Corn, glorious corn! A delicious recipe, interesting facts, a quick craft and a corny joke

There may be no better taste in the world than corn on the cob, fresh from the garden.  And the only time to get that is summer.  Right now.  This minute. Add a little butter, a dash of salt and you’ll soon have summer dripping off your chin.

Corn is undoubtedly North America’s most successful native plant.  U.S. produced more than 15 billion bushels of corn in 2016, at an estimated value of over $50 billion dollars. Most U.S. corn is used for animal feed.  The next greatest use is for making fuel.

Corn is an ancient plant, but the original cobs look quite different than they do today.  Originally, a corn cob was only about 2 – 3 inches long and held only 5 – 12

 kernels.  Today, cobs are 12 inches long and are crammed with 500 or so soft, delicious kernels.  Corn has been cultivated for 9,000 years and, even for ancient farmers, was easy to breed.  By the time Columbus arrived in the New World, it’s estimated that there were 200 – 300 different kinds of corn. Even though you might think that today we only have white, yellow, bicolor, pop and Indian corn (Halloween candy corn doesn’t count!)  the USDA holds samples of 19,780 different kinds of corn from around the world.

Corn is unique among domesticated crops in that it can no longer exist in the wild without the intervention of human hands. When a modern corn cob falls on the ground, so many kernels sprout all at once and competition is so fierce that none survive.

There are countless ways to eat corn.  Being born and bred Southern, my favorite is a Southern skillet corn.  Full of caramelized onions, bacon and fresh corn, it is a perfect accompaniment for summer suppers.  (recipe follows)

Corn husks have long been used for crafts, the most famous of which is corn shuck dolls.  These beautiful little creations are generally made from wide, strong dried shucks and can be quite elaborate.  If you want to do something fast and simple for a summer supper, just tie a long piece of green shuck around a napkin and add a fresh flower. Choose a piece of husk that’s thin enough to tie easily but not so thin it will break.

Oh, I promised you a corny joke, but first let me explain where that phrase comes from.  It actually dates back to the beginning of jazz. Songs or music (or jokes) that seemed trite or unsophisticated were called “corny,” referring to players who came from country corn fields and weren’t playing the newest songs (or telling the best jokes).

Ok, for the joke:  Do you know why corn is such a good listener?  It’s all ears.   Aww shucks, I told you it was corny.

Laura

Southern Skillet Corn

4 strips thick bacon

1 large onion, chopped

5 fresh ears of corn, kernels cut off the cob

1 (or more) tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon AP flour

1/2 cup milk (any kind!)

1/2 cup or more water

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut bacon into 2 inch slices and fry in a heavy iron skillet (or other frying pan.)   Remove bacon and reserve. Drain fat off and put back 1 1/2 tablespoons of bacon fat.   (If you have lean bacon that produces little fat, add enough butter to total 1  1/2 tablespoons).  Add chopped onions and saute on medium until onion is soft and beginning to caramelize. Leave the onions in the pan,  add one more tablespoon of butter and the corn kernels and saute about 10 – 12 minutes until corn and onion are both soft.  Add the flour and stir, then pour in the milk and stir until slightly thickened.  Add enough water to get the consistency you want. Salt and pepper to taste.  Right before serving, add the bacon pieces back in.