Photographs by Christine Moss

In a time of uncertainty, Chef Moss dishes up some comfort food, life musings and a recipe for vegan Corn Fritters to help us ease our discomfort

_______

So…it’s May 2020. And it’s surreal. Usually this time of year in the Catskill Mountains is met with great anticipation, as we break free from the cold of winter and bust out into spring. And yet, here we are — all in some level of distress/anxiety/depression because of no work or too much work, and possibly too much time with ourselves.

We are stressed as a global community even if things don’t seem that bad exactly where we are. Because we still feel each other's stress and fear.

As of this post, Spain just let their children outside for the first time in months. New York is still on lockdown and the beaches are just finally beginning to open in parts of California where they are currently experiencing a heat wave.

I’m still in layers and sweaters and watching small bursts of snow in late April. Some stand in line 6 feet apart for blocks and blocks waiting for food, while others still gather in masses for parties, funerals and protests. So, yeah, it’s surreal and shit’s real.

How am I coping? I have tapered off of the multiple-times-a-day news intake. I’m down to once or no more than twice a day just to keep up, because it's all changing so quickly. I’m cooking and eating too much…and I’ve decided long ago to not feel shame about my comfort snacks. I’m also cleaning out all of my closets and using all of my art supplies while watching Netflix. It’s a mixed bag.

How are you doing?

My kids recently requested a snack I haven’t made in years and I’ve decided to share it with you here. This recipe for Corn Fritters creates several servings, which is good because they usually stand around me and eat them as I fry them up. They are that good! If there are too many for just you, you can freeze them and reheat them on a hot cast iron pan or in the oven.

— Christine Moss, Chef, The Garden Café Woodstock

Corn Fritters

 Ingredients:

• 2 cups frozen corn kernels
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 1 TBSP ground flax meal
• ⅓ cup plus 3 TBSP water
• ½ tsp salt plus 1 pinch
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 plum tomato, diced
• ½ cup diced white onion
• 2 scallions
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• Vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

1. Make 1 flax ‘egg’: Mix the ground flax meal with the 3 TBSP of water and set aside for at least 3 minutes until it thickens to a loose gel-like consistency. (A flax ‘egg’ helps bind the batter together.)
2. In a small pan, heat up the olive oil and add in the tomato, onion and scallion. Add a pinch of salt, the paprika, garlic powder and thyme and stir every few minutes. Once the onions are translucent and the tomato is starting to break down, add in the ⅓ cup of water and reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer for 4-5 minutes and then shut off the heat and set aside.
3. Place the frozen corn, flour and ½ teaspoon salt and pepper into a mixing bowl. Mix together, coating each of the corn kernels in flour. Add in the flax egg and non-dairy milk and stir together until you have a chunky batter. Stir in the cooked tomato and onion mixture.
4. In a small pot pour in 2 inches of vegetable oil or in a large frying pan pour in a half inch of vegetable oil. Let it heat up and then maintain on a medium heat.
5. Using a teaspoon, scoop up a small amount of batter. With a second spoon, scrape it slowly and gently into the hot oil. If it is too loose and starts to scatter, add a little more flour to the mix. Fry until golden brown on one side then gently turn it over to fry on the other side. Remove and set on a paper towel to cool. Fry 3 to 4 at a time in the pan, do not overcrowd them.

Repeat until all of the batter has been fried. Serve hot.