Time to focus on summer’s fave crop - corn

As I prepared to write this week’s column, I checked my database of articles to see when I last talked about corn. As you may imagine, I have covered the subject of sweet summer corn almost every year since 2005 in late July or early August. So, to keep up with my own tradition, here’s this year’s focus on corn.

 

If you drive down any Sussex County rural road these days, you may find yourself bursting into song when you see “the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye.” While this may be a pretty sight, those cornstalks are not likely to hold the tender ears of corn you serve boiled, grilled or stirred into chowder.

 

Most of the corn we eat is already being harvested and brought (almost daily) to local farmers markets, grocery stores and roadside stands. Those feathery corn tassels you see waving in the breeze are on ears of “field corn,” which is used for animal feed and commercial products like ethanol and cornstarch.

 

Although corn has been around for thousands of years, it wouldn’t be something we could eat (let alone enjoy eating), if it weren’t for human cultivation. Its predecessor, a grass known as teosinte, was deliberately bred from its wild form into the various breeds of yellow, white and multicolor cobs of corn we enjoy today.

 

And, growing a crop of corn is not a simple process. Larger-scale growers, who plant their corn in short, perpendicular rows, can depend on the wind to carry pollen from the the cornstalk’s tassels to the strands of silk at the end of each ear. Each silken thread is connected to an individual kernel on the cob and each needs to be pollinated to become a juicy morsel.

 

If you grow just a few cornstalks, perhaps in your backyard, you may not be able to rely on Mother Nature to efficiently pollinate your corn. Often, very small growers collect the pollen by hand from the flowers on the tassels, then use a paintbrush to make sure every piece of silk receives a sprinkle of pollen.

 

When so much summer produce is in abundant supply, we often try to preserve the season’s bounty by freezing vegetables. With corn on the cob, there are three different ways to do this. First is to simply shuck the ears, then place them in a zip top bag, suck out all the air and toss the bag in the freezer. When you’re ready, simply boil the ears as you would fresh corn — just keep in mind that the result will not be quite as tender and likely a bit watery. 

 

Another option is to cut the kernels from the cob, put them in a zip top bag and store them in the freezer. These shouldn’t be used in an uncooked dish, as they won’t give you the milky sweetness of fresh corn. However, they are an excellent candidate for one of the chowder recipes (below) or to roast with spices for a tasty side dish.

 

The third option is to shuck and blanch the ears in boiling water, then cut off the kernels. Once these are frozen, you have ingredients on hand for salsa, salad, cornbread or any recipe that calls for corn. Although this takes a little more time and effort than the other two approaches, it gives you the most versatility and convenience.

 

Since any of the freezing approaches result in corn that works for corn chowder, here are two different recipes. The one in the photo is a Bacon Corn Chowder that uses diced potato to help thicken the soup and bits of sun-dried tomato as garnish. The corn and crab chowder doesn’t keep the bacon in the mix, just uses it to render enough fat to sauté the vegetables. The combination of creamy broth and lump crab makes this a decadent treat.

 

 

Shuck the corn and collect the kernels in a bowl; set aside. Break the cobs in half and place in a saucepan with enough water to barely cover. Bring to a boil, cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, sauté the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onion to the pot and sauté until softened. Sprinkle flour over onions and cook, stirring constantly until flour turns golden. Add potato and 2 C of corn broth (water from cooking corn cobs), scraping up any browned bits and dissolving flour completely. Simmer, stirring often until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add sundried tomato, corn kernels and cream. Simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve garnished with chives and crumbled bacon. Yield: 4 servings.

 

 

Render bacon in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium high. Discard bacon and sauté celery, peppers and onion for about 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir until dissolved. Add broth and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring to incorporate any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add corn and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in crab, cream, salt, and pepper; cook to just below a boil. To serve, garnish with snipped chives.  Yield: 4 to 6 servings.