Jalapeño Corn Cakes

Heat the oven to 400°F. Put 1 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add the cornmeal, corn, 1 tablespoon oil, the sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the baking powder and whisk to combine; remove from the heat. Rinse, trim, and chop the chile; add as much of it to the batter as you’d like, depending on your affinity for heat.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the batter into 4 equal portions; working with one at a time, shape and flatten out each cake with your fingers until it’s about 1 inch thick. Put the cakes on the prepared pan and bake until they’re lightly golden and spring back to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Let the cakes rest for at least 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and salt it. Peel and chop 1 small garlic clove and put it in a large bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the vinegar, and a pinch each of salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Drain and rinse the pinto beans in a colander. Rinse and halve the tomatoes. Rinse the parsley; strip the leaves from the stems and chop them. Add half the pinto beans (save rest for another use, or use all if you prefer) to the bowl along with the tomatoes and parsley and toss to coat; set aside.

Rinse and trim the green and wax beans; cut them into bite-sized pieces. Add the beans to the boiling water and cook until they’re bright green, about 2 minutes. Drain the beans in the colander, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Add the beans to the bowl with the salad and toss to combine; taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve the corn cakes with the bean salad on the side.