There’s something about early September that makes me think, “Oh no, it can’t be September already. I haven’t eaten enough sweet corn!”
I normally just boil it briefly and eat it plain, enjoying every sweet morsel. However, when my sister Martha sent me these two recipes, I was intrigued. Creamed corn without the cream sounds like a perfect way to enhance the sweet creaminess of corn without overpowering it.
And, I don’t know that I’ve ever met a fritter I didn’t like. Corn fritters with bacon is an unbeatable combination.
When I saw the corn fritters recipe, I thought of my friends who like really spicy salsa and hot sauce. I’ll stick with a plain tomato relish, but corn fritters seem like the perfect “base” for those who like to ladle on the spicy stuff.
Corn fritters aren’t on the menu at The Kitchen Garden Farm’s Chilifest this year, but you’ll find many other spicy foods there. Bart’s Homemade sriracha swirl ice cream sounds wild. For basic information about Chilifest, see the Food/Farms information section. Check out Kitchen Garden Farm’s website at kitchengardenfarm.com/chilifest for all of the details.
For those who like their food sweet instead of spicy, here’s a heads up about a Maple Syrup Dessert Contest that will be held at the Big E later in September. Have you concocted a fabulous dessert recipe using maple syrup? Enter it in the contest!
This Week We’re Eating …
Two Corn Recipes Shared by Martha McClintock, Melbourne, Australia
Creamed Corn Without the Cream
From: cooking.nytimes.com/recipes
4 large ears of corn, husked
2 T. unsalted butter
2 T. minced shallot or red onion (optional)
Salt to taste
2 to 3 tsp. minced fresh herbs such as sage, tarragon, thyme, chives (optional)
Grate corn on the large holes of a box grater placed over wide bowl. If you wrap plastic wrap around the three other sides of the grater, the splashes will go into the bowl. Melt 1 T. butter in medium saucepan over medium heat, and add shallots, if using. Cook, stirring, until shallot is tender and fragrant, about 2 minutes, and add corn, salt to taste. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until mixture is sweet and creamy. Taste and adjust salt. Stir in remaining tablespoon of butter and remove from heat. Serve hot, garnished with fresh herbs, if desired.
Corn Fritters
From: www.juliegoodwin.com.au/corn-fritters-recipe
3 ears fresh corn, silk and husk removed
2 eggs, whisked
1/3 C. milk
¾ C. self-rising flour
¼ C. shallots (green onions) finely sliced
¼ C. coriander leaves, chopped
salt and ground white pepper to taste
olive oil for frying
Cook corn either by boiling or microwaving until kernels are tender but still al dente. Boiling will take 5 minutes, microwave time will depend on your machine but give it 90 seconds per ear and then longer, if required.
When corn has cooled enough to handle, run a sharp knife the length of cobs to remove the kernels. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile mix eggs and milk together. Place flour in a bowl and add milk mixture gradually, ensuring there are no lumps.
Stir in corn kernels, shallots, and coriander. Set aside for 15 minutes to rest.
Meanwhile, cook some bacon rashers until done to your liking. These can be pan-fried and the fat added to the cooking oil for the fritter, or, for crispier bacon, cook it under a hot grill.
Heat 1 T. of olive oil in a chef’s pan over medium heat. Drop 2 tablespoons full of the fritter mix in the pan. Give the fritters space to spread and yourself space to flip them. After about 2 minutes, they should have bubbles appearing and setting on upper surface and be golden brown underneath. Flip and cook for another minute. Serve fritters with bacon and a generous dollop of tomato relish. Serves 4.