Can’t Get Enough of That Corn

It’s been a great season for corn here in the Northeast, and we’re right in middle of it (the season and the cornfields). I just can’t get enough of it. I developed that craving in the 1950s growing up in the Corn Belt in Illinois near a large Del Monte packing plant.

We grew corn for our cattle and hogs, but Del Monte owned field after field and also contracted with other farmers to grow sweet corn. We ate our share during the season, and my mother took advantage of the bounty to pack a decent amount in the freezer. During the season, we were satisfied to eat it off the cob drenched in butter. The rest of the year, we mostly just ate the frozen corn as a sole vegetable for dinner with meat. Despite the availability, local cooks typically didn’t have a lot of other uses for it. In our house, the most creativity came out of a can for my mother’s scalloped corn dish.

Now, I take advantage of the season to cook the cobs, then slice off and freeze the corn for use over the winter. I have found many different ways to prepare it. Nutritionally, corn has a high fiber content and a host of vitamins, iron, protein, and potassium, but also offers a natural sweetness to dishes thanks to its sugars. The Farm Journal Cookbook calls it “the king of vegetables.” Adding corn brings another dimension to chowders and stews, not to mention salads. And while Americans are big consumers of sweet corn, the largest sweet-corn eaters per capital can actually be found in Mexico and South Africa.

One of my new favorites is a salad that also makes good use of other fresh local vegetables. This shrimp and corn taco salad is really good and also offers a number of easy substitutes for a tasty post-Labor Day meal. The shrimp is best if covered with a barbecue spice mix and grilled, but you can also just cook them in a pan. The corn can be roasted in a pan, or you can just use it cut straight off the cooked cob. Cherry tomatoes and chopped romaine lettuce make it a salad, and you can add a little heat with a few chopped pickled jalapeños. As for dressing, I favor a spicy buttermilk ranch dressing, but you could also mix in a commercial avocado corn salsa or a black bean salsa. To complete the taco theme, crunch up some tortilla chips and serve the salad over them or sprinkle them on top.

Other favorites include black bean and corn salad, a corn and tomato salad, and pasta and corn salads, making use of fresh-picked tomatoes and other seasonal vegetables.

Suppose you want to take advantage of that sweetening boost from corn to try some other recipes, especially if you have leftovers from dinner. For breakfast, how about a corn pancake, corn quesadilla, or corn muffin, not to mention corn fritters? For an appetizer, how about hot corn dip? And think about adding some corn to your mashed potatoes. If you have an ice cream maker, you could make corn ice cream for dessert.

If you’re ambitious, how about trying super, summery corn gnocchi: a mixture of corn, Fresno chilis, and a thinly sliced leek cooked and served with potato gnocchi. If you’re a casserole fan, maybe try corn and squash pudding: corn and summer squash blended with milk and cornmeal with a crunchy cornflake topping, baked in the oven.

Corn also pairs well with hot pasta. This pappardelle with corn recipe comes together quickly. It’s a mixture of corn and grape tomatoes cooked in wine and garlic and added to the pasta, then topped with Parmesan cheese and basil once served.

How do you like it? Or is that a corny question?

From your email, please click on the headline to view the blog and photo on the website. You can log in and comment at the end of the blog to share your thoughts and start a discussion, or suggest a topic for Farmboy in the Kitchen.

If you’d like to share the blog, click on the Facebook icon or one of the others. Thanks!