I have a long list of things I love about summer. Among the top ten items are: blackberries, peaches, raspberries, outdoor grilling, heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil...you probably get the idea. Life can be hectic and stupid. And stupidly hectic. However, there are certain activities I simply WILL NOT sacrifice on the alter of Productivity, and one of them - especially in the summer - is my weekly Farmer's Market. For one thing, there is no better place to find fresh summer corn.
This summer, my spouse is suffering some unfortunate but necessary dietary restrictions, and I'm supporting him by dieting as well.* This means we are sadly lacking in certain summer traditions, such as homemade lemonade, and berry cobbler with homemade ice cream. But we couldn't let summer go without at least one good BBQ dinner! So after a week of steamed rice and tofu (whee), we got a rack of ribs, made a mess of coleslaw, and I made some corn bread with fresh corn kernels in my cast iron skillet. Absurdly. Delicious. We had two slices left over, so in the morning we topped them with poached eggs and called it breakfast. It actually turned out to be one of the tastiest savory breakfasts I've had this year, so I figured I had to share it. You can have it with any meal you want, obviously, but I do recommend topping a wedge with a perfectly poached egg, served with a nice fruit salad of peaches and blackberries. Preferably from your local Farmer's Market.
Z.D.'s Double Corn Bread
Ingredients:
1/2 tsp regular butter
One large ear of fresh, local corn
1 Cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 Cup (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, barely melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/3 Cup sour milk, divided
Directions:
- Plop the 1/2 tsp salted butter into a 10 inch cast iron skillet, and stick it in the oven to warm as you pre-heat to 400º F. Once the butter is melted, remove the skillet, and use a heat-resistant pastry brush to grease the skillet. Set aside.
- While the butter is melting, shuck the corn and remove as much cornsilk as possible. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut as all the kernels from the cob. Set both kernels and cob aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Using the dull edge of your knife, scrape as much pulp from the outside of the corncob as possible into the dry mixture. Add in the corn kernels, and stir until just combined.
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| As you can see from the little blob at the bottom, you won't get a lot of juicy pulp from the cob, but it's very flavor intensive, so you don't want to waste it. |
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| Use your judgement. If in doubt, go for slightly more milk, but only slightly. |
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| Something about the smell of fresh-baked cornbread is so freaking Middle America, I swear if the U.S. flag had a smell, this would be it. |
This is a dryer, more crumbly cornbread, which is partly why it's so great with a poached egg. The flavor can't be beat, and the corn kernels add lovely texture. I may have a few more corn recipes in me before the summer is out, but first the Gladstone household has to shed a few pounds. Wish us luck!
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| Yeah, it was so tasty, we forgot to take a picture of a slice on a plate. So instead, you get to see the aftermath of our feast. It speaks for itself. |
*That's true love, folks.