LETTER FROM THE KITCHEN
My mother boiled sweet corn for ten minutes. She added sugar to the water.
Wondering where she got that, I pulled out the two cookbooks I still have that were hers. TheBetty Crocker Cookbook, 1976. The Joy of Cooking — first published in 1931, and my copy is the 1964 edition. Betty Crocker says to add sugar and lemon juice to the water, and boil for 2 minutes. Joy of Cooking says to use 1 inch of water or milk, and boil for 4 to 10 minutes until the kernels are tender.
So she took the sugar from one and the timing from the other and skipped the milk and lemon juice.
A farmer told me recently that the only reason to heat a cob of corn is that it makes the butter melt better.
I’ve been cutting corn off the cob raw for salads all summer. My preferred cooking method is below. Throwing it in a fire in the husks is pretty good too.
LAST WEEK, YOU ANSWERED
Last week’s question: Who’s your sweet corn person? Name the farmer or the stand — I’m curious.
Everyone who responded had a favorite vendor and was completely loyal to that person and their type of corn. I would call the responses emphatic.
There are well over a hundred varieties of sweet corn available across several major genetic types. At the Minneapolis Farmers Market, I know of at least ten different varieties being grown this year alone. Most farmers settle on one or two that perform well for them — and most importantly, that their customers have come to know and love. That consistency is what builds a following.
That is exactly why you’ll hear people swear their farmer has the best sweet corn.
While we’re on the subject, a few things about corn:
Sweet corn isn’t a term of endearment. It’s one of the five major types of corn.
Corn is grown on every continent, except Antarctica.
An average ear has about 800 kernels in 16 rows, and every kernel has its own strand of silk.
Corn almost always has an even number of rows.
Corn and corn-derived ingredients are found in more than 4,000 everyday products, including foods, beverages, medicines, adhesives, soaps, and bioplastics. Corn is even used in the fermentation process to produce some antibiotics.
Try one of my corn recipes:
THE PODCAST
Coming up:
August 21st — From Field To Family Table: A conversation with Dave Nathe of Riverside Farms.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE KITCHEN
The structure of the new website is nearly finished. The front end has been done and public for months, but building the new course structure — with all its bells and whistles — has been much more complicated.
The course is Mindful Mediterranean. It is a four-week offering, built around the way of cooking and eating I’ve been teaching and living for years. More about it soon.
Everything in the course connects to a companion app, which is where I suspect most people will actually participate. During the process, I had to be approved as a “developer” by both Apple and Google, which still makes me chuckle.
It has been a great project. I’m very excited to finally share it with you over the next few weeks.
THE SKILL: THE NEW BASICS
My favorite way to cook corn.
THE QUICK WIN
Put shucked corn in a pot that fits the ears, and cover completely with cold water. Set the pot over high heat. Turn the corn a few times as the water heats. As soon as it reaches a gentle simmer, turn off the heat. That’s it. The corn is cooked. You can serve it immediately. If you wait, it will stay hot in the water, uncovered, until the water cools — I cap holding time at about an hour. This is the easiest method there is when you’re cooking for yourself or a crowd. If you aren’t serving it hot, pull it out and cool it promptly.
THE MOST COMMON MISTAKE
Letting it boil. The corn overcooks.
ONE TOOL WORTH HAVING
Twelve-inch tongs. Mine are Messermeister. The length is important — you’re reaching into hot water to pull out corn or pasta, and short tongs will put your hand in the steam.
RECIPE SPOTLIGHT
Sweet Corn Chive Flan Salad with Basil
MM BLUE
THE SOUL
I came up with the idea of baking corn into a flan one day while making a flan for dessert. I had a pile of farmers market produce sitting on the counter. I thought — why not make a savory corn flan and use it as the centerpiece of a peak-season summer salad? It turned out to be a lovely way to feature sweet corn. The flan is creamy, delicate, and the corn pops with each bite. It’s all surrounded by beautiful, colorful produce.
THE BRIDGE
We have a short window in Minnesota when salad is at its best. Everything in this dish is fresh and available right now. The dish sings of summer.
THE MEDITERRANEAN EDIT
I usually avoid themed dishes or utensils. This is my one “cute” exception.
TOOL — Figural Corn Dishes
Serving corn on individual corn cob plates keeps the corn and all those toppings contained. I have two sets shaped like ears of corn; I love pulling them out during corn. season. I also use them for zucchini boats.
TOOL — Corn Picks with Holder
I’ve had these for years, and they match my corn dishes perfectly. Mine didn’t come with a holder, and I wish it had — it would make such a nice table presentation.
COOKBOOK CHRONICLES
Last weekend, Mark and I drove to Riverside Farms in Elk River to interview, film, and photograph the owner, Dave Nathe. Dave is a cornerstone vendor at the Minneapolis Farmers Market, where his family has been a part of the community for years.
Dave’s daughter, Ashley, joined us for part of the interview — she is the Executive Director of the Minneapolis Farmers Market and appeared in Episode 4 of my podcast. Dave owns and operates three adjacent farms under the Riverside Farms umbrella, producing an impressive range of crops — sweet corn, melons, and a wide variety of peppers are just the beginning. It was a wonderful chance to see firsthand where so much of the food at the market begins.
Mark got aerial drone footage of the farm that sits along the Mississippi River. Watch the podcast on YouTube if you can. It releases August 21.
Dave started farming at age 6. He’s still at it.
BEFORE YOU GO
What are you preserving this year — what worked and what didn’t?
Next week: Preserving the Season’s Bounty
Until next Thursday — keep a good olive oil on the counter and don’t be afraid to use it.
— Chef Laura
I will be canning tomatoes. I did not last year and really missed the fresh taste of MY tomatoes in January/February. I will freeze hot peppers. I was taught this by a Farmers Market vendor who said her grandmother chopped hot peppers at the end of the season, froze them & then used them all winter long - a tablespoon at a time! So good & convenient! I will freeze herbs. I will make sauerkraut for the winter.