By RUTH PATCHETT rpweib1@gmail.com
I have a habit of hearing a sentence from a song, mostly songs from the 60s and 70s, and singing a small portion of it. My friend Marcia put up with this when we worked together years ago, and she claims I did it all the time.
Several song snippets might apply to what is going on now. Six months ago, if someone saw us wearing masks in a retail store, they might have said people are strange, and I would have sung portions of the lyrics from The Doors, “People are Strange.” Frequently on Fridays at the end of a work week, I sang The Animals’ “We gotta get out of this place.” Those confined home because of the corona virus might want to sing that line even more.
The song we should all be thinking about and singing today is the Beatles, “I get by with a little help from my friends.” All of us have benefitted from caring friends. Here is how I am getting by, with help from friends, and enjoying some wonderful summer food.
Sweet corn and friends go together in my life. Fresh sweet corn and fresh tomatoes are the best things of summer. I was astonished by the price of fresh corn in the store during the early part of the season. At $1 an ear, I decided to wait for my friends John and Will — who grow it and always share. It was worth the wait as fresh corn, just picked, is the best. Stop the ripening process by letting it sit in cold water for 30 minutes before shucking and it will be even better.
The microwave is useful for preparing just a few ears. Three minutes per ear in the microwave captures all the juicy sweetness. If several ears are needed at the same time, use a small cooler with thick sides. Put in about a dozen ears of shucked corn, with silks removed, and cover the corn completely with boiling water. Close the lid and let it sit for 45 minutes. The corn is cooked beautifully, stays hot, and is perfect for eating at least two hours afterward.
Growing up, my summers were spent canning and preserving. I was used to how my mom put up corn for the freezer. Mom always cooked the corn in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes, removed it and immediately cooled it in cold water. We had a large container sitting under an outside well, and we pumped fresh cold water over the hot cooked corn. It cooled quickly, especially if we changed the water a couple of times. When the corn was cool, it was cut off the cob and placed in plastic bags for the freezer.
I learned a different method as a young and newly-married bride. My friend, who was also a newlywed, said to cut the corn off the cob, after shucking and removing silks, and then cook and cool the corn. Her recipe was 2 quarts of corn, ½ cup water, ½ stick of butter, ½ tsp. salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar. The corn is cooked for 8 minutes once it starts to boil and stirring is necessary to avoid scorching. After cooking, spread the corn in a large rectangular 9 x 13-inch cake pan and set over ice water. Cool to room temperature and put in plastic freezer bags. Corn is ready to eat when heated as it already has added flavoring.
Putting up all the corn desired and having eaten it several times, it was necessary to do something different with the four ears of corn shared by friend Ron. His corn was state fair quality and as good as it gets. Corn that special required special treatment, and the recipe I came up with hit the spot.
A friend emailed me, after reading my article about Green Lantern Green Beans. He always went to the Green Lantern Restaurant for his birthday and he liked the green beans, but the corn relish on the appetizer tray was his favorite. It was time to attempt corn relish and after searching several cookbook sources I came up with my own creation. Chill before eating, for best flavor.
The last person who helped me with
corn is my friend Sue Stine. She loves to entertain, and she also loves kitchen tools. A couple of weeks ago she invited a few close friends for a cookout which featured fried corn. Her recipe was very tasty, and I was impressed the small corn gadget she gave me, called a corn zipper. It works great for cutting corn from the cob. Unlike most of the tools advertised to cut off corn, this one works so well it will not be going into a give-away box. It is sharp and comes with a protective plastic shield for storing, so no cut fingers when reaching in a cabinet for it.
My corn season is over, but not my singing habit.
“Cause you're the best thing that ever happened to me” is a line from a song by Gladys Knight and the Pips. I sing that line often, when I think of my true best friend, Tom. He has helped me fulfill a long-time goal of seeing all 50 states. Growing up in a large family with limited resources, we did not travel far. I traveled mostly in books. Fortunately, I married a man who loves to travel and because of that I have been in many interesting places.
This summer while enjoying a brief trip on Route 66 I finally checked off the last state, Oklahoma. There is a song about Route 66, but it’s not the song I want to finish with.
Friends and family are so precious, and they really do help us get by in these most challenging times. The words, “Reach out and touch somebody’s hand, make this world a better place, if you can,” sung by Diana Ross is most appropriate. Hand touching is no longer acceptable, but there are no problems with virtual touching. Phone calls, email, letters and cards are so welcome. Please reach out to others and make our world a better place.
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August 31, 2020 at 10:52PM
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Serving summer sweet corn - prairiepress.net
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