Part 70 (1/2)

cup cornmeal

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 cup finely chopped scallions

cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon salt

teaspoon cayenne

PREHEAT THE oven to 350F and lightly grease an 8-inch square baking or ca.s.serole dish. A cast-iron pan would work here, too (in fact, to cut down on dishes, you can saute the corn in a cast-iron pan and later use it to bake the batter).

Saute the corn, bell pepper, and jalapenos in a large skillet for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally; the corn should be very lightly browned. Meanwhile, stir together the cornstarch and coconut milk until the cornstarch has mostly dissolved.

When the corn and peppers are ready, transfer 2 cups of them to a blender or food processor. Add the coconut milk and cornstarch mixture, and pulse about twenty times, until the mixture is mostly pureed but not completely smooth.

Transfer to a large mixing bowl and mix with the remaining corn, cornmeal, maple syrup, scallions, cilantro, salt, and cayenne.

Pour the batter into a baking dish (or your cast-iron pan) and bake for 40 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

CARAMELIZED ONION-b.u.t.tERNUT ROAST WITH CHESTNUTS.

Serves 6 to 8 TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes Holidays a pain in the b.u.t.t? Just imagine perfectly roasted chestnuts in a rich, savory medley of tender b.u.t.ternut squash, white beans, and caramelized onions in this stuffinglike ca.s.serole-little bit like the best parts of a holiday meal all rolled up into one. It's only natural to want to serve this with simply roasted Brussels sprouts (page 31) and Holiday Cranberry Sauce (213). Enjoy this special ca.s.serole in those early fall months when the holidays seem so far away and all you crave are the fixins' of Thanksgiving dinner.

P.S. We'll admit that peeling a pound of chestnuts could have you longing for a drive around the mall parking lot. So if you'd rather not channel all your jolly, festive anxiety into peeling these little b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, you can also grab prepeeled or even jarred chestnuts for this recipe.

This dish is best made with fresh chestnuts when they are in prime season, between October and January. After that, the freshness of most nuts in stores is often dubious; all too often we've purchased a pound and found out after peeling them that many a chestnut to be nasty, moldy, and shriveled. Instead, look for prepeeled, frozen, or jarred chestnuts available during the fall/winter months in many gourmet, natural, or specialty shops. Plus, they easily cut the prep time in half, giving you more time to procrastinate gift buying!

Ca.s.serole: 1 pound onions, peeled and sliced thinly

cup olive oil

1 pound chestnuts, fresh in the sh.e.l.l or frozen/jarred and prepeeled

2 pounds b.u.t.ternut squash (1 medium-size squash),

peeled and cut into -inch cubes

1 (15-ounce) can white beans, such as cannellini or navy, drained and rinsed, or a (10-ounce) package of prepared baby lima beans

2 teaspoons dried thyme