IDEAS IN FOOD: Corn, From Ear To Ear

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It's been a good year for corn. The season started in July and we are still enjoying bountiful quantities at our local markets. While we haven't had much luck with white corn, the bi-color corn has been delicious. At our favorite farm stand the kernels have been small, succulent, and slightly translucent. When cooked properly they burst like caviar beneath our teeth spreading their sweet, juicy goodness over our palates. We still haven't moved past savoring whole ears of corn to soups and salads and whatnot. It's been that good. Yesterday we were down in our old neighborhood in Lower Bucks and decided to get some corn at Shady Brook Farm. The ears and their kernels were large and well formed. At first bite I was stumped, the kernels were sweet and slightly starchy. We're not fans of starchy corn so I chewed cautiously, wondering what we had gotten ourselves into. As I evaluated the corn, I realized that this was a totally different breed from the corn we had been enjoying all summer. This corn was more substantial, toothsome, slightly chewy, and very good--in its own way. It took me a few bites to get used to it and then I slathered on some miso butter and happily consumed two whole ears. It was a learning moment for me because it took some time to realize that the corn was not bad, it was simply unexpected. After so many ears of one kind of corn, I was completely blindsided by this new experience. We often get set in our ways without realizing that it's happened and it's important to break out of our comfort zones every so often in order to experience something new and wonderful in a different way. This corn is perfect for corn salad and I've got a small bowl full to play with today. I'm thinking herbs, green onions, and feta cheese, something bright and fresh to savor while corn is still in season before it's time to move on to the fall.

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