Maize and Maze and Corn Casserole GF

First, I will begin with greatest of apologies for my neglect to my posts.  My cooking and creating and creative cooking have continued in the lapse of writing as life has swirled its ups and downs around my happy kitchen. 

That said, a new beginning.  Corn or Maize.  As a child it was a favorite vegetable of mine.  Not so much for the crunchy sweet goodness - albeit a real perk there - but for its color. 

Yes, I have been powered by yellow for a long time.

As we come out of the summer months, the corn growing months, and enter into Fall my cooking thoughts drift to grilled corn, fresh corn, corn to store for winter months.  The recipe today is a great one to use as the nights get darker, a little crisper, and you have some stored corn.  We freeze our corn, right off the cob.  I recommend steaming it slightly but not fully cooked before cutting from the cob and into the freezer bags. Canned corn can also be used

Corn Casserole (GF) with a Southwestern kick

Ingredients and How To:

9 x 13 pan, buttered
oven to 375 for glass pan and 400 for a regular pan

1 egg
1 egg yolk
3 cups Corn
1- 4 oz can diced chiles (double if you want to taste more chile!)  * or fresh fire roasted, maybe three or four diced with skins and seeds removed
                                        
1/2 cup Oil
3 Tablespoons Honey
1 1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 1/4 cup Cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons Almond Milk * or milk of your choice

Mix dry ingredients 
Mix wet ingredients
Mix ingredients together, fold in corn, chiles and cheese.

Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for about 50 minutes.


 A lesson in brief on maize and mazes.  Maize is corn. I think that is sufficiently brief.

 Now, mazes, are a whole different piece to the historical puzzle.  Mazes, otherwise known -and mostly known -as labyrinths date back, way back.  Think ancient peoples, Romans, and

                                                                   
                                                                     Greek Mythology.

Labyrinths have been used as a connective or integral symbol for some cultures - Greeks, Mayans, Celtics, and Native Americans.  To some Native American people the maze is symbolic of a journey or Mother Earth.  Mazes were used in French Cathedral flooring, Scandinavian architecture and the wealthiest of European kingdoms developed a garden labyrinth for sport - find the center and then find your way back to the beginning point or

                                            for decoration such as the palace grounds of Versailles.
                                                             

 

This maze  located outside of the St. Francis Cathedral in Santa Fe, NM is considered medieval in its design and it is done in cut stone.  This church was built in the early 1800's, Roman Catholic, but a church had been on this site as early as the 1600's built by the Pueblo people. 

Coming forward in time, corn mazes have become a tradition.  There are competitions for most creative. 

 Particularly around Halloween we find the advertisements and competitions for the scariest, the spookiest, the mazes you enter at your own risk.  The objective is to survive.  I mean, the objective is no different than those of kingdoms.  Start at the beginning, find the center and return to the beginning.  Does anyone know how you know it is the center?  Hhhhmmm..... 

If you plan on such an outing this October, have fun.  Be safe! 

                                                                    For my kids : )