Whether steamed or roasted, corn is finally here: Steamed vs. ...

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Whether steamed or roasted, corn is finally here: Steamed vs.roasted

Karen HerzogMilwaukee Journal Sentinel
Released : Sunday, August 03, 2008 4:00 AM
Aug. 3--The essence of summer was bright yellow and dripping withbutter when I was a kid, growing up in Iowa.
During sweet corn season in the tall corn state, it was appetizer,entree and dessert, all rolled into a cob. My brother, sister and Icompeted with my dad to see who could mow through the most ears inone meal.
No one ever beat Dad, a strapping farmer who could easily finishsix or seven ears after a long day of working in the fields. Hestill had room for a massive bowl of ice cream while we kids satthere, slack-jawed, at least two ears behind and too stuffed fordessert.
With warm butter dribbling down our chins, and kernels stuckbetween our teeth, who needed dessert anyway? We were moreinterested in napkins and toothpicks.
Summer was never sweeter or simpler than the few precious weekswhen a dollar bought a dozen ears of corn at a dusty roadsidestand. After we husked it in the yard, Mom dumped it into a pot ofwater on the stove while we eagerly waited for the steaming platterto be whisked to the table. We didn't grow our own sweet corn, butwe had excellent sources.
Here in southeastern Wisconsin, at least one farm allows you toyank your own sweet corn straight from the stalk so you canexperience it from field to fork.
The season is about two weeks later than normal this year becauseof a cold, rainy start to summer. Fields are peaking just aboutnow.
If you haven't already bought some, expect to pay more for localsweet corn -- up to a dollar more per dozen than last year --thanks to the high price of fertilizer, fuel and seeds, severalgrowers said.
Schmit's roadside stands in Ozaukee County raised their sweet cornprice by a dollar a dozen to $6, said Bud Schmit, owner of Schmit'sFarm Produce.
Jody Knoebel, whose family runs Jelli's Market in Helenville(www.jellismarket.com or (262) 593-5133), said the farm's pricesalso would go up but hadn't been set at the time she wasinterviewed. Jelli's Market is unique in offering pick-your-owncorn at the family farm.
"We have families who pick a few cobs just so their kids can seewhere corn comes from," Knoebel said. "It's not easy to pick. It'sitchy, walking through the field."
The corn that goes into ethanol and high-fructose corn syrup is notthe same corn you eat off the cob, in case you were wondering.
The Knoebels grow bright yellow sweet corn -- not the more typicalbi-color varieties. Knoebel said their yellow corn is as sweet asit comes.
Time is of the essence for those who appreciate corn at peaksweetness.
Knoebel puts a pot of water on the stove before running out to thefield to pick corn for her family's dinner.
But it's an old wives' tale that you have only minutes betweenfield and pot of water to capture maximum sweetness, said Schmit,who runs six roadside stands and also supplies sweet corn to theNew Berlin Lions Club for the roasted corn stand at the WisconsinState Fair.
Schmit sells bi-color corn, which most people think is thesweetest, he said.
"Years ago, corn varieties were nowhere near as sweet as they aretoday," he said.
As long as you eat sweet corn the same day it was picked, youshould still get optimum flavor, Schmit said.
"The sugar starts to turn to starch in eight hours. My stands closeat 6 p.m. each day because I don't want people buying corn in theevening and then not eating it until the next day, when it's not asgood."
Corn picked for shipping to stores is hydro-cooled as soon as itcomes out of the field, and then kept at a cool temperature. Thatmethod holds sugar in corn for four days, Schmit said.
Knoebel said she picks corn five times a day for customers who cometo the farm. Corn that goes to the two Jelli's Market roadsidestands (locations at the Web site listed above) is picked firstthing in the morning, when it's coolest outside, and then kept inthe shade. "It's always fresh that day," she said.
"We can tell the difference if corn has sat for a day," Knoebeladded. "It starts to taste less tender. It doesn't pop as much whenyou bite into it."
Corn lovers fall into two distinctive camps: those who prefer itsteamed or boiled, and those who swear by an ear of roasted corn.
Those who love steamed corn grab an ear or two at the annual SweetCorn Festival in Sun Prairie, which runs from Aug. 14 through 17 atthe city's Angell Park, near the intersection of Highway 19 andHighway N. (Check out www.sunprairiechamber.com for details.)
Depending on the weather, 100,000 people from around the Midwestare expected to attend the Sun Prairie Sweet Corn Festival andpurchase some 70 tons of steamed sweet corn from noon to 7 p.m. onAug. 16 and 17 -- the only days the festival sells corn. One tote(roughly six ears) costs $6 and a single ear is $1.50. The festivalpurchases its corn from Del Monte Foods.
"We promote that ours is the only steamed-corn festival," said AnnSmith, director of the Sun Prairie Chamber of Commerce. "Steamingseals in the moisture, and when you bite into it, it pops. It'sawesome. But you have to be really precise with the time. You don'twant it to get mushy."
The corn is steamed in the husk inside huge steam baskets stored ina special building designed specifically for that purpose, Smithsaid.
Steamed corn is better than roasted corn because roasted corn canbecome dry, Smith said.
Schmit would beg to differ.
"If you know how to roast it, it doesn't get dry," he said. Schmitsaid he prefers roasted corn because steaming it in the husk fadesthe husk and diminishes eye appeal. "And it may seem more moist,but once you add butter, there's no difference."
Lions Club share of corn
The New Berlin Lions Club is celebrating its 50th year of running aroasted sweet corn stand at the State Fair, which runs through Aug.10 (www.wistatefair.com).
"We've got a unique process," said Mickey Cohodes, first vicepresident of the club and the man who oversees the corn stand.
