Corn is Complicated
Corn is
biologically tricky to grow and look good. Corn is in thousands of foods,
drinks, cosmetics, and plastics. Genetic modification of corn is the norm, not
the exception. Corn is the most commonly used grain for beef, dairy, pork, and
poultry. Sweet corn is not the same as cow corn. There are lots of
misconceptions about corn, so we will try to clear up some popular thoughts.
Corn is an annual
grass plant with its ancestral roots, as maize, in Mexico. It is known to be
one of the earliest plants domesticated by the native population, and by
extension, the beginning of agriculture in this hemisphere. Seeds from the best
plants would be saved for the next crop. By selecting for ear size, kernel
size, and how easily it could be ground for meal, they discovered if you grow
two different kinds next to each other, the resulting crop was better than
either one by itself. This is now known as cross pollination, which creates
hybrid vigor. The tassel at the top, which is the male part of the flower,
sheds millions of pollen grains when the plant reaches sexual maturity. These
tiny particles can be airborne for miles. The female portion of the flower is
the ear with silks that extend into the air to catch the falling pollen. Each
silk is actually a tube that must catch a pollen grain, then migrate it thru
the tube to fertilize the zygote, thus forming a kernel. Each kernel has its
own silk. If these silks are damaged by insects or weather conditions, a kernel
will not be formed. When they do, the birds, skunks, and raccoons consider it
one of their favorite foods. Even though we plant 20,000 to 30,000 seeds per
acre, all these factors influence the ultimate quality of the crop.
Virtually all the
corn you see when traveling is grown for livestock feed or ethanol. One must
marvel at the efficiency of the industry, but the politics of the insidious
environmental impact are sordid. Beyond the fertilizer and pesticide laden soil
particles carried from the field that have contributed to the hypoxia dead zone
in the Gulf of Mexico, is the genetic manipulation that spreads itself around
in those pollen grains. Somehow, someone has figured out how to spray an
herbicide that kills every species of plant in the field, except the corn,
protected by genetic modification. They have also figured out where the genes
for a particular trait are on the chromosome. This gives them the ability to
alter the DNA for commercial purposes. At one point, a gene was inserted in the
genetic material of many species of plants so farmers and gardeners could not
harvest and save the seeds for future crops. This became known as the
terminator gene, which subsequently did not receive a patent due to public
outcry over the potential harm to small, poor farmers, especially in developing
countries where seed saving is a ritual from the beginning of their culture,
and a necessity. The genetically altered plants are the intellectual property
of the company that developed such plants, therefore all the ensuing offspring
belong to them. Because of pollen drift, this intellectual property may move
across the landscape, infecting the corn crop of unsuspecting farmers growing
non-GMO corn. In some cases these farmers have been sued for stealing this
intellectual property. Absolutely no GMOs are allowed in Certified Organic
foods. Organic corn farmers must have a physical separation from a neighbor’s
GMO corn crop, and must also have a pollination date buffer to prevent cross
pollination and infection of the organic crop. Something is not quite right
about organic farmers having to shrink their production to preserve it, while
the commercial grower can plant right up to the edge of the property boundary.
Now, sweet corn. As the Native American people were
growing corn for dry grain, there is evidence they may have begun to eat the
kernels while still soft, possibly because of the need for sustenance during
long dry summers. This led them to purposely cross-pollinate different types
and select certain varieties for sweetness and taste. Many years later, there
are now thousands of commercially available varieties for farmers and gardeners
to choose from to grow. The varieties may be yellow, white, or bi-color and
range from traditional open-pollinated heirloom varieties, to hybrids developed
through cross-pollination, to genetically modified organisms. Generally the
varieties are classified by their days to maturity after planting and other
attributes that may be associated with them. For example, we select varieties
that tolerate cold conditions for early planting, others for later plantings. Many
people ask for Silver Queen, a white variety known for size and sweetness,
grown in home gardens for generations. With improved breeding techniques,
varieties have been developed known as supersweet, which means the sugar in the
kernel does not convert to starch as rapidly after picking compared to
varieties like Silver Queen. The conversion of sugar to starch is a protection
mechanism as the goal of the plant is to make a viable seed, not feed us.
