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Posts tagged under Corn. Show all posts.
Pop Some Corn
Do you want your kids to think you’re magic? Pop some corn on the stove—in a pot! If you have a pot with a clear lid use that so they can see what is popping inside the pot. Then just watch their jaws drop and their eyes pop out of their faces. Our microwave in the bag/movie going toddler set (and anyone under thirty, frankly) is likely never to have seen popcorn popped in a pot, on the stove, with melted butter dripping on top. Poor things.
All you need is a bag of kernels, some butter, salt and about 2 Tbsp of oil. Pour the oil and some butter (butter at this stage is optional but I like to include it for taste—about a tbsp) in the pot until melted and hot. Add enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pot and more, and turn the heat to medium. Wait for the first pop, then the second and then the tenth…keep the lid on and keep moving the pot back and forth so the kernels move around and the popped ones don’t stick to the bottom.
Pour the popped corn into a bowl. Melt more butter in the same pot immediately after. Pour melted butter on top and add salt (to taste) and mix well. It will bring you back to your childhood…just remember to share some with your kids.
It’s my turn to write about one of my favourite topics—seasonal produce. So just in case you missed my recent article on Mother Nature’s Best, check it out on savvymom.ca. I do love August for all the great fresh food we can enjoy. Nothing fancy, just good simple ingredients, that we can feel good about eating and enjoying. The article is full of ideas on different ways to prepare and enjoy watermelon, corn, tomatoes, peaches and blueberries.
Just yesterday we had visitors from Loblaws come and visit us at the office. They brought a truck load (literally) of fresh seasonal produce for us to see, eat and learn about—straight from the farmer who grows them. We learned that 40% of the fruits and veggies sold in your Loblaws grocer are local and it only takes them 1–2 days to get the produce to the store from the farm. That’s progress—and that’s pretty fresh by our standards. Those peaches and blueberries were delicious!
So enjoy what you can now and freeze what’s left for later in the year.
One of my fondest childhood summer memories is eating sweet corn-on-the-cob fresh from my grandparent’s vegetable garden. They grew all kinds of vegetables, but corn was always a family favourite. The corn was sweet, crisp and almost as good as dessert. My Nana and I would pick it, husk it and cook it, all within an hour. Summer dinners consisted primarily of vegetables, beginning with corn and ending with whatever other fresh vegetables were ready to harvest that day.
Whether you buy it from a roadside stand or your local grocery store, choose corn with dark green husks and moist stems. Because corn loses its natural sugars as soon as it is picked, it should be eaten as soon as possible. Keep it in the refrigerator if it isn’t going to be consumed that day. Whether you boil or grill it, corn is a delicious summer treat.
Here are some tips on preparation:
- To boil it, bring a large pot of water to boil, add husked cobs to the pot and cook for 4–8 minutes (depending on size, variety and sweetness).
- To cook corn in the husks, remove outer husks of the corn, pull back remaining husks and remove the silk. Replace the husks and soak cobs in water for approximately 15 minutes. Preheat grill to medium, place corn on the grill rack and cook for 15–20 minutes (or until husks are charred), turning occasionally. Once cool, peel back husks and serve with butter and salt.
- To cook corn without the husks, preheat grill to medium. Brush oil over corn cobs, place corn on grill rack and grill uncovered for 10 minutes or until corn is tender and lightly browned, turning occasionally.
- Serve corn-on-the-cob hot with a pat of butter and a squeeze of lime or a little salt.
Enjoy!
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