I WAS TEMPTED TO POST A RECIPE FOR ETHANOL to celebrate Corn Week—Part 2 of our third annual Summer Fest recipe swap—but I don’t have the secrets to ethanol’s success figured out, sad to say. Rather than look forward, then, I’m looking back: with a vintage slideshow of our corn-filled American history, and a homey creamed corn that basically contains (you guessed it) mostly just cream and corn. The recipe’s as American and at least as old as the corn-motif Bennington porcelain pitcher (top) that lives here with me—sharing my view of acres of rolling cornfields.
First, a word about Summer Fest, which I co-founded in 2008: It’s a giant round-robin of sharing themed to a single garden-fresh ingredient each week. Get all the details and latest links below, just before the comments, and stock up on delicious ideas from around the web—or add your own.
I READ UP ON CREAMED CORN this week (as did many of my Summer Fest colleagues—see the links below), and found a lot of variations included cornstarch or flour as thickeners, sugar, and even Parmesan cheese or bacon or any manner of extras. Once I shucked the fresh-picked corn from down the road, I thought: I can’t do that to this beautiful stuff, and went the ultra-simple route. Even adding cream seemed like gilding the lily. But I did.
No-Frills Creamed Corn
Thinly slice ¼ cup or so of shallots or small onions;
Sautée in 1-2 Tbsp. of butter till soft;
Add kernels cut from 5 ears of fresh sweet corn (about 2½ cups);
Add ½ cup or so of cream (depending on the volume of kernels, but start there);
Cook gently until tender, and the juices and cream thicken;
Add salt and pepper to taste;
Add fresh parsley or other minced herbs as desired.Note: I like it even better Day 2, cold, over a bed of tender salad greens. Heavy cream will (of course) yield a thicker result than light.
Corn in Historical Imagery
MY VINTAGE PITCHER GOT ME THINKING how much a part of our heritage corn has been, and so I set off again to the Library of Congress. The show below includes a mere sampling of thousands of relics—from the Victorian era Corn Palace in South Dakota, above (its facade covered in 3,500 bushels of corn, or so the caption says) to a Seneca chief whose name translates as Corn Plant, to surprisingly social shucking-day images.
Click on the first thumbnail to start, then toggle from slide to slide using the arrows below the photo. Enjoy.
When to Pick: Determining Peak Corn Readiness
TO BE ITS MOST TENDER, corn has just a few days of peak readiness…so if you pick too late that can affect the thickness of the outer covering of each kernel and add to toughness. The time to pick is right as the silk turns fully dark and withers; a few days too late and the quality declines. Early morning or evening picking is best, when temperatures are relatively cool.
The top kernels will be juicy and fully formed, and the liquid in them will neither be sticky or thick, nor watery…but more like milk. The peak moment is about three weeks after the plants tassel.
More corn tips, and a corn pudding recipe, are here.
How You Can Join in Summer Fest:
So now it’s your turn: Have a recipe or tip that fits any of our weekly themes? Starting with our posts of Wednesday, July 28, for five Wednesdays, you can contribute in various ways, big or small.
Contribute a whole post, or a comment—whatever you wish. It’s meant to be fun, viral, fluid. No pressure, just delicious. The possibilities:
Simply leave your tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below a Summer Fest post on my blog, and then go visit my collaborators and do the same.
The cross-blog event idea works best when you leave your recipe or favorite links (whether to your own blog or someone else’s) at all the host blogs. Yes, copy and paste them everywhere! That way, they are likely to be seen by the widest audience. Everyone benefits, and some pretty great dialog starts simmering.
Or think bigger: Publish entire posts of your own, if you wish, and grab the juicy Summer Fest 2010 tomato badge (illustrated by Matt of Mattbites.com).
The 2010 Schedule:
- Wednesday, July 28: CUKES AND ZUKES. Read it here.
- Wednesday, August 4: CORN.
- Wednesday, August 11: HERBS-BEANS-AND-GREENS WEEK (any one or both/all, your choice).
- Wednesday, August 18: STONE FRUIT.
- Wednesday, August 25: TOMATO WEEK. How do you like them love apples?
- And then…more, more, more if you want it (potatoes? sweet potatoes? root veggies? winter squash?). You name it.
And in case I forget what week it is, won’t somebody remind me on Twitter? Thanks. We’ll be talking it up there, too.
That’s how a Summer Fest works.
