Children of the Corn

My mother is obsessed with sweet corn. She sends my dad out nearly every day to Confreda's to restock her supply so she can get her daily fix. And when she eats it,  it's like watching someone at a religious revival. I think with each kernel she bites into, some person in Nebraska has regained their eyesight and a cure for cellulite has been discovered.

I thought her devotion to zeppoles was strong...... until I saw her eat the corn.

A sole kernel somehow remains on her chin or lip, unbeknownst to her, and I'm convinced it's her subconscious way of keeping a lil' snack for later on.

I love corn too! Sweet corn is one of summer's culinary high points and I understand my Mom's "Eat it now while it's here" philosophy. Before you know it, the corn is gone and once winter hits, we are forced to eat the canned or frozen kind.

Sigh. What's a girl to do? Well, here is a great site to help you store and freeze it so you can enjoy it in the dead of winter when you've just shoveled your family's weight in snow and you are cursing your frozen car door.

I am blessed each week with 6 ears of corn in my CSA basket. I've tried cooking it a few different ways. There is one school of thought that tells you to peel some of the husks then soak the ears in water. Then grill them till they are charred all around. And let me tell you, I'm not a fan of this method. I think it's a total pain in the tuckus.  It's so messy to peel the husks off after you've grilled them so I found an alternate way.  I par boil the husked corn for about 5 minutes or so, dry them off, then I just grill them, turning as needed to get them brown all around. (Remember, we don't want to totally char our food anyway since the carcinogens are very damaging).  I find my method caramelizes the corn even more than if the husks were left on, creating an even sweeter flavor (if that's even possible!).

You can decide. Either way, farm fresh corn totally rocks. Here are a few more ideas if you'd like to dress yours up and try something to impress your friends. Personally, I love its natural sweetness and just eat it au naturale.  Proper dress not required.

More great facts about corn

1 cup of fresh sweet corn kernels (about 1 large ear) has 4 grams of fiber, plus it’s rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, compounds that help keep your eyes healthy as you age. It requires no utensils, kids love it and I heard myself say the other day, "This corn is so tender, you don't even need teeth to eat it!)

Clearly, the torch has been passed to me. Thanks Mom!