Recipe below the fold

Ingredients

5-7 sundried tomatoes, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large shallot, chopped

1 bunch kale (I used purple kale)

1 cup corn niblets

1 cup yellow cornmeal [I used Bob's Red Mill's wholegrain medium grind cornmeal]

1 cup spelt flour [also Bob's Red Mill's]

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup butter, chopped

1 large egg

Preparation

Soak the chopped sundried tomatoes in a bowl of hot water.

In a medium bowl, combine cormeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. If using butter, cut the butter into the mixture with two knives or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg and kefir until well blended. Add to the cornmeal mixture. Mix until thoroughly moistened.

Heat a 10-inch cast iron or heavy oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and stir fry the shallots until soft, add garlic and cook for another minute. Incorporate the sundried tomatoes (drained from the water) and corn niblets and mix in. Add chopped kale and cook until wilted (about 2 mins), adding salt to taste.

Fold the kale mixture into the cornmeal and return it into the cast iron skillet and bake at 350 F for 25-30 mins. Let it rest for 10 mins and serve immediately.

Ever since I got my cast iron skillet, I have been going nuts with the cornbread. Based on this sausage & onions cornbread recipe, I made my own version with spinach and then a vegetarian and non-wheat version.  On Sunday I varied from that basic recipe once more by replacing the zucchini with 2 cobs of fresh corn and the kale with half a bunch of yellow chard.  I didn’t have any basil around so I sprinkled some goat cheese on top at the end of baking for some extra tanginess. There was, of course, some leftover so when I woke up uncharacteristically late on Monday, a brunch was in order. So I fried an egg over easy (again, in my cast iron skillet, which is the best non-stick pan I ever had), then stir fried some small cherry & heirloom tomatoes and voilà: our brunch cornbread. Very very yummy.

This was very very simple to make and very tasty. I felt creative so I got a cornbread recipe off the internet, replaced a few ingredients, added some veggies, and voilà: Tomato kale conbread

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow cornmeal [I used Bob's Red Mill's wholegrain medium grind cornmeal]

1 cup spelt flour [also Bob's Red Mill's]

2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

5 tbsp butter [which I completely forgot; didn't notice the difference so I guess this can be optional]

1 large egg

1 cup buttermilk, or light sour cream, or plain yogurt [I used kefir]

1 small zucchini, grated

2 tbsp sundried tomatoes, chopped

4-5 small tomatoes

4-5 cups kale, washed and coarsely chopped (I let some of the water cling to the leaves so it will steam better)

2 tbsp olive oil

2-5 garlic, chopped (I looove garlic, so used 5)

handful of basil for decorating

Preparation

In a medium bowl, combine cormeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and soda. If using butter, cut the butter into the mixture with two knives or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the chopped sundried tomatoes.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg and kefir until well blended. Add to the cornmeal mixture, and stir in the zucchini. Mix until thoroughly moistened.

Heat a 10-inch cast iron or heavy oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and stir fry the garlic until it starts to turn golden (careful not to burn it), add kale and cook until wilted (about 2 mins). This is what my curly kale looked like:

While the kale wilts, quarter the tomatoes, put them in a bowl and sprinkle about a tbsp olive oil, salt & black pepper and set it aside.

Once the kale is ready, spoon cornmeal batter evenly over the kale and carefully spread it out. Place the tomato wedges on top:

Bake in 350F for about 30 minutes. Remove form the oven, sprinkle basil and let it sit for a few minutes before serving.

It was delicious! Next time I’ll sprinkle some crumbled goat cheese on top alongside the basil…