Snazzy side dishes

We just got our second bountiful basket last weekend.  

http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/ 

This time around, we got potatoes, spinach, lettuce, celery, plums, grapes, mangoes, pears, nectarines, corn and bananas all for $15.

 

Are you tired of eating the same 5 to 10 meals on repeat?  I know I am....even as a chef, my repertoire becomes redundant from time to time.  Immediately, I had to get clever to figure out how we were going to use all this stuff up!  Making do with what you have is an instant catalyst for creative cooking.  For my first snazzy side, I decided to make potato pancakes.  Potato pancakes are a delicious way to serve potatoes and get away from the usual routine.  Start by shredding the potatoes on a box grater.

Sprinkle the shredded potatoes with kosher salt to draw out all the water.  In the meantime, mince up red onion, celery, and garlic.

Squeeze all the extra moisture out of the shredded potatoes and place in a mixing bowl with celery, onions, and garlic.  Mix together with 1 egg and 1/4 cup flour.  Season with pepper, and thyme.  

Heat some olive oil in a large saute pan and form mixture into patties; fry until crispy on each side.

Serve warm garnished with sour cream.

In this rendition, I used celery because that's what  I had available.  These are also really good with shredded zucchini in the mix or with the potatoes by themselves.  I sauteed up the fresh spinach with garlic, salt and pepper and grilled off some New York Steaks rubbed with lavender seasoning. A lovely summer meal!

Nearly everyone on earth loves fresh sweet summer corn.  Since the bountiful basket delivered up 5 ears, I knew I could whip up a snazzy side.  This idea came from a popular Mexican treat of having corn on the cob brushed with mayonnaise and then sprinkled with chili powder, lime juice, and cotija cheese.  Well, this method produces and extremely delicious and extremely messy corn on the cob.  I decided to bake it as a casserole to keep the mess down.

First, husk the corn, and grill it until slightly charred. 

Let it cool, and carefully remove the kernels from the cob by shaving them off with a knife.  Stir up the kernels with mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chipotle powder, and cotija cheese.  Pour into a baking dish, top with panko and bake until heated through and bread crumbs have browned.  Panko is a Japanese style breadcrumb with a light flake style texture.  You could make this dish with frozen or canned corn but the charred flavor from grilling the fresh cobs really adds something.

I served this up with some grilled chicken thighs and it was zesty and scrumptious. 

You could add a million things to this roasted corn casserole: bacon, cilantro, and peppers are the first to come to my mind.  Get clever with your side dishes and don't get stuck doing the same ole' same ole.'

What are your favorite side dishes?  Is there a main course item that you're not sure what to accompany it with?