September's Farm Fresh Feature is Corn!
Corn
By: Marie Morud
The corn in the Corn Belt is field corn; the corn on Americans' plates is sweet corn, and according to the Green Giant, it is the second most popular vegetable in America. If you live in the midwest, you know that the long-awaited summer treasure, sweetcorn, is in season once July hits. Midwest sweetcorn is available in late summer through early fall and has been around for hundreds of years.
Native Americans first introduced us to corn long before the Europeans discovered the Americas. Spanish explorers came across Native Americans growing corn and transferred the practice to the Rio Grande Valley and Texas Missions. Corn was used as an ingredient in tortillas, tamales, posole, and atole. Over time, plant breeders have developed a variety of cultivars to improve corn’s sweetness, flavor, tenderness, and keeping qualities. There are currently several hundred varieties of sweetcorn available in three different colors: yellow, white, and bi-colored (yellow and white).
When shopping for sweet corn, you want to look for ears with a tight, moist, bright green husk that is free of brown spots, mold, or insect damage. The kernels should be plump yellow and tightly packed. Perfectly mature ears have smaller kernels at the ends and larger kernels in the center. Silk should be soft and golden. Fun fact: The average ear of corn has around 800 kernels arranged in 16 rows. There is one piece of silk for each kernel!
The best way to enjoy your fresh sweet corn is to get it as fresh as possible, then cook and eat it promptly. If you won’t be preparing your corn right away, you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The reason you want to keep your corn cold is to slow down the conversion of sugar to starch, which causes corn to become less sweet and tougher. Corn is a carbohydrate-rich vegetable with a low glycemic index, which means it is digested slowly and doesn’t cause a spike in blood sugar. Corn is also a good source of vitamin A which helps maintain skin and eye health, B vitamins for a healthy heart, brain, and metabolism, and potassium to support our muscles, including our heart.
The producer of the corn featured at school this month is Kerns Homegrown located in Oelwein, IA. Blake Kerns rented two acres of abandoned cropland in 1999 at the age of 15, borrowed a planter, and seeded sweet corn. That was over 20 years ago, and his commitment to providing the region with fresh, healthy, and high quality produce has allowed him to expand markets from local produce stands to grocery retailers across the Midwest. Kerns has implemented several sustainability initiatives including planting cover crops, drip irrigation, practicing no-till farming, and using reusable packaging containers, among other things.
Students sampled Mexican Street Corn at school this month, where roasted, off-the-cob sweet corn was combined with a creamy, cheesy sauce and flavorful spices, garlic, lime, and cilantro. Look below for the recipe that students raved over at Clear Lake Middle School! Many came back for seconds, and thirds! Then, enjoy peak summertime sweet corn all year long with this freezer corn recipe shared by Ashely Coleman, from her Great Grandma Marjorie Janes.
Mexican Street Corn
8 cups whole kernel corn
⅔ cup olive oil
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
⅔ cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 ½ teaspoon minced garlic
⅔ cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime
⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ tablespoon paprika
Preheat the oven to 350. Toss corn with the oil and lay out on a sheet pan with parchment paper. Roast corn for about 10 minutes, or until it starts to brown. Toss with a spatula to promote even browning. Place back in the oven for another 5 minutes. In a mixing bowl combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, chipotle chili powder, chopped cilantro, minced garlic, juice and zest from the lime, and most of the Parmesan cheese (reserve some for sprinkling on the top as a garnish, along with a little cilantro). Once the corn is finished cooking immediately mix it into the bowl. Sprinkle paprika on top of corn along with some Parmesan and chopped cilantro as a garnish.
Grandma’s Frozen Corn
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Ingredients
9 cups sweet corn
2 tsp salt
2 cups water
¾ cup sugar
Instructions
Cut corn from cob.
Add corn, water, salt, and sugar to a large stockpot.
Cook until a rolling boil.
Pour into a cake pan and cool completely.
Box or bag and freeze.
Middle School celebrated
Corn-A-Palooza!
