If you’ve visited the prepared foods section at Wolff’s Apple House and seen delicacies like Apple BBQ Pulled Pork, Roasted Chicken Romaine Salad, Best Broccoli Salad and hummus in all kinds of flavors, then you know that we have an innovative, committed chef. Chuck Smith, the chef at Wolff’s, has developed our mouth-watering, nutritious prepared foods menu using ingredients from our store.
When you hear him talk about working at Wolff’s, it’s clear that he loves being surrounded by high-quality local produce. “Here at Wolff’s, I have a pretty ideal scenario,” says Chuck, who has been working at Wolff’s since 2010. “Essentially, I work right alongside my supplier…my raw ingredients are subject to the same amount of scrutiny through the selection process that ALL of Wolff’s produce is subjected to.” He adds, “I believe that there is a tremendous amount of added value when a customer can visit the store in search of local produce and also find a selection of classic deli items that have incorporated those ingredients into them.”
This past week, Chuck shared his culinary expertise with Wolff’s Apple House customers during our monthly summer cooking classes of 2014. He provided tips on grilling sweet corn, and offered not only a recipe for Spanish grilled corn, but also for one of the key ingredients: mayonnaise.
“Chuck is knowledgeable, enthusiastic about food, and engaging,” says Ashley Wolff. “The corn was delicious and I learned how to make homemade mayo! I’ve always known it could be done, and I have wanted to try it, but I never have. Now I’m going to make if all the time!”
Here are his recipes, so that you can try them too!
Grilled Spanish Corn
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons mayonnaise (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 medium garlic clove
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¾ cup crumbled Cotija Cheese (about 4 ounces) (Feta or parmesan will also work!)
- 6 ears corn, husks on
- 1 medium lime
Instructions
- Stir together mayonnaise, garlic, salt, cayenne until well combined. Place cheese in a shallow dish. Strip off outermost layers of the husk on each ear and soak the corn in water until ready to grill.
- Heat grill to medium high (350-450 degrees).
- When ready, remove corn from the water and place (still covered with husk) onto the grill. Rotate ears by a third every ten minutes. Cook until husks are moderately charred.
- Without removing husks, pull each husk down to form a handle while removing silk at the same time. Working quickly, brush each ear with a thin layer of the mayonnaise mixture. Sprinkle cheese over or roll each ear in the cheese. Serve immediately with a wedge of lime for squeezing over corn.
Homemade Mayo
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon. Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- ¾ cup canola oil
Instructions
- Combine the egg yolk and mustard in a medium bowl. While slowly adding the oil, whisk until a tight emulsion is formed. Once emulsion is established, begin slowly drizzling in the lemon juice & vinegar. Continue adding oil until mayo has acquired the preferred consistency. Season with salt. Cover & chill. This recipe makes about ¾ cup and will last 2-3 weeks in the fridge.
Chuck not only crafts amazing seasonal prepared foods for Wolff’s, he also writes on our blog, sharing his recipes, knowledge and enthusiasm about food. Check out his articles about Paletas de fresa (strawberry ice pops), squash, his informal tour of the mushroom-growing capital of the world, and his delicious cauliflower gratin recipe.
And be sure to visit our final cooking class of the summer, September 16, 2014 at 11 a.m., when we will welcome Marie Connell of MyHouse Cookies!
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Article written by Rebecca Talbot and coordinated by VanDuzer Design & Marketing for Wolff’s Apple House and may also be syndicated on Fig: West Chester and Rachel’s Farm Table.