Maque Choux and Street Corn Pizza from the Garden of Earthly Delights

“It just arrived one day, like she was accidentally pregnant with her own dying. It was pain’s version of the virgin birth—you never did it with death, but somehow it screwed you anyway.”      CE Morgan

The best literary description of what it feels like to get a cancer diagnosis, from the inimitable author of my two favorite novels, All the Living and Sport of Kings. I imagine this is also similar to the sentiment harbored by the millions of humans infected with or who have lost a loved one due to COVID. The list just keeps running, with endless credits. So it goes.

Meanwhile, we still among all the living keep finding new roads to calm. Here in the South’s tropical spring, I find peace in the backyard, a place now more arguably a who than a where—this garden turned diva inspiring me to do better than pajamas. I just know my purple and red columbines, my hot magenta hibiscus, the toad lily and the mean girl succulents are like, Bish, Please! when I show up to water them in gray sweats and scuzzy slippers sans lipstick. Nature has a point. And profoundly, only one—survival is beautiful. Appreciating the lessons from my green girls and all the creative ways they find to be in the world while dying in the most gorgeous ways for the sake of seed, may they rise again.

We also have some vegetables in early action, so when my corn is ready to shuck, I’m gonna maque choux like the dance move it sounds like.

Maque Choux with Shrimp and Andouille

Adapted from Southern Living

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 ounces andouille sausage, diced

1 lb fresh shrimp, peeled

3 cups fresh corn kernels (about six ears)

1 medium-size red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

6 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add andouille sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add corn, bell pepper, onion, thyme, salt, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add cream and cayenne; bring mixture to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the shrimp on top at the very end, cover to steam the shrimp pink, when shrimp are pink, stir in black pepper. Divide among 4 bowls.

Or enjoy on toast!

Also this pizza is a nice way to garden it up–

Mexican Street Corn Pizza

Adapted from Southern Living

3 ears fresh corn, shucked

1 small poblano chile

1 pound fresh prepared pizza dough*

All-purpose flour, for work surface

1 tablespoon cornmeal

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon sour cream

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)

1 1/2 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled (1/3 cup)

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Lime wedges

Place pizza stone in oven. Preheat oven to 500°F. Heat a grill pan over high; coat with cooking spray. Add corn and poblano to pan. Cook, turning occasionally, until charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes. Cut kernels from corn cobs; discard cobs. Chop poblano, discarding stem and seeds.

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 14-inch circle. Scatter cornmeal on preheated pizza stone. Transfer dough to stone. Prick dough liberally with a fork. Brush with oil. Top with mozzarella, leaving a 1-inch border. Top with corn and poblano; then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 500°F until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together sour cream and lime juice.

Remove pizza from oven. Drizzle evenly with sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with Cotija, cilantro, and paprika. Slice and serve with lime wedges.

*Pizza dough

Did a new experiment this time, and it worked out okay.

2 cups white flour

¼ cup buckwheat flour

½ cup sourdough starter

¾ cup water

1 TB olive oil

½ tsp salt

Mix ingredients and knead with your hand until smooth. Cover with saran and let rest on the counter 45 min-60 min until its soft and easy to stretch.