"The farmer brings the corn in refrigerated trucks, and we keep itrefrigerated in corn cribs in a converted garage. It stays cold allday, which sets it up for better cooking."
Roasted corn, according to Cohodes, is sweeter than steamed corn.
Why?
"Because by the time you get done roasting an ear of corn, theflavor is left inside the kernels. So the taste is outstanding,"said Cohodes, who has been helping with the corn roast for years.It takes 40 minutes to roast an ear of corn in the husk, he said.
During the fair's 11-day run, depending on the weather, the NewBerlin Lion's Club will sell between 95,000 and 110,000 ears ofsweet corn at $3 an ear, Cohodes said. The booth is staffed withabout 100 volunteers a day -- or 950 total individuals throughoutthe fair, Cohodes said.
The New Berlin Lions Club corn stand also will go through about aton of butter.
Most people ask for their corn, husk pulled back, to be dipped inbutter. They add seasoned salt before digging in, Cohodes said.
Those who like a little heat with their corn can ask for hot sauce.
How to cheat: Nuke it
If you're not cooking enough corn to feed a hungry crowd, or ifyours is an eager family with a competitive eating streak, themicrowave is your best ally.
To microwave a single ear of corn, wrap a very damp paper towelaround it, place it on a plate and microwave on high 1 to 1 1/2minutes.
Turn the ear over and zap it one more minute.
RECIPES
This recipe from "The Gourmet Cookbook" (Houghton Mifflin, 2004,$40) is a side dish that celebrates the essence of fresh corn. Thecreaminess comes from the milky starch in the corn. The recipeserves four, the cookbook notes, "but you might not want to share."
Creamless Creamy Corn with Chives
Makes 4 servings
4 ears fresh corn, shucked
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
Pinch of sugar (optional)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup water
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
Working with 1 ear at a time, lay cob on its side on cutting boardand cut off kernels with a large knife, rotating cob as you cut.Transfer kernels to medium bowl. Holding cob upright in a separatebowl, scrape with knife to extract the "milk."
Transfer 2 cups corn kernels to food processor and puree 2 minutes,scraping down sides once or twice. Force puree through fine-meshsieve into a bowl; discard solids. Stir in salt, cornstarch andsugar, if using.
Melt butter in 2- to 3-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Addonion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3minutes. Add remaining corn kernels, the corn milk and the water,cover and simmer briskly, stirring occasionally, until corn iscrisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir corn puree, then stir into corn kernels in saucepan. Bring toa boil, stirring, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently,for 2 minutes. (If desired, thin with water.) Season with pepperand stir in chives.
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"Recipes from Home" by David Page and Barbara Shinn (Artisan, 2001,$30) is all about home cooking and the husband-wife team'sGreenwich Village restaurant named Home. Page grew up in Wisconsin,and Shinn is from Ohio. Their cookbook celebrates the bounty of theland.
The first recipe is for a relish they recommend serving cold withgrilled fish:
Sweet Corn, Red Onion and Basil Relish
Makes 6 servings
3 ears fresh sweet corn, shucked
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 medium red onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound plum tomatoes, diced 1/2 inch
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin, preferably freshly ground
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander, preferably fresh ground
1/2 tablespoon ground yellow mustard seeds
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cut kernels from cobs.
In a small non-reactive saucepan over low heat, bring vinegar to asimmer. Add red onion and garlic and simmer until softened, 3 to 5minutes. Add corn and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer mixture tolarge bowl and let cool completely.
To the onion mixture, add tomatoes, cumin, coriander, mustardseeds, basil, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss togetherwell. Let macerate 15 minutes and serve.
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David Shinn grew up in a small Wisconsin town "surrounded by farmsthat grew 'corn and corn and corn,' " says the introduction to thenext "Recipes from Home" recipe.
"He has no question about the best way to eat corn: You have tostand in a cornfield, just pick an ear, don't cook it, and gnaw offthe kernels."
Grilled Summer Corn with Basil Butter
Makes 6 servings
6 freshly picked ears of sweet corn
1/4 cup basil butter, room temperature (see recipe)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat charcoal grill to low.
Peel husks of corn back, without removing them, and carefullyremove corn silk. Butter ears liberally with basil butter. Seasonwith salt and pepper. Fold the more tender leaves back over thecorn and cover and protect it; remove the outer leaves. Tie tips ofeach ear together with a strip of one of the outer leaves that hasbeen removed, or a piece of string.
Grill corn over low fire 4 to 6 minutes, turning ears often andbeing careful not to burn husks. Peel back husks and enjoy.
Basil Butter:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced lemon zest
10 large basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Puree all ingredients in food processor until smooth.
Note: This is great both for hot corn-on-the-cob and for droppingonto a steaming mound of mashed potatoes. Because butter freezeswell, you can roll the finished mixture into a log, wrap it in waxpaper and put in the freezer, where it will keep for severalmonths.
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Street vendors across Mexico sell this style of roasted or grilledcorn, according to the July/August issue of EatingWell magazine,which features this recipe. You can serve it unadorned on a platterwith small bowls of the sauce, cheese and lime on the side soeveryone can make their own, the recipe suggests.
Mexican Grilled Corn
Makes 4 servings
2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons non-fat plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
4 ears corn, husked
4 tablespoons finely shredded cotija (see note) or Parmesan cheese
1 lime, quartered
Preheat grill to medium-high.
In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, yogurt and chili powder.
Grill corn, turning occasionally, until marked and tender, 8 to 12minutes total. Spread each ear with 1 tablespoon of the sauce andsprinkle with 1 tablespoon cheese. Serve with lime wedges.
Note: Cotija cheese, also called queso anejo or queso anejado, isan aged Mexican cheese similar in texture and flavor to Parmesan.Look for it in a Mexican grocery store or specialty food store.
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