Was this corn picked this morning?
Here it is almost Labor Day and I have yet to write about the most iconic of American summer foods: corn on the cob. Well, how much is there to say about corn on the cob? More than you might think. First of all, you should know that I am a corn snob, and I get that from my mother. No grocery store corn for me, thank you very much. Fresh corn may only be purchased at a farmers’ market or farmstand and even then you have to interrogate the seller about when the corn was picked. He or she will invarably assure you that the corn was picked “this morning,” which may or may not be true. How will you ever know? But it makes me feel better to ask. Why is when the corn was picked so important? Well, the sugars in corn begin turning to starch the moment the corn is picked, so the closer to the field your corn is, the sweeter, and less starchy it will be.
When I was growing up in Washington DC, there were numerous roadside farmstands selling corn and tomatoes and melons trucked in from the Maryland countryside. I have fond memories of my mother slamming on the brakes and pulling the family station wagon over to the side of busy River Road – on our way home from the pool naturally – to buy corn for that night’s dinner. My mother adores corn on the cob, more than most people even, and while she is not usually a big eater, she can really put away the corn. Of course, Mom maintains that the best corn comes from New Jersey, where she grew up. That may or may not be true, but we all agree that the corn grown in the sandy soil of Nantucket, a place where we spent many summer vacations when I was little, is also excellent.
Now, of course, I eat Midwestern corn. It’s fine. Probably the people who grew up here think its the best corn in the world. That’s how corn nostaglia works. At my beloved Oak Park farmers’ market, there are bins and bins of fresh corn — with a sign saying that it was picked “this morning,” natch – and people gather round and practically strip off half the husk before either placing the ear in their reusable Whole Foods shopping bags or tossing it back on the pile because of some perceived flaw. C’mon people! Enough of this sociopathic practice! Stripping the husks away and then leaving the corn kernels to sit exposed in the sun only accelerates that dastardly sugar-to-starch conversion. Learn to judge an ear by its cover. It should feel heavy for its size and have nice, fresh silks, okay?
Shucking corn can be a family affair, but wait until close to dinner time
I alway buy a dozen ears of corn at the farmers’ market, no matter how many people I am planning on feeding. Corn is one of those things — like zucchini and red peppers, when they are in season – that is amazingly inexpensive at a farmers’ market. (This is opposed to some of the produce at the farmers’ market, like berries and heirloom tomatoes, which can force you to take out a second mortgage on your home.) A dozen ears is usually $5 and for that paltry sum you can either feed corn on the cob to a huge crowd, or you can feed corn on the cob to a smaller crowd and still have plenty of corn left over to use for salads, soup or corn pudding later in the week.
There are lots of ways to cook corn on the cob. In my house, we sometimes grill it and sometimes boil it. If you boil your corn, do NOT salt the water — it makes your corn tough – and don’t overcook the corn. When corn is sweet and fresh, three minutes in boiling water is plenty. Serve it with butter and salt, or get fancy and dress it up with lime juice and chili powder. As long as it is fresh and not overcooked, you can’t mess up corn on the cob.
When I buy more ears than I need for dinner, I cook the extra ears that same day and then cut the kernels off the cobs using my ingenious OXO Corn Stripper. (Cutting corn off the cob with a big knife, as I used to do, inevitably resulted in a huge mess as the kernels flew everywhere. The Corn Stripper catches the kernels as it strips them and that alone is worth the price.) I then refrigerate the kernels until I need them. If it weren’t the middle of summer, I might make corn chowder or corn-and-tomatillo soup with the extra corn. And if my beloved Zuzu were not allergic to dairy and egg, I might make a corn pudding with them. But as it is, I usually end up making corn salad.
I have two recipes for corn salad that I use over and over. The first is a recipe I made up using tomato and red onion and fresh herbs. This corn salad makes a delicious, festive side dish for summer cookouts and potlucks. If you go light on the Tabasco, you might even find that your kids will eat it. You can also add black beans to this corn salad to turn it into a complete main dish that your vegetarian and vegan friends will appreciate.
The second corn salad is a recipe from dear departed Gourmet magazine. The Gourmet recipe came out several years ago, and when it did, my mother was so taken with the sound of it that she went right out and bought two julienne peelers, one for her and one for me, so we could julienne the zucchini the way the recipe dictates. What I like about this corn salad is the way it uses zucchini in an unusual way. It’s a very pretty dish that will impress your dinner company. I even made it for foodie mom blogger extraordinaire, Chef Druck.
When making this corn salad, add the fresh herbs right before serving.
Corn, Red Onion and Tomato Salad
Cooked corn kernels from 4-5 ears of corn
1 small red onion, diced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
Juice and zest of one lime
Extra virgin olive oil, preferably a fruity variety
Tabasco
Sugar
Several TBs of chopped cilantro (if you don’t care for cilantro, fresh basil is a good substitution)
Combine corn, red onion and grape tomatoes in a large bowl, tossing gently. Place lime zest and freshly squeezed lime juice into a small bowl. Add a pinch or two of sugar and a dash or two of Tabasco to taste. While whisking the lime juice mixture, gradually add the olive oil in a stream until there is three parts olive oil to one part lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Drizzle the dressing over the vegetables. Do not feel compelled to use all of the dressing! You do not want your salad to be soggy. Add the chopped cilantro, or basil if using, and toss gently. Serve immediately.
Zucchini, Corn and Tomato Salad
Reprinted from Gourmet Magazine
1 1/2 lbs. medium zucchini
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup cooked fresh corn kernels
8 oz. grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 TB fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut the outside, green parts of the zucchini into very thin, julienne strips — this is best done with a julienne peeler or adjustable blade slicer. Toss the zucchini strips with 1 tsp. of kosher salt and let drain in a colander, covered and chilled, for one hour. After one hour, gently squeeze the zucchini strips to remove excess water and pat dry with paper towels. Combine zucchini strips, corn kernels and halved grape tomatoes in a large bowl and toss well. Whisk together lemon juice and salt and pepper, than gradually add oil in a slow stream, continuing to whisk. Drizzle dressing over the vegetables and add fresh basil. Toss well and serve immediately.
Oh my goodness. I could totally eat a big bowl of that right this second! YUMMMY! : )
I never strip the husks off the corn, but one Sunday I bought 4 nice plump ears and 3 of them were spoiled and infested with the ugliest, biggest caterpillars I’ve ever seen.