Valley Bounty, July 26, 2014: Corn

Corn, the sweet king of summer, is here! Strip back its husks and sink your teeth into its juicy kernels. Corn season will reign from now until a hard frost. In my house, corn is boiled for three minutes and served with butter, or grilled and slathered in mayo, paprika, lime and cilantro for Mexican-style street corn. Corn freezes easily and well; it’s a great addition to winter cornbreads, chowders, or stir-fries.

By Abby Getman of Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture

Web Extras

If your regular routes don’t take you past a roadside stand selling corn, click here to find local farms, farmers’ markets and grocers who have corn right now!

How to cook corn

Boiled or steamed corn can easily be over-cooked, making it gummy and less flavorful. Here are two cooking methods:

Abby is a boiler: bring a large stock pot up to boil and drop enough shucked ears of corn in so that they are mostly submerged. Let them cook for three minutes, and place them in a large bowl with a towel over it for serving (it will keep the heat in and any flies at the picnic table away!).

Margaret is a steamer: boil an inch or two of water in the bottom of a large pot with a lid that fits. Add your corn. Poke the kernels with a fork every minute or so. When the fork goes in and comes out easily, it’s done.

In either case, feel free to add butter, salt, cayenne or more. Corn is a sweet vessel for flavor that is to be enjoyed fresh while the days are hot. Cut any leftovers off the cob and add to salsa or salad or dip (see recipes below).

Recipes

This Oaxacan style grilled corn by Sarah Voiland is a great addition to any cook out!

Here are two recipes from Mary Getman:

Corn, Tomato & Bean Dip

Ingredients:

• (1) 14 oz can black beans, drained
• 2 ears sweet corn, boiled and cut from the cob
• 1 large tomato, chopped fine
• 1 bell pepper, chopped fine
• 1 small sweet onion, chopped fine
• 2 tsp Cumin
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1/3 cup parsley or cilantro

Mix in a medium sized serving bowl. Salt to taste. Enjoy with tortilla or pita chips, add to sandwiches, or use on salads.

Corn & Bean dip with Feta

Ingredients:

• (1) 14 oz can black beans, drained
• 2 ears sweet corn, boiled and cut from the cob
• 8 oz package of Feta cheese
• 1 bu scallions, chopped
• 2 Tbsp sugar (optional)
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil

Mix in a medium sized serving bowl. Salt to taste. Enjoy with tortilla or pita chips.

Preservation Tips

Corn can easily be preserved by boiling it for three minutes, transferring to a sink full of water to cool quickly, and cutting the kernels off the cob for easy storage in a freezer bag. Fortunately, corn’s starchy sunshine keeps well frozen for any kind of out-of-season use.