Cooking Sweet Corn

Corn's beauty is its simplicity

Corn isn’t the fanciest vegetable.

Unlike many vegetables that can be prepared any number of ways, with corn, keeping it simple often is the best policy, said Raymond Bulluck, a Rocky Mount farmer. Growing Silver Queen sweet corn every year, he knows there are plenty of ways to cook the kernels on and off the cob. But when summer comes and the corn is fresh from the fields, Bulluck said, he usually goes the simple route of a microwave and a stick of butter.

“I’ve got it down pat doing it that way, and I’ve got one of those corn butterers that you put half a stick of butter in and it is rounded and you just run it up and down the ear of corn. That is what I do,” Bulluck said.

Corn usually is coming into season just in time for the Fourth of July and summer cookouts, so boiling or grilling it and eating it on the cob is a tradition for many people, said Jean Boseman co-owner of Boseman Farms in the Battleboro community.

The Ambrosia sweet corn her family raises is especially popular this time of year. It simply feels like summer when you chomp down on a warm cob and feel butter run down your chin, she said.

That doesn’t mean there still aren’t plenty of other uses for the golden kernels though, Boseman said. It is a good addition to salads, chowders, puddings, casseroles, breads, relishes and pastas.

“Growing up, if you had leftover corn, if you didn’t use it in your soups that you were cooking that week, you could make corn fritters with just eggs, flour and some sugar. The corn you had left over, you’d just mix it up and put it in some grease or oil and fry it,” Boseman said.

Don’t think corn only is for lunch and dinner though, Bulluck said. Not everybody would want to eat corn on the cob for breakfast like he occasionally does, but it can be a great addition to a vegetable omelet, quiche and pancakes.

No matter how you like preparing corn, the key is to enjoy it while it lasts, Boseman said. Since fresh corn is nearly impossible to come by during the winter, people have to rely on canned and frozen corn

from the store. Boseman freezes her own corn to enjoy later in the year, but there still is nothing like fresh, she said.

“We probably have it like three night a week. As long as it is fresh, I keep cooking it,” she said.

Healthy Cooking on the Cheap: Zucchini Muffins, Lighter Pesto, and ...

By Jenna Weber

Tie your apron on this week and bake up a batch of the sweetest, fluffiest zucchini muffins around! They’re perfect for snacking or alongside my Raw Sweet Corn and Cherry Tomato Salad for a light Fourth of July dinner outside before the fireworks begin. Try shopping at your neighborhood health-food store co-op or farmers’ market for your produce this week to ensure the freshest veggies around; I promise they will taste better! Fresh ingredients set the stage for delicious flavors to shine through, and I promise you won’t be disappointed (or weighed down!) by the recipes this week. Cinnamon and sugar for topping

1. Preheat oven to 375. In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

2. In medium bowl, combine grated zucchini, eggs, vanilla, and oil. Stir well to combine, then gently stir into flour mixture. Be careful not to overwork this—it will lead to dense muffins!

3. Fill lined muffin tins about 3/4 of the way up with the batter and then sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on each. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden.

1. Blend basil, parsley, garlic, miso, and bread crumbs in food processor or high-speed blender until smooth. Slowly drizzle in water while machine is running to reach desired consistency.

2. Spread pesto on sandwiches or use as pasta sauce. Freeze individual portions in little snack-size sandwich bags for later!

Raw Sweet Corn and Cherry Tomato Salad Tiny pinch sea salt