I almost let this one get by me, but it is still timely, because I saw again today that corn on the cob is selling for 33 cents an ear. The suggestions I am presenting are from two sources. The first comes directly from The Rachel Ray Show on Food Network. And the second is from my daughter-in-law.
It is barbeque season again—at least it is here in Georgia—and most of us can’t wait to fire up the grill and cook outside on the patio. Among the side dishes we all enjoy is that perennial favorite, corn on the cob. I love it, but I always felt guilty about slathering all that butter on it. It was not an easy task to butter up an ear of corn either. The butter migrates to the bottom of the ear and falls off before it can melt in.
There is an alternative that you can use to your heart’s content, and it will most likely be a lot healthier for you than butter or even butter substitutes. I'll get to that in a moment, but first I have some preparation tips for the corn shucker.
When you’re ready to shuck the corn—some markets will let you do it in-store and provide a trash barrel for you to discard the greens—get yourself a rubber band to perform the task you always hated to do, getting rid of the corn silk that clings to the kernels after shucking.
Twist the rubber band once or twice and loop it between your thumb and index finger. Holding the ear of corn straight up, slide the twisted rubber band vigorously up and down while turning the ear. It will pick up those stray threads of corn silk and remove them in no time. Voilá! You have a clean ear of corn and no silk to get in your teeth.
When you buy the ears of corn in the produce section of your market, pick up a lime or two. A good plan is to buy one lime for every two ears of corn. Try to get the standard limes about 2 inches in diameter, not key limes.
When you have shucked and roasted, boiled or microwave-heated your ears of corn and are ready to eat them, cut the limes in half. While squeezing the lime half vigorously, run it over the ear of corn while turning the ear. Make sure you see the juice running down into the kernels. Then add pepper and salt to taste and start munching.
You are going to be pleasantly surprised, because the limejuice is a great substitute for butter, enhances the corn taste and is a lot less messy. No more butter stains on your clothing, and it is oh, so much more healthy for you.
If you’re really economical, you can probably get enough juice from the lime to coat two ears per half, but limes aren’t that expensive; I paid 25 cents for the last one I bought.
Try these neat and healthy tips the next time you have corn on the cob, and I think you’ll thank me for it.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Marshmallows
This week I visited an unusual farm. It was so unique and so incredible that I just had to share my experience with you. You see I went to a marshmallow farm.
I bet you thought, as I used to, that marshmallows were processed and made of sugars and corn syrups and stuff like that. But really, they are grown here in Grovetown in our famous marshes. That’s why they’re called marshmallows, of course. I never knew that.
The marshes in Grovetown are perfect for growing the marshmallow plant. They used to be mangrove swamps, hence the name “Grovetown.” When the mangrove trees died in a blight, the swamps were drained and the marshes remained with lots of nutrients and nitrogen, a great combination for growing the marshmallow plants.
What does a marshmallow plant look like? Well, you might think they would look like cotton plants, with little marshmallows on stalks that you harvest like tomatoes or, well, like cotton. But, oh no, they grow like pumpkins and squash. They grow real big, so big that you can only harvest one at a time.
The raw marshmallows have to be divided up into their smaller ones that you buy in the store. But that isn’t as difficult as it would seem. The big ones can be pulled apart into individual cells and dried out form those perfect little spheres you toast on a stick by the campfire. If left a while longer, the marshmallows shrink into the tiny ones we call mini-marshmallows, the ones you put into hot chocolate.
I didn’t get to see the harvest, because they aren’t quite ready, but that will take place in a few weeks, and then there will be the annual Marshmallow Festival, a whole weekend of celebrating and eating the sweet little things.
Now, about this time, you’re probably as skeptical as I was about the existence of these “marshmallow farms.” Well, I can understand that. Therefore, I took a picture of the marshmallows still growing in the field to prove they are genuine.
Do you believe now???
I bet you thought, as I used to, that marshmallows were processed and made of sugars and corn syrups and stuff like that. But really, they are grown here in Grovetown in our famous marshes. That’s why they’re called marshmallows, of course. I never knew that.
The marshes in Grovetown are perfect for growing the marshmallow plant. They used to be mangrove swamps, hence the name “Grovetown.” When the mangrove trees died in a blight, the swamps were drained and the marshes remained with lots of nutrients and nitrogen, a great combination for growing the marshmallow plants.
What does a marshmallow plant look like? Well, you might think they would look like cotton plants, with little marshmallows on stalks that you harvest like tomatoes or, well, like cotton. But, oh no, they grow like pumpkins and squash. They grow real big, so big that you can only harvest one at a time.
The raw marshmallows have to be divided up into their smaller ones that you buy in the store. But that isn’t as difficult as it would seem. The big ones can be pulled apart into individual cells and dried out form those perfect little spheres you toast on a stick by the campfire. If left a while longer, the marshmallows shrink into the tiny ones we call mini-marshmallows, the ones you put into hot chocolate.
I didn’t get to see the harvest, because they aren’t quite ready, but that will take place in a few weeks, and then there will be the annual Marshmallow Festival, a whole weekend of celebrating and eating the sweet little things.
Now, about this time, you’re probably as skeptical as I was about the existence of these “marshmallow farms.” Well, I can understand that. Therefore, I took a picture of the marshmallows still growing in the field to prove they are genuine.
Do you believe now???
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