Bluegrass Farmers Market

And, we are talking corn! Boy oh boy...are we ever! I asked farmers, customers and friends for their favorite fresh corn recipes and I realized that next to tomatoes, I think corn is the crowd favorite this time of the year. :) And, everyone has their way of preparing and enjoying this summer treat.

I thought I would share a few of their favorites with you but how about the basics first.

Standard in the pot boiling method...Shuck corn and wash off the silks. Place the corn in a large pot and cover with cold water. Put the lid on the pot and bring to a boil. Once the water reaches a good rolling boil, turn off the heat and leave the pot for about 3 minutes. You can also add the corn to already boiling water and continue to boil for 5 minutes or until tender. If you use this method, try adding some sugar to your water...yum!

Steaming works great too. Just shuck and de-silk, wash under cold water and add to the steamer basket over boiling water, cover and continue to steam for about 10 minutes.

Oven roasting is becoming very popular these days. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the corn, husks and all, directly on the oven rack and roast for 30 minutes. Be careful removing from the oven...they will be hot. Peel the husks back and remove the silks. Roll in butter and enjoy!

Microwaving is easy and a delicious way to cook just a few ears of corn. Leave the husk and silk on the cob, microwave on high for 3 minutes per ear. The husk and silk will peel right off. Just be careful handling it...it's gonna be hot!

Got the grill going? Grilled corn is wonderful! No need to shuck it before grilling, just rinse under cold water and place on the grill. It should take about 20-30 minutes...make sure you turn it occasional because you want a nice char on all sides. Be careful removing it and pulling back the husk...it's hot! Butter and enjoy, no fork needed, just use the husk as a holder. :) BTW, Parmesan cheese sprinkled on the buttered corn is wonderful!

Now for some great recipes...

A friend shared one of her favorite ways to use her garden fresh corn and it sounds wonderful and not as hard as I would have thought. Here's a link to the recipe that she uses from the Ball canning site for Homestyle Corn Relish. http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipe.aspx?r=79

This cool summer recipe comes from the Herb'n Renewal folks using their Herb'n Cowboy seasoning blend.

Cowboy Corn'n Black Bean Salsa

1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups fresh corn cut off of the cob

2 cups tomatoes, diced or a 14.5 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes

1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 cup zucchini, diced

1 tablespoon Herb'n Cowboy

2 tablespoons lime juice

Mix all ingredients well and let sit in fridge until well chilled. Serve with tortilla chips. Makes 1 1/2 quarts.

This next recipe comes from Virgil at Clark Farm...

“Sweet corn is now getting ready to pick. Try something new this year.

Sweet Corn Fritters

What kid doesn’t like pancakes? I find that they not only make weekend breakfasts memorable but can be a great vessel for a vegetable side dish. These fritters make the sweet corn of summer sing and will have your kids loving their vegetables. They aren’t messy either so can be placed in a Ziploc and brought to the park or the beach for a snack.

Ingredients
2 ears fresh corn (to yield 2 cups kernels)
1/2cup flour
1/3 c cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 c milk
1 egg
4 T olive oil

Method
Remove husks and silk from corn. With a sharp knife, slice the kernels off each cob into a bowl , you should have about 2 cups kernels. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder. Make a ‘well’ in the center of the flour mixture. Crack the egg and pour the milk into the well. Briefly whisk with a fork and then whisk into the flour until just combined. With a spatula, fold in corn kernels.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium/low with 2 T olive oil. When the oil is hot, spoon batter into skillet to make 2 inch fritters. Cook 3 minutes until the sides of each fritter is beginning to cook, then flip and cook another 3 minutes. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Add more oil if necessary before making more batches. Yields 10-12 fritters.

Grown up Embellishment: 2 T chopped scallion & ¼ tsp crushed red pepper mixed into corn.”

I saved what might be the most unusual recipe for last. I have to admit that I had never considered using fresh corn for ice cream! A friend shared this site with me and I have to tell you...I might be making corn ice cream this weekend! lolhttp://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-sweet-co-11255

By the way, corn is so easy to freeze so that you can enjoy it in January. We do nothing more than cut the stem end off enough to fit into a gallon freezer bag. Fill them up and label them. On a cold day when you want some summer goodness, just thaw the corn cobs, shuck and remove the silk and prepare your favorite way. Enjoy a wee bit of summer while the snow falls! :)