Weekend Cooking...Jalapeño Corn Cakes with Shrimp and Avocado Salsa

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I think that I first saw this dish in a review for a cookbook from last year, “Sara Foster’s Southern Kitchen”. To tell you the truth, I am not sure where I saw it recently. Of course, I didn't write it down..all I remembered were corn cakes and avocado..so to Google I went, and found several different takes on it.
Some milder, some spicier, but all basically very similar.

And then I added a little something extra. "Wouldn't some shrimp be nice?" I thought and I answered myself, "Yes, they would! Shrimp are always nice."
So, some shrimp it was.

Oh, the produce it so lovely this time of year. Fresh Jersey corn is in and lovely Jersey tomatoes and local peppers, oh my. I trip to the produce market is full of colorful gems and this recipe takes advantage of a number of them. It is perfect, with very small corn cakes as an appetizer, as a summer lunch, or as a fresh and summery side dish, maybe with some grilled fish or chicken.

Jalapeño Corn Cakes with Shrimp and Avocado Salsa
adapted from A Spicy Perspective

For the Jalapeno Corn Cakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow corn meal
2 Tbs. sugar
1/2 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
2 cups corn, fresh or frozen
1/2 jalapeño, finely diced
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 buttermilk
3 Tb. melted butter

Combine all dry ingredients for the corn cakes, in a large bowl.
Whisk well, then add everything else, butter last, stirring continuously until smooth. Heat a skillet to medium-high.
Brush the skillet with oil or butter. Using a tablespoon scoop for small cakes or a larger scoop for bigger cakes, pour corn cake mixture in the skillet, cooking 1-2 minutes per side. Work in small batches.
If batter gets too thick as it sits, stir in a little more milk.

For the Shrimp with Avocado Salsa:

1 lb. shrimp, steamed and cut in bite sized pieces
2 large ripe avocados, chopped
1/2 small red pepper, diced
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tomatoes, diced
2 clove garlic, finely minced
3 Tbs. cilantro,chopped
1/2 jalapeño, diced
1 lime, juiced
1 1/2 white wine vinegar
2 Tb. olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Up to a day or two ahead, mix all the ingredients for the salsa except the shrimp and avocado. While the corn cakes are cooking, add the shrimp and avocado to the salsa.
Serve the corn cakes with a scoop of salsa on top, or pile them on a platter with the salsa on the side.

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This is my contribution this to this week's Weekend Cooking.
"Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend."
Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.

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