Vegetable Tamales

Photo: flickr user Greencolander

Ingredients

4 Corn ears still in husk

6 Parsnips - (to 8)

2 teaspoons Oil

cup Diced onion

cup Diced red bell pepper

cup Diced celery

1 teaspoon Minced garlic

Salt to taste

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Roasted Chili Sauce see * Note

Preparation

Remove corn from husk, leaving husk intact and discard corn silk. Cut kernels from cob and reserve; reserve cobs for the Roasted Chili Sauce recipe.

In a saucepan of boiling salted water cook parsnips until tender; drain and puree through a food mill. You should have 2 cups of puree. Heat oil in a skillet and saute onion, pepper and celery 1 minute. Add garlic and corn, season to taste and toss well. Fold vegetables into parsnips. Pull back leaves of husk, fill with vegetable puree and tie shut with a piece of string.

Arrange a rack in a shallow pan or use a bamboo steamer. Place tamales in steamer and add enough water to steam, but not enough to get tamales wet. Cover tightly with a lid or with foil and steam 40 minutes. Serve drizzled with the Roasted Chili Sauce.