Author Notes
You're going to think I'm lazy. And you're right.
I like olive oil, I like vegetables, and I like warm salads. So when I'm not feeling particularly inventive or energetic, I like to throw them all together in a single dish. Vegetables get roasted. Fish gets poached in oil (an old stand-by for me). A squeeze of lemon and a dried chile come in to give everything a kick in the pants. And I have a comforting dinner on the table without much thought or effort.
We like our summer produce at Food52 -- Want us to send you another corn newsletter? Watch out, or we will! -- so I had to get just one more blast of corn and squash in under the wire. Then, soon, I'll behave and start cozying up to apples and cabbage. —Amanda Hesser
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Ingredients
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4
ears corn, kernels cut from the cobs
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Salt
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Good olive oil
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3
medium yellow squash or zucchini, trimmed and each cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
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2
medium white potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
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1 pound
tuna, cut 1-inch thick (probably 2 pieces)
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6
sprigs thyme
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2
garlic cloves, lightly crushed
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1
dried chile
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1
small shallot, thinly sliced
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1
lemon, cut into 4 quarters
Directions
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Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the corn on a baking sheet. Season with salt and lightly dress with olive oil, tossing to coat. Spread the squash strips on one half of another baking sheet, and the cubed potatoes on the other half. Also season with salt and dress with oil. Place both baking sheets in the oven and roast until the corn begins to brown (about 15 minutes), and the squash is brown and the potatoes are crisp (about 30 minutes). Remove from the oven and as soon as the squash is cool enough to touch, cut the wedges crosswise into chunks.
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Meanwhile, lay the tuna in a single layer in a saucepan that fits it snugly. Wedge the thyme, garlic, and chile wherever they'll fit. Season with tuna with salt, then generously douse the tuna with olive oil -- it should come up about 1/4 inch on the side of the pan. Lift a corner of each piece of tuna and tilt the pan so the oil spreads under the fish as well.
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Place the tuna over low heat and gently cook the tuna, spooning the hot oil over the top of the tuna as well -- the oil should never boil. As soon as the fish is half cooked through (5 to 10 minutes), turn the tuna pieces and cook the other side. You want the tuna to be a faint pink in the center when it's done.
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While the tuna and vegetables are still warm, it's time to plate the dish! Spoon a bed of potatoes on each plate. Cover with a healthy smattering of squash and corn. Scatter some shallot over the corn and squash. Top with the tuna, broken into pieces. Spoon a little of the tuna cooking oil over the fish and vegetables. Serve with a lemon wedge.
Before starting Food52 with Merrill, I was a food writer and editor at the New York Times. I've written several books, including "Cooking for Mr. Latte" and "The Essential New York Times Cookbook." I played myself in "Julie & Julia" -- hope you didn't blink, or you may have missed the scene! I live in Brooklyn with my husband, Tad, and twins, Walker and Addison.
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