Harmony Valley Farm: August 4, 2022 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Sweet Corn

This week’s box is a heavy one, so get ready! We had quite a challenge fitting everything in the box and had to pack strategically, but it’s a beautiful summer box! This week we’re featuring sweet corn and we think you’ll be pleased with the flavor and sweetness in these ears. So, we’ll kick off this week’s recipe inspirations with two sweet corn recipes. The first recipe is Corn and Snap Bean Succotash with Basil & Jalapeño (See Below), a recipe created by Vivian Howard, a chef from North Carolina. This is a great CSA recipe fitting for this week’s box as it includes five different vegetables from the box as well as basil which you may have in your own garden from your CSA herb pack! The second recipe is for Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Corn, Goat Cheese & Tomatoes (See Below). I don’t know what it is about fresh sweet corn and scrambled eggs, but it is one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast during the summer. Pair them with some creamy goat cheese and fresh tomato slices and it doesn’t get much better. The only thing I may suggest is to cut up some fresh melon to finish off the breakfast! If you’re looking for more fun recipes to try with sweet corn this season, be sure to check out the vegetable feature article that follows. At the end of the article, I included a list of suggested recipes which includes some interesting things ranging from desserts to snacks, drinks, and tacos!

Photo from theblackpeppercorn.com

We are at the very beginning of melon season and this week we’re picking a lot of our early season Korean melon, Sun Jewel. I found two recipes worth taking a look at this week. The first is for Korean Melon Popsicles, a fun recipe for kids and adults! The second is a little fancier, yet still quite simple. Check out this recipe for Korean Melon with Apple & Ginger.

This week’s green is one of our favorite summer greens, Rainbow chard! Packed with nutrients and flavor, this is a great summer green to include in your meals. If you’re not sure what to do with it this week, check out the collection of recipes at Bon Appetit entitled 19 Swiss Chard Recipes That Will Make You Wonder “Spinach Who?”. It’s a pretty good collection and includes a recipe for Sour Cherry & Bacon Pizza with Chard & Pickled Jalapeños and this Olive Oil Galette with Spicy Greens. Neither of these recipes is challenging to make, yet I think you’ll find the results to be equal to restaurant quality!

We’re also including the first of the peppers this week and I managed to sneak in another pizza recipe. Check out this tasty recipe for Philly Cheese Steak Pizza and put those green bell peppers to good use! I also included a recipe for Easy Cheesy Chili Mac which also uses green bell peppers. If you are into cooking with the Instant Pot, this recipe includes a version using the Instant Pot in addition to a method for making it in the oven.

Photo from thekitchn.com

As we are in the height of summer, the tomatoes are starting to ripen, and I suspect we’re about to get hit with a tsunami wave of them very soon! There are so many things to do with tomatoes, but sometimes it’s best to keep it simple. Check out this recipe for The Best Summer Tomato Salad if simple is on the menu for this week. I also came across this recipe for Spice-Braised Lentils & Tomatoes with Toasted Coconut. We featured this recipe in the newsletter previously and I recall it being quite tasty.

As I wrap up this week’s Cooking With the Box conversation, I want to mention one more of the recipes in this week’s selections. I don’t make a lot of desserts, but if you have any picnics or family reunions coming up this month, check out this recipe for Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars! Dessert with carrots in it can’t be too bad, right?

Alright, that’s a wrap for this week. I hope you have a great week of cooking and enjoy some tasty summer meals. If you have more food than you think you can eat this week, I did include a few suggestions for preservation in the “What’s In the Box” portion of this week’s newsletter. This information is also in your “What’s In the Box” email. Until next week, have fun, eat well, and enjoy summer!

Chef Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Sweet Corn

by Andrea Yoder

Richard putting up owl decoys

Summer isn’t summer without sweet corn, and we work really hard to grow the sweetest, best tasting corn we can! Sweet corn is not always the easiest crop to grow. Variety selection is a big part of the picture and there’s also the issue of pest control because, unfortunately, we are not the only creatures who like to eat sweet corn in the summer! This year we have employed multiple methods to keep your sweet corn safe. We have a cannon in the field that fires (noise only, no projectile objects) periodically to scare the birds. We also have a laser that was effective at deterring birds in the strawberry field earlier this year. Additionally, we have reflective streamers, scare-eye balloons and some hawk and owl decoys to deter the birds. New this year, our crew added some scarecrows fashioned out of sticks dressed with discarded Tyvek coveralls the guys use when they spray! Despite all these efforts, the birds have still done some damage, but hopefully it will be kept to a minimum. We also have a tall fence to keep deer and raccoons out of the field, but raccoons are tricky and usually can find a way to go under the fence. Thus, we also have a low electric tape around the perimeter of the field. As you can see, we do quite a lot to ensure we have sweet corn for your boxes!

Icing the sweet corn to keep it cold!

Sweet corn is a crop you can’t rush, it’s ready when it’s ready and you just have to do your best to determine when it’s at its optimal maturity. Sometimes you’ll have a lot and sometimes there will only be a small amount to pick. Regardless of the quantity, I want to encourage you to think about ways you might enjoy and use corn that go beyond the classic Corn on the Cob. Before we jump into preparation, I need to mention one especially important thing about sweet corn that you need to remember. Keep It Cold!!! When you get your sweet corn home, please put it directly into the refrigerator and keep it there until you’re ready to cook it. If refrigerator space is an issue, remove the husk and put the ears of corn in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Keeping sweet corn cold is important for maintaining the sugar content. Time and warm temperatures will cause sugars to convert to starch which will negatively impact both flavor and texture.

