3 ears fresh corn -- husked

3 slices apple smoked bacon

2 large green tomatoes -- diced

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup cornmeal

4 tablespoons unsalted butter -- at room temperature

3 large eggs; separated -- at room temperature

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.

Cook the corn in boiling salted water until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the corn from the cob; you should have about 2 cups.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until light golden, 4 minutes. Remove from the pan, cool and crumble into a bowl. Set aside.

Add the tomatoes and corn to the skillet with the bacon fat and cook until hot, 3 minutes. Add to the bacon.

In a large saucepan, bring the half-and-half and milk to a boil over medium heat. Immediately sprinkle the cornmeal into the pan, whisking constantly. Once the mixture has thickened slightly, change to a wooden spoon and stir until thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the bacon mixture and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the cornmeal mixture. Place the mixture in the prepared baking dish and bake until golden and puffed considerably, 35 to 40 minutes.

Immediately spoon onto serving plates and serve. Serves 8.

[PER SERVING: 280 calories, 9 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 16 g fat (9 g saturated), 120 mg cholesterol, 112 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.]

*Recipe from You Say Tomato, by Joanne Weir (Broadway Books, 1998).

Notes: Spoonbread is an old-timey, colonial American half-pudding, half-souffle bread traditionally served as a side dish to crispy fried clams or soft-shell crabs. You can substitute red tomatoes here if green are unavailable.

Kitpath@earthlink.net 8/27/98