This Week’s Corn Links
- Nicole at Pinch My Salt: Creamed Corn with Bacon and Rosemary
- White on Rice Couple: BBQ Chicken and Corn Pizza
- The FN Dish: Creamed Corn-Off: Battle of the Southern Cooks
- Alison at Food2: Freezing Corn
- Toby at Healthy Eats: Candied Corn and 4 other recipes
- Michelle at Cooking Channel: Browsing Corn Porn
- Judy/Tuscan Diva: Fried Polenta Crostini with Porcini Ragu
- Jennifer of Gilded Fork: Corn: Sweet Versatility (history, uses & recipes from cocktails to cornbread)
- Chef Mark: Gettin’ Corny! (Musings from childhood, tips & fresh-corn recipes)
- Caron of SanDiegoFoodstuff: Chino Corn Risotto with Chanterelles and Burrata
- Caroline at The Wright Recipes: Pickled Corn with Summer Onion and Basil
- Shauna at Gluten Free Girl and the Chef: a sweet corn risotto (and how to make corn stock with husks and mirepoix)
- Tigress in a Jam: Cream Corn Scones (perfect way to use up left over roasted or boiled corn)
- Alana at Eating from the Ground Up: Corn on the Kabob (invented by her artist husband)
- Cate O’Malley at Sweetnicks: Corn and Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Caps
- Kelly at Just a Taste: Caramel Corn (plus pics of corn in its various popping stages)
- Paige Orloff of The Sister Project: Life-Changing Corn Pancakes
- Tara at Tea and Cookies: Farro Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs
- Food Network UK blog: Talking Corn
For more corn recipes like Carmelized Corn with Mint, Chilled Corn Soup, Corn Bacon Souffle and Sweet Corn Cupcakes, head over to http://thepolymathchronicles.blogspot.com/2010/08/summerfest-2010-corn.html
chocolate and veggie cake two weeks in a row? now sure how that happened…but i just posted my recipe for chocolate & corn cake…called corny, corny lena cake. check it out at http://bit.ly/cFkY3N to learn how it got its name….
I am so loving this event– in a way it is like summer school- learning so much!
If there is one vegetable that reminds me of summer. It’s corn!
I’m in!! I made corn fritters!! http://www.labna.it/corn-fritters-for-a-summer-fest.html
Cheers
I just discovered Summer Fest – what a fun, interesting event! Thanks for hosting it. You can find my contribution of Corn and Squash Saute, inspired by a long ago visit to Chez Panisse Cafe, here…
http://northeastlocavore.blogspot.com/2010/08/corn-and-squash-saute-inspired-by-chez.html
I made a corn and green zebra tomato salad in honor of Summer Fest…http://blog.healthy-green-lifestyle.com/corn-and-green-zebra-tomato-salad.html
Love corn and can’t wait to check out all the other recipes this week!
I combine my two favorite summer vegetables, corn and tomatoes, into one salad:
http://www.gastronomersguide.com/2010/08/panzanella-bread-salad-with-summer-corn.html
this is great! corn is so simple, but so versatile.
i love this one:
Fresh Corn Pesto
http://maitredemoda.wordpress.com/2010/07/22/tagliatelle-with-fresh-corn-pesto/
CORN!! Loving this week’s them. You can read how Summer Fest inspired me here:
http://onehungrymama.com/2010/08/summer-fest-recipe-grilled-corn-salad-with-lime-vinaigrette-on-corn-cakes/
My recipe for Grilled Corn Salad with Lime Vinaigrette on Corn Cakes is the first thing I’ve made this year with corn b/c I’ve been too busy eating it straight off the cob. Can’t wait to look around and see what others made this week. Also loving the info here. THANKS!
Ah, I love the old pictures. Can’t get enough of those.
Hi Margaret! I am participating in Summer Fest for the first time and also made creamed corn – following Thomas Keller’s recipe. My post is here: http://mysocalledknife.com/2010/08/thomas-kellers-creamed-corn-and-summer-fest-2010/.
I love your vintage pictures!
Welcome, Alice, with your Chez-Panisse-inspired recipe. Nice to “meet you”.
Welcome, Joseph — corn and tomato salad it is (once my tomatoes ripen!).
Welcome also to Liam — I am fascinated to see what “creamed corn” is in your kitchen…who knew there were so many variants?
Thanks, all, and do stop by again soon!
Yum – summer corn is the best! I made two corn recipes this week:
Corn and tomato gratin: http://4seasonsoffood.blogspot.com/2010/08/corn-and-tomato-gratin.html
Summer succotash: http://4seasonsoffood.blogspot.com/2010/07/summer-succotash.html
Looking forward to browsing through the recipes
Over at Flexitarian Foodie (www.flexitarianfoodie.com) we’ve featured a bunch of corn dishes recently!
