Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Sweet Corn and…

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “Iowa”?  (Besides the quirky blog girl with the cute dog…)

Most people think corn, fields, or potatoes.  (FYI: potatoes = Idaho. Close. Not really.)

Corn.  Dirt. Fields.  Every time I get off an airplane in the Quad Cities, I take in a deep breath of that fresh farm air.  Love it.  Smells like home.  And sometimes manure.  Eh.

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The above field is next to our walking trail.  We tried to get Ike to take a cute picture next to the corn.  He told me he needs to talk to his agent if he’s going to keep modeling for this blog…so I got this….

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One of the benefits of these lovely fields, besides their pretty looks, is sweet corn.  Starting at the end of July, almost all of our meals include sweet corn.  I have named this ~3 week period “Sweet Corn and” because all meals involve sweet corn and something else.

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It’s the one time of year that I actually eat vegetables all week.  Who cares that it’s a nice starchy vegetable covered in butter and salt?

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How do we cook it?  We shuck the corn.  (The dog is no longer allowed to be on the deck when we do this because he steals the corn and eats it.)  Next we bring a big ol’ pot of water to a boil.  Once it’s boiling we cook the corn for about 3-4 minutes.  (Is it sad that I had to ask Nate how “we” did this because I don’t cook?  I do, sometimes, help with the shucking.  Girl power.)

Sweet corn is best eaten on the cob with butter and salt.  Delicious.  It’s pretty decent frozen but there is nothing better than eating it straight off of the cob.

Any local foods that you enjoy in your area for a short period of time?  Do people in other parts of the country eat sweet corn for every meal during the end of the summer?

18 comments:

  1. How lovely!

    Corn is by far my favorite of the vegetables. There's just something about it, when I was a kid, it was about the only veggie [or grain, whichever you prefer lol] I would eat it like it was going out of style, and to this day, it's my 'go to' side dish with just about every meal.

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  2. It's a treat for us when I buy it. Sometimes no salt is necessary it is so delicious, other times we grill/char it and do a lime and chili rub. Always good, though!

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  3. I love a starchy buttery vegetable!!! Corn on the cob is one of my favorites. Around here it's corn, strawberries, and as soon as fall hits Apples!

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  4. Corn on the cob IS yummy, despite its starchy glory. We have a farm that's like 2 ft. down the road and they have a stand like 1 ft. down the road and the point of me telling you these distances is that they have FABULOUS corn. Or so we think. It might not compare to Iowa corn. :)

    Love your walking trail--how cool!

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  5. MMMMM! Good corn is like dessert!

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  6. I can't believe that beautiful scenery is on your walking trail! So lucky! I used to live opposite a corn field when I was a child and we ate corn for breakfast, lunch and supper. I think at one point, I even started to look a little bit like corn!

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  7. Yum, I miss Iowa corn! It's just not as good out here in Utah (there's a shocker). And you left out my personal favorite Quad Cities smell . . . the stench from the Purina factory. Mmmmm. (That's probably Ike's favorite, too!)

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  8. Hello! I found your blog through "Better After" - at least I think that's how I found it? :) Anyway, my husband and I also have a dog that we love A LOT! I mean, would risk my own life to save his, a lot. :) It's nice to see another couple as in love with their dog as we are. I really enjoy ready your blog and seeing all of the cute pics you take of Ike. (great name by the way) Our little pride and joy is a very "active" Brittany named Gus. :)

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  9. I loooove sweet corn! Have you tried grilling it? Super easy and it brings delicious to a whole new level. We shuck it, brush it with a combo of melted butter/garlic powder/salt/pepper and then wrap it up in foil and throw it on the grill. I think it takes...15? 20? minutes to cook. Just turn it a couple times. Seriously. So amazing. I want some right now!

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  10. I started reading your blog a few weeks ago and I am in love! (just don't tell our dogs, they might get jealous of Ike.) You are helping inspire me to decorate mine and my husbands home on a budget with great ideas besides just painting the walls. (Which you can't do in our military housing.)
    I'm originally from southern Minnesota and grew up with a "Sweet Corn and..." month but since moving halfway across the country to Georgia it's not the same. You're supposed to buy sweet corn out of someone's truck in the VFW parking lot, not a grocery store!
    Keep up the fabulous work! I am loving your blog!

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  11. Ike is so funny! Even when he's misbehaving for photos, he still cracks me up!

    We've harvested a ton of yellow squash from our garden, so I've had to be creative finding recipes to make with it. Meals this week have been, uh, interesting to say the least. We're running out of meat, but the freezer is FULL of frozen squash and cucumber from our garden, lol. btw, cubed sqash added to spaghetti sauce isn't bad :-)

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  12. We call this butter and sugar corn. Very yummy! But my favorite is Silver Queen, spread with butter and salt, served with tomatoes straight from the vine, which have been sliced and sprinkled with a little salt and pepper. Best summer meal ever!

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  13. We do the Sweet Corn thing here in Minnesota! We have 'corn feeds' over Labor Day - it's an event for the whole town!!!

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  14. Yum. Corn on the cob tastes like summer, especially on the plate next to a big ol' lobster. At least that's the way we like it in New England :)

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  15. YUMMMM. Butter + salt + anything is a win in my book, but I bet that local sweet corn is heaven. Totally counts as a veggie, by the way. It's definitely a health food.

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  16. Poor Ike. He may need a break from being Diva Dog. I absolutely love corn, but my husband is allergic so we don't have it much (boo-hoo). This time of year the strawberries are pretty great in WA. My son is a big fan.

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  17. Oh sweet corn, how I miss you!! :o( Nevada "corn" is awful and not sweet or tasty. Freeze me some for September!

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  18. Do people really confuse Idaho with Iowa? And I think the Ike pic is still completely adorable. =)

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