September 23, 2021

The Corn 🌽 Run

Fresh Ohio Corn

The sweet corn season is short. We wait all year for it and enjoy it on the cob in the late summer and early fall.

Since moving to Cleveland, I've been spoiled by the corn from Szalays Farm in Peninsula, OH. My friend Wendy has made “corn run” treks out to Szalays and always asks "how many dozen would you like?" The corn is absolutely delicious.

Fresh corn on the cob

Wendy and I along with a group of our foodie friends had the opportunity to tour the extraordinary Chefs Garden and Farmer Jones farm market in Huron, OH. While visiting I was able to literally walk out to a cornfield and see fresh corn growing.

Riding the wagon at Chef’s Garden Farm

Here’s Wendy and me on the covered wagon at Farmers Jones Farm. What a great adventure for this city girl. I used some of the the corn to make cornbread and a summer corn chowder (recipes below).

Farmer Jones Farm corn

Farmer Jones Farm corn To prep the corn, I remove the kernels from the cobs and vacuum freeze them to use throughout the year. We enjoy everything from corn salad, cornbread, corn chowder and creamed corn. Susan prepping corn
This year Susan was able to help me shuck and prep the corn for the freezer. She was a huge help!

Vacuum sealed fresh corn Vacuum sealing preserves that just picked taste.

Cornbread

Cornbread is made even better by the addition of corn kernels. Here’s how I make it (adapted from a Longbourn Farm recipe).

Ingredients

3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter melted and divided
1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter softened
3/4 cup corn kernels

Instructions

Combine cornmeal and buttermilk in a bowl, set aside for 15-30 minutes (see note).
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place 12 inch cast iron skillet or 8x8 baking dish in the oven to preheat.
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together, set aside.
In a large bowl, combine soaked cornmeal, 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, yogurt, honey, and eggs. Mix well.
Fold in dry ingredients, mix until just combined.
Add corn kernels and stir.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the preheated skillet or 8x8 baking dish, making sure it is covering the bottom of the skillet or 8x8 baking dish.
Pour batter into the skillet or baking dish, and place back into the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs on it.

Corn chowder

Here’s a recipe for corn chowder for the soup fans. It uses the cobs to make stock and the addition of heavy cream makes it rich and delicious. Topped with crispy bacon and scallions, it is a filling meal in a bowl.

Summer Corn Chowder

And in case you'd like to try other fresh corn recipes, here's a link with 50 recipes.

Pat Bennett is the founder and President of Pat's Granola, a Cleveland food and lifestyle company.