So tonight Lynn, Diego and I prepared an entire meal with several CSA goodies at their house for their friends visiting from Florida. We used the purslane, jalepeno, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, and basil.

So you want to start with making your cornbread, because you can do everything else while it bakes. I have to preface this by saying that as a Southern girl, I am slightly ashamed to be putting a healthy, non traditional cornbread on my blog before the tried and true version my mother taught me to make with creamed corn. But my mother is thin, and I am fat. So I have to improvise for my waist line sometimes. This is the best I’ve got.

Jalepeno Cornbread

Makes – 12 brownie sized pieces

Nutrition – Pretty good. Corn is a sugary starch, but this recipe uses no butter or cream and lots of fresh ingredients. Plus its all in how much of it you eat.

Ingredients –

1 1/4 cup fresh corn*
1 1/4 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 – 2 jalepenos, chopped*
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 clove minced garlic
1 cup low fat sour cream
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese (keep a handful off to the side for later)
1 TB baking powder
1 tsp fresh ground sea salt

*CSA ingredients

Step 1 – Preheat oven to 350. Cut your corn off the cob and stir with jalepeno and garlic

Step 2 – Whisk together wet ingredients, including the egg, add in corn mixture and cheese and stir.

Step 3 – Add in the balance of the ingredients and stir. Prepare a brownie pan with some spray pam and pop in the oven for 35 minutes.

Step 4 – Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cheese you held aside across the top, it will melt while the bread cools.

So you have 35 minutes while your bread bakes. Take 10 to do some dishes and have a glass of wine with your friends. Then carry on prepping your sides and salads, and seasoning your steak. The steak should sit for at least 15 minutes before going on the grill.

Sauteed purslane – This was my first experience with purslane, and it was really delicious, but I wish we had gotten more than 1/2 lb in our CSA, because it only made enough to put a spoonful on top of each steak.

Trim all large stems from the purslane and clean and dry the leaves. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil with some minced garlic (about 3-4 cloves) in a pan and then add some water, and your purslane. Cook until soft and then transfer to a bowl.

Throw your steaks on the grill and start your tomato and basil salad. Chop your cherry tomatoes and basil, and mix with a drizzle of olive oil and more minced garlic ,salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble your plate! We salted some avocado slices and served the sauteed purslane and tomato salad half on top of the steak, and then cornbread on the side. With or without butter. ; )