A Fall Market Feast

My idea of a perfect Saturday is arriving early at the farmers market to get the day’s best selections and a bundle of fresh ideas. That’s what cooking’s all about: inspiration, freshness and intense satisfaction.

These dishes make the most of the early fall market, using the last of the corn in a cream-less but creamy corn chowder, plums and onions in a marmalade over sauteed duck breasts and tart apples in a quickly assembled brown Betty.

Factor in smoked trout on toasted rounds with cocktails, wild rice, a green salad with a sprinkling of Roquefort cheese and ice cream with the warm apple brown Betty and you have a wonderful fall feast.

Mandel’s latest book is “Celebrating the Midwestern Table” (Doubleday & Co., 1996).

CREAM-LESS CORN CHOWDER

1 tablespoon oil

2 onions, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

5 large ears corn

2 cups 1% milk

1 cup vegetable broth

3 tablespoons masa harina mixed with 1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons finely snipped chives

The smooth, creamy texture of this soup comes from the pureed corn, the corn milk that is pressed from the cobs with the back of a knife and the masa harina, a flour made from corn kernels that have been cooked and soaked in limewater. The same amount of corn meal can be substituted for the masa harina; the soup will be nicely thickened but lack the distinctive corn flavor of the masa harina.

Heat oil in 2-quart pot over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add onions, garlic and cumin and cook, stirring often, until onions are softened, about 4 minutes.

Cut corn from cobs. There should be about 3 1/2 cups of kernels; reserve 1/2 cup and transfer rest to bowl. Stand 1 cob at a time in bowl and use back of paring knife to press corn milk into bowl, moving from top to bottom along entire surface of cob. Add corn, corn milk, 1% milk and broth to pot and stir well. Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring often, 20 minutes. Stir in masa harina-water mixture and cook 2 minutes more.

Puree soup in batches in blender until very smooth, about 2 minutes per batch. Return soup to pot. Stir in reserved corn. Soup should be consistency of heavy cream; if it’s too thick, add milk or water to thin. Adjust seasoning. (Note: Soup can be made ahead and refrigerated for a few days or frozen up to 2 months.) Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot, garnished with chives.

6 to 8 servings. Each of 6 servings:

153 calories; 601 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.80 gram fiber.

SAUTEED DUCK BREASTS WITH PLUM AND ONION MARMALADE

MARMALADE

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

2 large plums, cut into 1/3-inch dice

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

DUCK

1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 boneless duck breasts, split, skinned, trimmed of visible fat

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 cups cooked wild rice

MARMALADE

Heat oil in 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in plums and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add brown sugar, vinegar, broth, salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Simmer until thickened to consistency of marmalade, about 4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. (Note: Marmalade can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.)

Gently reheat before serving, adding more chicken broth or water if mixture is too thick.

DUCK

Heat oil and butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season duck breasts with salt and pepper to taste and place in hot skillet. Cook until well-browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and brown second side, about 4 minutes for medium rare. Transfer to warm platter, tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes.

Cut breasts across grain into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange each sliced breast attractively on warm dinner plate.

Pour accumulated juices from platter into marmalade. Stir well and adjust seasoning. Spoon warm marmalade around each portion of sliced duck, reserving small dollop for top. Serve with wild rice.

4 servings. Each serving with 1/2 cup wild rice:

336 calories; 759 mg sodium; 73 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 20 grams protein; 0.59 gram fiber.

APPLE BROWN BETTY

APPLES

6 large tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons bourbon

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

TOPPING

1 1/3 cups butter cookie crumbs

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Vanilla ice cream, optional

Betties are among the simplest of warm fruit desserts. Rum or water can be substituted for the bourbon.

APPLES

Put sliced apples in large bowl. Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Add to apples and toss until combined. Sprinkle bourbon, lemon juice and water over apples and toss to mix well.

Transfer apples into greased 6-cup baking dish, spreading as evenly as possible.

TOPPING

Mix cookie crumbs, cinnamon, sugar and butter in food processor. Sprinkle evenly over apples and scatter nuts over top. Place plastic wrap over topping and press into place. Remove plastic wrap.

Place baking dish on baking sheet and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees until juices are bubbling and topping is browned, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving. (Note: Betty can be made a day ahead, cooled completely and refrigerated, covered airtight. To serve, reheat, uncovered, in 300-degree oven until warm, about 15 minutes.)

Spoon onto warm dessert plates and top with small scoop of ice cream, if desired. Serve warm.

6 to 8 servings. Each of 6 servings without ice cream:

303 calories; 113 mg sodium; 27 mg cholesterol; 14 grams fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.82 gram fiber.