reduced rates Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and depression and large clinical trials show eating fish can reduce cardiovascular risk of death by 36%. Fish oil supplements simply can’t make up for the nutrients, vitamins, and essential fats including Vitamin D, selenium, zinc, B12 and calcium that nature packaged in fish. People voice their number one reason for not eating fish to be lack of familiarity with how to prepare it. So, I’ve included a step-by-step guide to manage through mussel prep and 5 minutes cooking time. Don’t forget more summer recipes can be found at www.ellenkornmehlmd.com

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I serve these guys up with a sweet tomato jam and thick slices of crusty sourdough. There is something gleeful about eating with your hands. Spread the jammy sweet tomatoes on the dense, chewy bread or use it to sop up the garlicky mussel broth. Some ears of fresh corn are nice to add or you might make ahead my favorite corn and zucchini custard, a comforting, pudding-like gratin lightened up with yogurt. I love the egg-i-ness with the late August harvest of Butter and Sugar or Silver Queen corn, or green zucchini, and yellow summer squash. Any combination works with the custard base, and one might even add a handful of greens

Mussels with Sweet Tomato Jam and Sourdough

For the tomato jam:

2 pints sweet cherry ripe tomatoes, chopped coarsely, seeds, juice and all

11/2 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed or apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon ginger root, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder or flakes

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

Combine the chopped tomatoes and juices, lime juice, minced ginger, red pepper flakes, chipotle, salt, water, and cumin in a saucepan and bring just short of a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer on low, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes break down into a thick, jam-like consistency, 45-60 minutes.

Allow to cool and, if necessary, add 1-2 teaspoons of honey or brown sugar to taste. This will depend on the natural sweetness of your tomatoes. Refrigerate in a non-reactive container up to 4-5 days.

For the mussels:

3 pounds mussels, scrubbed and purged as below

¼ cup dry white wine
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, minced

1 Tablespoon flour
6–8 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 bunch flat-leaf Italian parsley, minced, about 4 Tablespoons

Remove mussels from their the mesh bag as supplied, and discard any broken or gaping open shells. Live mussels should be closed, or close when tapped, with the hinge muscle in tact. Clean them just before you plan to cook them.  Soak for 20 minutes in salted cold water during which, through filtration, the soak will remove grit and sand. Some advocate using a cornmeal or flour slurry instead of salted water to enhance purging. Next, scrub the shells under running water to remove any grit. Remove any retained “beard,” a brown seaweed-like string clinging at the lip of the shell.

Heat the oil in a large stock pot or deep-lipped skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir cooking for 1 minute until fragrant. Add 1 Tablespoon of flour and stir into a slurry. Add salt, pepper, half the parsley, wine, and 1 cup of water and stir. Add the mussels, evenly coating in the liquid, and cover with a lid. Cook the for 5-7 minutes, stirring the mussels every few minutes, replacing the lid each time they are stirred. The mussels are done when most of them in the pot have relaxed and fully opened. Discard any mussels that have remained closed.

Serve the mussels with thick slices of crusty bread spread with tomato jam and have extra slices on hand to soak up the garlicky broth. Don’t forget to set out a large empty bowl for discarding shells.

Corn and Zucchini Custard

8 servings

2 medium zucchini, sliced in very thin rounds

12 ounces corn kernels, fresh off the cob or frozen, thawed and drained

3 eggs

1 cup low fat milk

1 cup Greek style yogurt, plain

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup good quality parmesan, such as Grana Padana, fresh mozzarella, or low sodium cheese

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a microwaveable, oven-proof non-reactive nine inch baking dish with a little olive oil.

Slice off the stem ends of the zucchini. Cut the zucchini into very thin 1/8 inch rounds.  Grate the parmesan with a microplane or cheese grater or, alternatively, cut in shards with a vegetable peeler.

Lay the zucchini evenly in the glass dish and microwave on high 3 minutes until bright green to soften. Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon water.

Add the corn and toss to distribute the vegetables evenly around the dish.

In a separate bowl, beat 3 eggs gently. Add the milk, yogurt, salt, and nutmeg and whisk until no lumps remain. Add olive oil and stir further to blend completely. Add the cheese and distribute.

Create six divots or spaces in the zucchini/corn mixture for custard to settle. Pour the custard mixture over the vegetables and gently shake the dish to evenly distribute.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until a knife inserted in the custard comes out clean. For a fluffier custard, place the oven-proof casserole in a large roasting pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until the water level covers half the depth of the casserole.