As for using corn, you may choose to cook it in the husk or without the husk and you also have the option of cooking it on the cob or cutting it off the cob before cooking. Often people will choose to cook corn on the cob and in its husk if they’re cooking it on a grill or open fire. If you do this, you should soak the ears of corn in their husks for a bit before putting them on the grill, otherwise the husks will dry out and burn more quickly. If you choose to remove the husks first, you have several options for cooking the corn if left on the cob. You can roast it in the oven or place it directly on the grill. You can also boil ears of corn in salted water. Once cooked, you can either eat it directly off the cob or cut the kernels off the cob using a paring knife. Whether cooked or raw, cutting kernels off the cob can sometimes get a little messy. I like to prop my ear of corn up on end in a shallow bowl when I cut the kernels off the cob. This way the kernels will fall into the bowl instead of all over the cutting board.

Once corn is cooked you have many options for how to use it. You can incorporate it into pasta dishes, risotto, vegetable salads, soup, chowder, quesadillas, tacos, and salsa! You can also use fresh corn kernels in cornbread, muffins, waffles, pancakes or even to make desserts such as ice cream and cake. A little fresh corn can really brighten up any dish with its sweetness, color, and tender texture.

We always focus on the kernels of corn, but if you really want to maximize each ear of corn we really should look at how to use the entire ear! For starters, don’t discard the cobs! Corn cobs have a lot of flavor and can be used to make a flavorful Corn cob Stock. Corn cob Stock may be used when making risotto, poaching fish or chicken, or as the base for sauces and soups. I also learned that corn silk has health benefits and can be made into tea using either fresh or dried silks! If you’re interested in learning more about these health benefits, check out this article about how to make corn silk tea.

Lastly, I want to mention that sweet corn is quite easy to freeze so you can savor it during the winter. I recommend cooking it on the cob and then removing the kernels after cooking. Simply put it in a freezer bag and pop it into the freezer. It’s that easy! Use the corn cobs to make corn stock and you can freeze that as well!

If you want to go beyond just corn on the cob this season, here are a few recipe suggestions to check out! Have fun and enjoy this seasonal treat!

Sweet Corn Panna Cotta

Chocolate Lovers Sweet Corn and Hazelnut Crunch Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Sweet Corn Bacon Ice Cream with Cacao Nibs

Sweet Corn Pudding

Sweet Corn Cupcakes with Corn Cream

Sweet Corn, Peach & Honey Mustard Chicken Salad

Corn Fritter Waffles with Spicy Maple Syrup

Cheesy Corn Poppers

Instant Pot Sweet Corn Queso

Sweet Corn Butter

Sweet Corn Tacos with Chorizo

Mexican Street Corn Breakfast Tostadas

Sweet Corn & Blueberry Pancakes

Breakfast Sweet Corn Muffins

Sweet Corn Soda

Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Corn, Goat Cheese & Tomatoes

Photo from thekitchn.com

Yield: 2 Servings

4 thick slices of tomato (¼ -½-inch thick)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 medium ear of corn, with the husk still on

½ Tbsp unsalted butter

4 large eggs, beaten

2 ounces goat cheese

Set your oven’s broiler on high with a rack a few inches below the broiler element. Drizzle the tomato slices with a bit of olive oil, coating both sides, and season with salt and pepper. Put them on a baking sheet and broil in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until beginning to caramelize on top.
While the tomatoes are cooking, microwave the corn (in its husk) for 3 minutes on high. Remove from the microwave and let cool for a few minutes, then strip off the husk and cut the kernels from the cob.
Heat the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the corn, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Add the eggs and scramble—this shouldn’t take more than a minute, although if you like your eggs creamy, you may want to lower the heat and cook them more slowly. Once the eggs are scrambled to your liking, turn off the heat and crumble in the goat cheese.
Use a spatula to transfer the tomato slices to a plate, then top with the eggs. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe borrowed from www.thekitchn.com.

Corn and Snap Bean Succotash with Basil & Jalapeño

Yield: 5 cups

1 cup leeks or onions, medium dice

2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 garlic cloves, sliced thin

3 cups corn, cut from 6-7 ears

2 cups snap beans (aka green beans), cut into 1/3-inch pieces

1 Tbsp minced jalapeño

1 tsp salt

2 cups water or corn stock

⅓ cup whole basil leaves

1 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp butter

In a 10 or 12-inch skillet or sauté pan, sweat the leeks/onions and ginger in the vegetable oil for 2 minutes.
Add the garlic, corn, beans, jalapeño, salt, and water. Bring it up to a simmer and cook until all but ¼ cup of the water has evaporated. I know that is impossible to measure, so just eyeball it.
Remove from heat and stir in the basil leaves, lemon juice, and the butter. Serve warm.

Recipe borrowed from Vivian Howard’s beautiful cookbook, Deep Run Roots.

Wednesday, August 3, 2022

August 4, 2022 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Sweet Corn

Cooking With This Week's Box

Vegetable Feature: Sweet Corn

Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Corn, Goat Cheese & Tomatoes

Corn and Snap Bean Succotash with Basil & Jalapeño

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