Every August, when I was growing up, my mother would buy a bushel of silver queen corn. Early in the morning we would drive to the farmer’s market for her to inspect the corn. First, she would smell it. Then she would check to see what condition the silk was in and ask when it had been picked. Corn picked fresh off the stalk has a different look and smell than corn from the grocery store. We would go from vendor to vendor inspecting the corn until she was satisfied she had found the freshest corn available.

We spent the rest of the day shucking, removing silks and cutting the kernels of corn off the cob. The final step was to scrape the cob and get every last drop of corn “milk.” As we packaged the corn for the freezer I would daydream about how delicious that corn was going to taste. Mom made us wait until Christmas every year. On Christmas day everyone in my house was always so excited about the prime rib my dad grilled but all I wanted was a taste of summer corn. I would stand next to her and watch as she stirred the corn just to inhale the aroma. Here is her recipe.

Summertime Corn– serves 6-8

5 ears of white corn (silver queen corn)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt to taste

Shuck, de-silk and cut kernels off the cobs. Scrape each cob to release the corn “milk.” Discard cobs. Place corn in a 12 inch skillet. Add water, milk, butter and start with 1/2 teaspoon of salt (you want the corn to taste sweet, not salty). Simmer 15 to 20 minutes on medium heat until done. Enjoy friends!

Published in The News and Neighbor on August 19, 2015