BBQ Corn:
http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com/2010/07/quick-idea-bbq-corn.html
Avocado-Corn Quinoa:
http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com/2010/05/avocado-corn-quinoa.html
Pasta with corn and tomatoes:
http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com/2010/05/summer-in-bowl.html
Nothing’s better than fresh summer corn!!
Welcome, Ranjani. Did you say *gratin*? Oh, somebody stop me… :)
Welcome also to Kim. I love to bbq my whole ears, too…and you seem to have selected a couple of my other favorite foods: avocado and quinoa. Yum.
See you both soon, I hope.
This is my first Summerfest and I am excited to browse through so many corn recipes! I’m also sharing a corn and tomato salad today.
http://www.thefoodpsychologist.net/thefoodpsych/?p=384
Enjoy!
I’m a week late in starting Summerfest – we’re in the middle of some rotten plaster demolition to our 115 year old house so cooking takes quite a bit of forethought nowadays, especially with the heat wave we’re having. :) I LOVE the vintage pictures of corn!!! I collect vintage recipe booklets just because I love the illustrations so much.
Here’s my entry – Fresh Corn-and-Asiago Cheese Bread Pudding:
http://tnlocavore.typepad.com/tennessee_locavore/2010/08/fresh-cornandasiago-cheese-bread-pudding.html
Welcome, Deborah. I had a peek at your colorful corn salad; looks good! Thank you for joining.
Can anyone ever eat too much summer corn? I don’t think it’s possible.
Here’s a recipe for Corn Chowder.
Chowder
A recipe for corn pancakes will follow shortly.
I made Goat Cheese and Roasted Corn Quesadillas at It’s The Way She…
Check it out here http://itsthewayshe.blogspot.com/2010/08/ignited-my-desire-to-use-those-recipes.html
What an interesting post! And that creamed corn looks amazing . . . This time of year, I can’t help but just eat corn straight off the cob most of the time, grilled or steamed, but if I do cook with it, my favorite recipes include:
Calabacitas
http://heartlandrenaissance.com/2009/08/calabacitas/
Three Sisters Chili, and
http://heartlandrenaissance.com/2009/09/three-sisters-chili/
Green Chile Chicken Tortilla Soup
http://heartlandrenaissance.com/2007/11/green-chile-chicken-tortilla-soup/
A few have been on the blog for a while, but I couldn’t help but share them this week for SummerFest! Thank you for hosting!
Best,
Sarah
Thanks for the recipe and history lesson! and love the idea of leftovers over salad greens. I do this with almost everything I make — almost anything can become lunch the next day when thrown over lettuce.
I made this delicious satueed corn with tons of herbs from the August Bon Appetit – it was super good, and no silk in my teeth!
Ciao! Here is my recipe for the second week: corn scones and corn+ricotta dip :)
Check it out at http://mylifelovefood.blogspot.com/2010/08/summer-fest2-featuring-corn.html
Your post is awesome! Thanks!! :D
Oh how I LOVE that Carafe Margaret!
My contribution to the Summer Fest 2010 this week is super easy and quick to make!
http://mypersiankitchen.com/i-say-balal-you-say-corn/
Hi Margaret!!
I can’t tell you how much I have been looking forward to this!! Corn is really quite amazing – I think it is wild that after thousands of years we are still developing recipes around this wonderful food! I’ve been looking around and found lots of great new corn recipes to try – my contribution is Corn,Crab and Tomato Salad
Can’t wait to see what else everyone comes up with!!
here I am with my first recipe for this beautiful foodblog festival!
this is my Grilled turkey and corn salad with crispy spelt “piadina”
both italian and english versions:
http://www.shakeandbake.it/summer-fest-2010-corn.html
see you all next week!
Hugs,kisses&cookies
Gaia
I’ve posted another corn recipe
Corn Pancake
This looks like it’s going to be so fun, Margaret! I can’t wait to see what everyone posts about tomatoes!
I am joining the SummerFest party!
Check out my Thai Shrimp & Corn Cakes:
http://urbanrecipe.com/2010/08/thai-shrimp-corn-cakes/
Fabulous pitcher, Margaret! I immediately visited ebay, and found a Parian Ware Pottery Corn Pitcher–merely reminiscent of yours, but lovely, and a bargain price too. I did not buy it, but another reader might be tempted.
Welcome, Nancy — so nice to “meet” you, and have your salad rich with crab meat! Enjoy your trip clicking around — I have been doing so all day to all the sites who have participated. Wonderful. See you soon, I hope.
