Savory Cornmeal Waffles with Tomatoes and Poached Egg

Sweet waffles are a pretty ubiquitous breakfast staple. Walk into any breakfast joint and the menu is sure to feature some Belgium waffle monstrosity drenched in sweetened fruit syrup and mounded with whipped cream. Delicious, yes...but how 'bout a savory waffle for a change of pace.

Behold one of my favorite breakfast recipes. I am a huge fan of any baked good made with cornmeal so the idea of a savory cornmeal waffle topped with some fresh vegetables and a poached egg sounded like heaven to me. I originally first made this recipe during a Friday in Lent and we enjoyed it so much that we ended up making it multiple times during that same month. Paul normally enjoys his waffle topped with some shredded Pepperjack cheese in addition to the tomato mixture, but I think it is completely delicious without it - just so long as you have a good, runny egg yolk to function as the perfect "sauce."  You could also skip making your own tomato topping and simply use some store-bought salsa...it's pretty fantastic that way!  These waffles are also awesome when topped with some fried chicken breast and sawmill gravy, if you are in to the whole chicken and waffles thing!

Either way, for a truly different twist on waffles for breakfast, give this recipe a whirl!

Savory Cornmeal Waffles with Fresh Tomatoes and Poached Egg
Waffle Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

For the topping:
1 large ripe beefsteak tomato, small dice
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
A small squirt of olive oil
A small splash of lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
Poached Eggs

For the tomato topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Season well with salt and pepper.

For the eggs, bring a small skillet filled to a 2-inch depth of water to a gentle simmer.  Poach eggs in water for 3-5 minutes depending on how set you like your yolks. Season with salt and pepper.

For the waffles:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup buttermilk

Whisk together the flour through pepper in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and then pour in the wet ingredients. Gently fold everything together until no dry spots remain. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on your Belgium or regular waffle maker. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven until the eggs are ready (if you are making multiple batches). Top with poached eggs, tomato mixture, and a few dashes of Frank's hot sauce (why not?) and enjoy!

Blueberry-Corn Salad with Feta

One of the things I look forward to most during the summertime is the endless supply of sweet corn that comes pouring in from local farms.  You can usually purchase five ears for a dollar and it tastes so much more fresh, crisp, and sweet than any type of frozen corn.  Since it is so readily available, we eat corn in some capacity with almost every single meal during the summers.  Spoon bread, cornbread, corn on the cob, corn salsa, corn quesadillas, and corn chowder are just a few of a ways we have utilized this delicious crop so far this year.

But my absolute favorite way to have fresh sweet corn is in a raw corn salad.  Have you ever tried corn raw?  It is so delicious sweet and refreshing and the perfect platform on which to build a delicious summer salad.  There are several recipes for corn salads floating around the web, but this is my personal favorite adaptation of several different recipes I have seen.  It may sound weird, but blueberries and corn go really well together!  REALLY well.  Throw in some cucumber, red onion, feta, jalapeno and cilantro and toss with a creamy honey-lime dressing, and you get one satisfyingly complex salad.

If the idea of eating raw corn freaks you out a bit, you can simply place the corn cobs in a pot of boiled water for about 3 minutes.  Just pat it dry and let it cool completely before cutting it off the stalk and continuing with the recipe.

I'm eating the leftovers for lunch today while sitting outside reading Jane Eyre and watching Matthew tease the little pekingese we are dog-sitting for the week (he likes to take her favorite toy, hold it just out of her reach and giggle as she repeatedly jumps up and down in a fruitless attempt to rip it from his grasp).  Sounds like a great way to spend the afternoon!

Blueberry-Corn Salad with Feta

heavily adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

3-4 ears fresh sweet corn, husked and cut from the cob

1 large cucumber, peeled and gelatinous seeds removed

1/2 medium red onion, finely diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1-2 cups blueberries

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

2 tablespoons mayo

2 tablespoons plain yogurt (I like greek yogurt because it's less watery)

1 heaping tablespoon honey

1-2 tablespoons lime juice

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cut the cucumber into 1/2 inch wide strips and then cube crosswise.  Toss together in a large bowl with the corn, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, and blueberries.

Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing.  Pour over the corn mixture and toss gently to coat.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (but no more than 1 hour) to allow the flavors to jam together.  Sprinkle with feta shortly before serving.

To make ahead, you can refrigerate the veggies/blueberries and the dressing in separate containers and then just mix them together shortly before you're ready to serve.