GREEN CORN TAMALES

GREEN Corn Tamales (because this tamales was completely made from the green husk. The chlorophyll of the husk leaked into the meal when steamed, turning the Masa green.) This is my family's favorite recipe. Turn the making of them into a family project, gathering the family together. A good vegetarian holiday meal.
4 lg. or 6 small ears of corn (about 3-4 cups)
1/2-cup heavy cream
1-tablespoon sugar
3/4-teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups shredded Montgomery Jack cheese
(Or vegetable cheese, like soy, almond i.e.)
Corn:
With electric knife, remove enough fresh corn from cobs to make about 3 cups. Then mix in blender or food chopper corn, and cream, not enough to Pure'. (Do not over mix...) (My son's short cut below is to use organically grown frozen sweet corn)
Pour the corn mixture into frying pan add sugar, and salt. Boil rapidly, while stirring, until this has reduced to 2-3 cups (depends on corn). This can scorch so don't add the cheese till you pull this off the heat. After you have removed from heat then add the cheese. Refrigerate, chilling the mixture over night.
Next Day:
**Have your husk soaking in warm water and dried. Spreading, one large, or two smaller sections overlapping the husks with the mesa dough. In the center spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mesa mixture. Fold sides of the corn husks coated to the edges with mesa over the corn filling making a good sealing. Make ties strings out of the husks to tie ends of the tamales.
Mesa
3 cups Mesa (make sure it's for "tamales") There is a prepared mesa already to spread in grocery stores. It is great to cut time.
2+ cups chicken broth concentrate (or vegetable broth)
¾ Cup of soften butter
Beat Mesa, broth together with 3/4-cup soft butter, lard or shortening until dough is well blended. Add enough chicken broth to make it easy to spread mesa mix over the dried husks. Close by using a thin corn husk tie or folding method. See on the package of Mesa for further instructions.
Steam: With a canning cold pack steamer (or other steamer) add water in the bottom and stack the tamales in layers going different directions with each layer. Steam (45 min.-- 1 hour), depending on how many made at one time and how stacked. The dough will come off the sides easily when done. (Makes about three doz.)
This is the best eating. Our family liked to eat them for 4 July, but now it is when we get together. You cannot buy them. You have to make them. My son Shannon has even mastered the technique and added a few of his own variations and he even bought a tamale book for more ideas.
Mine is the Indian style. I do have other tamale recipes made of beef, pork, lamb or chicken but this one is the best for a non-meat vegetarian version. ..........................................end

· To make this meat here is the simplest way. Use a small chuck roast, lamb, pork, turkey, chicken will do. (Wild game is great) Use up meat on sale or left in freezer.
· Cook meat until it falls apart. Cool, then tear apart the meat and add tomato sauce with a big block of chili con Carney, or just use its spices and make up your own. (Read label) Chili Con Carney comes frozen. Keep the meat moist by adding some liquids with tomato sauce close to the end of cooking (KEEPING IT THICK so it won’t seep through the mesa and easier to work with).
· Follow the rest of the direction with the corn tamales just substituting the corn part to meat and the block of chili con Carney etc. .............................................end

*Did you know the corn silk from the husks would rid gallstones? Save it and make silk tea for preventive. NEXT;

Shannon's my son. His approach of making corn tamales is a bit different from my recipe. It is the quick and easy way. The new generation style today. I thought to add it here since this is the family’s favorite recipe. On the fourth, we tried using the Mesa dough already frozen and made up. You can buy it at some of the super markets. It has baking powders in it and is less dense than in this recipe. We do not like how the corn seeps through the corn meal using Baking Powder but its nice to know about in a pinch. This is one of MY most popular recipes.

Shannon's Semi Home Made; Quick Corn Tamales:
SOAK: Corn husks in water until soft, and drain and dry. (Or use the some of the green husk on the corn. Save this silk to make up into a tea).
FILLING: 1 bag frozen white or sweet corn then, pulse in food processor (DON'T OVER DO THE CRUSHING to mush...), (about. 3-4 crushed corn), with about 1/2 cup of heavy cream, until just broken up ~ NOT creamy. (1 T. sugar, 3/4 salts) Heat corn in saucepan, then remove from heat and add 1/12 cups of Montgomery Jack cheese. This can be made up the day before for easier handling.
DOUGH: Mix 3 1/2 or less cups of mesa flour (for tamales) with two ~ 15 ounce cans of chicken broth. Add chopped cilantro if desired. Mix until consistency of thick frosting. Spread onto corn husks, and add filling mix down center of husk and roll into a tight package. (You can tie end with strips edges of corn husks)
Note the difference: My recipe, not Shannon that calls for the ¾ cups soft butter.
STEAM: On top of stove in a cold packer "cannier" or steamer then steam for 30 minutes or until dough is set. Move onto serving plate. Let tamales continue to cook in shell for about 35-45 minutes before serving. It depends on how many tamales you steam at one time. I always take one out and test to see how it comes off the husk. Yum!

* You can use the green husk off the corn, press out. This adds in chlorophyll and a fresh taste that's worth doing. Or at least add in a few leaves off the corn to the dried husk, and combine the two corn husks together.
Spiegel Online February 13, 2009 Grow and support local in season produce.
DO NOT USE GMO CORN: Institute for Responsible Technology November 13, 2008

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