I love your idea! I love your site! Here is my post for corn this week for Fresh Corn-Tomato and Basil http://www.ingredientsinc.net/2010/08/summer-fest-2010-fresh-corn-cherry-tomatoes-and-basil/
Hello Margaret. Thanks for this exciting blog event. I’ve been following it for 2 years. My kids set up my blog site a year ago as a birthday present, and now I can respond. I’ve been part of the Tigress Can Jam and offer a curried corn relish (canned) and also added to coleslaw and potato salad.
Here’s the link.
http://200birdies.wordpress.com/2010/08/03/curried-corn-relish-and-a-couple-of-salads/
The corn palace! I remember getting a postcard from a friend who had visited the Corn Palace, and I totally didn’t believe it was real! Apparently it is though, right? :)
I’ve made some Fresh Corn and Black Bean Salsa to celebrate Summer Fest. Cheers!
Corn came early to Quebec this year. So early that people weren’t buying it, thinking it was all imported. Here is my contribution to this week’s topic: a corn and quinoa salad. Enjoy!
http://www.thehungryturk.com/2010/08/and-god-created-corn-and-quinoa.html
Welcome, Karen. Nice kids! :) Glad you found us via the Tigress connection — I am enjoying her world, which I discovered this season.
Welcome, Trish. Yes, hilarious — right? What a a lot of work, to say the least. Makes even the most ambitious Martha craft projects I witnessed at my old job seem like nothing. Thanks for the salsa! (I ate brown rice and pinto beans and barely-sauteed fresh corn kernels and regular salsa yesterday for lunch, ole!)
See you both soon again, I hope.
Enjoying Summer Fest!
Here is my post about Creamy Corn Soup.
http://purplecook.blogspot.com/2010/07/creamy-corn-soup-and-grilled-peaches.html
oh my goodness — i LOVE that slide show! this whole week of posts is making me HUNGRY, too. – corn fed pam
I can’t wait to see all the other recipes, but here is my simple contribution….
I could eat this salad all summer long…..http://cafebacaro.blogspot.com/2009/07/tomato-corn-salad.html
Happy summer!
My corn dish is: sauted corn with onions, green chile, fresh basil and pinto beans…when the veggies and beans are cooked I add reduced cream.
I’m wondering if you know of Betty Fussil who has written several books
about corn, including the history of corn.
That is the most beautiful pitcher I have ever seen!
Welcome, Kai. I do not know of the author — but thanks for the tip…will go in search of her.
Welcome, Laura. Simple is the best; it’s the way I like to eat, especially this time of year.
See you both again soon!
Thank you for Summer Fest. Enjoying all the wonderful recipes and information. This is a favorite salad, Tomato, Corn and Onion Salad http://dejavucook.wordpress.com/2010/08/05/tomato-corn-onion-salad
Margaret, I love your dishes! And thanks for tips on picking corn. I read my post to my 12-year old, and she did not agree with me that kernels are supposed to be milky. That’ how I remember them as a child, picked right from the plant and eaten a couple of hours later.
I am contributing a story of first love and grilled corn, simple and delicious.
http://bibberche.com/2010/08/grilled-corn-with-chipotle-lime-butter/
Cream corn is so decadent, delicious and classic.
I had so much fun with this corn pick for Summer Fest.
Here is my Strawberry, Roasted Corn & Avocado Salsa:
http://su.pr/1CYkMZ
xo
Margaret,
Love the recipe event, and love your blog.
Here is my family recipe (I can’t take much credit for it) for dried corn. It has a wonderful rustic flavor, that compliments a roasted chicken or turkey like nobody’s business.
http://morrowfarmfresh.blogspot.com/2010/08/dried-corn.html
Not only am I new to blogging but definitely new to “Summer Fest”- I am so enjoying it so far. I love the simplicity of your recipe, I agree fresh seasonal food needs but a loving touch and a stir. I made Grilled Corn Serrano Salsa with Lime Cumin Vinaigrette.
http://2besatisfied.blogspot.com/2010/08/summer-fest-corn-and-serrano-salsa-with.html
I absolutely adore gilding the lily, but you’re so right about drowning the poor dear in thickeners. What a crime to do that to the beautiful corn we have in market right now.
For this week’s theme, I have a couple of dishes to contribute — grilled corn with harissa:
http://chimeraobscura.com/mi/from-the-market-week-8/
and smoked corn chowder:
http://chimeraobscura.com/mi/from-the-market-weeks-9-10/