SWEET AND SPICY SUMMER CORN PUDDING

Prep Time: 1½ Hours
Yields: 8 Servings

Comment:
There are many great arrivals from the garden in the summer months, but none are more anxiously awaited than fresh corn here in the south. I have often said that the best way to eat corn this time of year is simply boiled and coated in butter. However, my second favorite way is this wonderful side dish of sweet and spicy corn pudding.

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh corn, cut from the cob
1 (15-ounce) can cream-style sweet corn
⅛ pound unsalted butter
1 tbsp minced jalapeño pepper
½ cup minced onions
¼ cup minced red bell pepper
¼ cup minced orange bell pepper
2 tbsps sliced garlic
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup yellow stone-ground corn meal
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp chopped thyme leaves
½ tsp chopped rosemary
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and black pepper to taste
granulated garlic to taste
2 cups (½-inch) cubed French bread

Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a 9-inch, cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add jalapeño pepper, onions, bell peppers and sliced garlic. Sauté 2–3 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool pan slightly. In a large mixing bowl, combine corn, heavy whipping cream, eggs, corn meal, baking powder, thyme, rosemary and Parmesan cheese. Season to taste using salt, black pepper and granulated garlic. Add contents of the skillet, along with cubed bread to the corn mixture. Fold ingredients to combine completely. Pour mixture back into the 9-inch, cast iron skillet. Bake 50 minutes or until set. Cool slightly prior to serving.