The Back Porch

 

A generous friend stopped by this morning and brought me 4 dozen ears of Silver Queen corn. For those who have never tasted sweet, organically grown corn, you’ve missed out on something special. Perfect, pearly rows of delicious goodness, so fresh when you press down on the kernels, you can see the corn milk. Not only did my friend bring me the corn, she helped to shuck it. It was cool enough to sit outside, and so we sipped coffee on the back porch and chatted while we worked.

Unfortunately, summer is so short and demanding that most of us do not have time to make complicated dishes to freeze for winter. The first dozen ears will go into boiling, salted water. I’ll blanch these for about ten minutes, place the ears in an ice bath, pat them dry and place them in a freezer bag. On a cold and snowy night, I’ll thaw them, cook them briefly and enjoy a taste of summer once again.

For the remaining ears, I’ll blanch them as well. Once they’ve cooled from the ice bath, I’ll cut the kernels off the cobs and place the corn in freezer bags. In a few of the bags, I’ll add a little finely chopped thyme. Be sure to label the contents.

For those of us who live in the south, fresh corn fritters are a treat anytime. Some of this Silver Queen corn is destined for fritters. Here’s the recipe:

2 cups of whole kernel corn, 1/2 cup of yellow corn meal, 1/2 cup plain flour, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1/4 cup of milk, 1/8 teaspoon each, salt and pepper. In a large mixing bowl, add the corn, corn meal, flour, sugar, butter, milk, and the seasonings. Stir well, and cover the bowl. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. In a large skillet, heat a cup of vegetable oil. Slowly drop teaspoons of the batter into the hot oil. Fry on one side, and turn the fritters over to cook on the other side. About 3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels and serve hot. Some cooks sprinkle confectioners sugar on the fritters or add a dollop of maple syrup.

Nothing was wasted from the Silver Queen gift- her husks, silk and cobs went into the compost bin. And so, she served a dual purpose- food for me, and later on food for my soil. Thank you, Silver Girls.

Blessed be ~ sweet ones.

~ Meadow Walker