Whenever the summer rolls around, cornbread is just one of those things I always love to make! For this recipe, I went the vegan route, and made a cornbread that uses miso paste and a corn dashi, as well as a vegan coconut buttermilk, just to create a super fluffy texture and a moister crumb. I served the cornbread with more of that chilled corn dashi, since I love the creamy texture of it, and how well it pairs with the cornbread in both flavor and keeping the cornbread from being too dry. However, I could not just leave the dish at that, as it would be too simple and honestly, kind of naked. So while I was wandering the Japanese supermarket, I stumbled upon these really pretty turnips with the greens attached. Originally, I had the idea of just using the turnip itself as a pickle and as shaved petals. But then I got the idea to also do roasted turnips, since that would add a nice meatiness to the dish that it was missing. And with the greens, I was going to use them in another dish altogether, but then I opted to make it into a green emulsion to add grassy and bright notes to the dish to contrast the creamy corn dashi a little more. Overall, it was a fun dish to make, a fun dish to eat, and it embodies summers in Asia and American, in my humble opinion.

For the corn dashi:
4 ears of corn
8g kombu
1 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 tbsp mirin
1 tspn miso paste
a pinch of salt

Remove the corn kernels from the ears of corn, but keep the cobs. In a pot, heat up corn kernels, cob, kombu, stock, water, and salt on low heat for 20 minutes. Remove the cobs, and puree everything else together until fully smooth. Pass through a sieve and refrigerate.

For the cornbread:
1/4 cup Japanese corn powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tspn baking soda
1/4 cup reserved corn dashi
1 tbsp miso paste
1 tbsp coconut milk powder
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tbsp granulated sugar

Mix ingredients together to form a cornbread batter. Pour into a lined sheet tray and spread. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

For the pickled turnips:
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tspn white sugar
1 tspn salt
1 tbsp water
1 Tokyo turnip, shaved thinly on a mandolin

Combine ingredients and allow them to sit overnight.

For the turnip green emulsion:
Reserved greens from 3 Tokyo turnips
1/4 cup vegetable stock
3 tablespoons canola or olive oil
a pinch of salt

Blanch and shock the turnip greens in ice. Puree with the other ingredients until fully smooth.

For the roasted turnips:
1 Tokyo turnip, cut into wedges
a pinch of salt
canola oil

Season turnips with salt and oil. Sear the turnips in a hot pan on both flat sides. Bake at 400 degrees F for another 5 minutes, just to guarantee that they are cooked through.

For garnish:
Shaved Tokyo turnips

Start with the cornbread, turnip green puree, and roasted turnips first. Top with your shaved raw and pickled turnips. Serve with the soup on the side.