Iowa's Sweet Ears of CornGrowing and Serving Sweet Cornby Kurt Michael Friese A visitor from the right or left coast, while driving throughIowa along Interstate 80, could be forgiven for believing that there is littleelse here in the Hawkeye state besides corn. A majority of the corn our bicoastalguest sees, however, is not food but feed, destined to be sold as commodity,then fed to the food, as it were, to fatten the livestock that become the centerof the American plate. On nearly every family farm, rare as those are becoming, one will still findsweet corn, and July is the time when it is reaching its peak. While the aforementionedhogfeed won’t be ready until harvest in October or November, the sweetcorn will be at your farmers’ market this month. It has been an unusuallycool spring, though, so it may not be until later in July when you see thetruly great ears of delectable golden kernels. No other new world food product, with the debatable exceptions of cocoaand the potato, has had such an impact on world food and the world economyas corn. While the Europeans first heard of corn from Columbus, it wasn’tuntil the 16th century when Hernán Cortés brought it backto his native Spain that it began to catch on there. Perhaps the best-knownEuropean use of corn is polenta, the northern Italian specialty made fromwhole-grain cornmeal. Here in Iowa, though, while some restaurants occasionally serve polenta,it may be more commonly known as fried cornmeal mush. Give something afancy name and you can sell it for more to more people. It is the sameprinciple that gets folks to eat “calamari” who would neverdream of eating squid. But no matter what you call it, polenta or mush, it is one of thousandsof ways corn has been used over the last five centuries to feed the explodingpopulation of the western hemisphere. From bread to whiskey, soup to popcornto syrup, corn is everywhere. Perhaps the best way to enjoy it, though, is still straight off the cob,boiled in milk, or grilled in the husk. It is a delightful thing to seea small child gnawing on a buttery ear of sweet corn at an Iowa picnicin July. Selecting the Best EarsHere are a few pointers for choosing the best ears of corn. Never buy corn that has already been shucked. Exposing the kernels tothe air simply dries them and accelerates the conversion of sugars tostarch that begins when the ear is harvested. Placing it on a Styrofoamtray wrapped in plastic does not help. Also, you need not peel back the husks on each ear of corn before youbuy it at the farmers’ market. Feel the rows through the husk toensure that they are even and fill out the cob. Store the corn, for notmore than a day or two, in their husks and in the refrigerator. When you’ve finished eating, save your corn cobs. They make a terrificstock for corn chowder. Alternatively, dogs love them. Boiling CornTo preserve more of the sugars, use a mixture of half water and halfmilk, enough to cover all the shucked ears of corn you want in a largepot. Place this over high heat with a dash of salt and bring to a boil,then remove from the heat and let stand, covered, about 15-20 minutes.The corn will turn out perfectly tender and delicious every time. Grilling CornCorn’s appeal lies in its sugars, and the only thing better thansugar is caramelized sugar. That is what you are doing when you grillcorn, caramelizing the sugar. Next time you are going to have the grillfired up, prepare your corn the day before. Trim off the stem, but leavethe husks on the corn. Boil in the same manner as above, but then storein the cooking liquid in the refrigerator. The next day, 15 to 20 minutesbefore your other grilled items are done, place the corn around the edgesof the fire. Turn frequently, but don’t worry about the husks burning.They are protecting and flavoring the corn as they burn. Remember thatthe time they will need to cook will vary according to the size and temperatureof your particular grill. Never be afraid to experiment or make mistakes. Experience is not merelythe best teacher, it is the only teacher.
Kurt Michael Friese is co-owner of the Iowa City restaurant Devotayand serves on the Slow Food USA Board of Governors. He lives withhis wife Kim in rural Johnson County. Questions and comments maybe directed to
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