The corn you see
driving down the road is probably not sweet corn, but it may have an impact on
sweet corn growing nearby. The sweet corn you get from Elmwood Stock Farm is
raised with careful consideration of organic principles when navigating
production systems. You can enjoy every kernel for what it is, and likewise for
what it is not.
In Your Share
Blackberries or
Raspberries – organic
Green Cabbage - organic
Sweet Corn - organic
Garlic – organic
Eggplant
Potatoes – organic
Tomatoes - organic
Okra - organic
Purple Top White Turnips - organicRecipes to Enjoy
Eggplant
Calzone, our thanks to a CSA
member for sharing recipe from The Smitten Kitche Cookbook. The calzone reheats
well and is good to pack for school or work lunches.
1 T olive oil
1 med. eggplant (approx. ¾ lb.)
¾ lb pizza dough
1 C ricotta
1 C shredded mozzarella
1/3 C finely grated Parmesan
dried oregano to taste
1 egg
snipped fresh basil to taste
Preheat oven to 425°F. Chop eggplant into ½-inch cubes and toss with olive oil; sprinkle
with salt and pepper, then roast for 20 – 30 minutes until browned and
beginning to crisp. Let cool slightly.
Mix cheeses, season with salt and oregano, and
stir in roasted eggplant. Divide pizza
dough into four portions and roll each portion into a circle approximately 6-8
inches in diameter. Place ¼ of eggplant
mixture on half of circle, fold dough over, then fold edges together and
crimp.
Beat egg with 1tsp water. Transfer calzones to baking sheet lined
with foil and brush with egg wash. Bake
15 to 20 minutes until puffed and
golden. Serve with spaghetti or pizza
sauce.
Bacon, Corn, and Potato Hash,
our thanks to a CSA member for sharing this recipe adapted from smitten kitchen dot com
½
lb diced bacon
1 lb potatoes, diced into ¼ to ½ -in cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium-large ears corn, kernels cut from cob (2 ½ - 3 C)
1 lb potatoes, diced into ¼ to ½ -in cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium-large ears corn, kernels cut from cob (2 ½ - 3 C)
1
large handful basil, chopped
Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove
bacon bits with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pan and
transferring the bacon to paper towels to drain.
Increase heat to medium-high, then add your
potatoes all at once in a single layer. Sprinkle them with ½ tsp salt and
several grinds of black pepper. Cook until browned on all sides. At this point, you can push aside the
potatoes and pour or spoon off all but a small amount of the fat.
Increase the heat a little and add the corn to
the skillet. Saute the potatoes and corn together until the corn gets a bit
brown but stays fairly crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the drained bacon, and
stir the mixture together until it’s evenly warm, about 1 more minute. Finish with chopped basil.
Tomato
Ricotta Tart, our thanks to a
CSA member for sharing this recipe from Cooking Light. You can use most any size, shape, or color
of tomato.
Crust:
5.6
ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (about 1 ¼ C)
2
T pine nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
¼
tsp kosher salt
¼
tsp baking powder
¼
tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼
C extra-virgin olive oil
3
T ice water
cooking
spray
Filling:
¾
C ricotta cheese
1
large egg, lightly beaten
2
garlic cloves, minced
½
tsp kosher salt
½
C chopped fresh basil, divided
1.5
ounces aged Gruyère cheese, shredded and divided (about 6 T)
1
pound heirloom tomatoes, seeded and cut into ¼ -inch-thick slices
Preheat
oven to 450°F. To prepare crust, weigh
or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine
flour and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a food processor; pulse 3
times or until combined. Combine oil and 3 T ice water in a small bowl. With
processor on, slowly add oil mixture through food chute, and process until
dough is crumbly. Sprinkle dough into a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate
coated with cooking spray. Press dough into an even layer in bottom and up
sides of dish. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
Combine ricotta, egg, garlic, and ½ tsp salt, stirring
with a whisk. Add ¼ C basil and ¼ C Gruyère, stirring to combine. Spread
ricotta mixture evenly over crust. Arrange tomato slices in a circular pattern
over ricotta mixture, slightly overlapping. Sprinkle tomatoes with remaining 2 T
Gruyère. Bake at 450° for 25 minutes or until filling is set. Let stand
10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ C basil.
