Sweet corn season started for us right around the Fourth of July
Holiday this year. The plan is to have another patch ripen every ten days or
two weeks into September. Each patch is a little different for various reasons,
but will be beautiful in its own right.
First, there
are thousands of varieties to choose from that go way beyond Silver Queen and
Peaches ‘n Cream. Silver Queen was the gold standard for a generation as corn
breeders selected the best when evolving away from corn raised to feed
livestock. Back then, “cow corn” could be harvested in the “roasting ear” stage
when it was still milky and the starch content still low. Silver Queen had
higher sugar content before it converted the sugar to starch, which is more
stable for long-term storage. Now, all sweet corns are bred to be sugary and bred
for the transition to starch to be delayed. Essentially these days, all sweet
corn you will see in any marketplace will be known as “super-sweet” varieties
that allow growers to get the product to consumers in the sugary state. For the
real Silver Queen variety, they say you should have the water hot before you
pick it as it loses sweetness by the minute. In addition to this sweetness
attribute, varieties differ in days to maturity, color pattern, husk coverage,
cold or heat tolerance, pest resistance, and many others. Suffice it to say, a
single variety like Ambrosia may not be the best for all seasons.
We will plant
several varieties on the same day with differing maturity dates. They are
managed as one crop, yet the harvest is spread out over several weeks. The
interval between pickings is planned out by us, but in reality is totally
dependent on the weather during the growing season. Weed control is a major
factor in raising a good patch of corn. As organic farmers, we plant with the contours
of the land and use cultivation equipment to eliminate weeds both between the
rows and between the plants in the row. Growers that are not certified organic
may use some herbicides for grassy weeds, others for broadleaf weeds at the
time they plant. These extremely toxic chemicals have numerous warnings on the
label concerning human exposure for the applicator and effects on the
environment as well as adverse effects on surface and ground water. Now there
are Genetically Engineered (GE) varieties that allow farmers to also spray
herbicides directly on the corn crop and the weeds, magically burning back the
weeds, while not affecting the corn. Hmmm. Some weed species are adapting and
showing resistance to this technology to the point that none of the herbicides
are effective on them anymore.
Insect pest
management is the most challenging aspect of sweet corn production. There are
essentially no problems until the last few days as the ears form. Some insects
feed on the silks as they emerge from the developing ear. Each individual silk
is actually a tube that carries the pollen to the egg that forms a kernel if
fertilization is complete. Hot dry weather can also dry out the silks,
disrupting the fertilization pattern. This is often the case when those kernels
at the very tip are not formed. We look for varieties with good husk coverage
as it impedes the ability for insects to burrow into the ear to access the
juicy sweet kernels. The corn earworm is the most notable of these. Our organic
certifier allows us to use a naturally occurring insect virus, called Bacillus Thuringiensis
that eliminates the larval stage of that insect before it penetrates the ear.
The timing of the application of this material is so critical to the
effectiveness of it; often control may not be achieved. Determining when the
pests hit a threshold level indicating the need to use the material is tricky
in itself. No organic farmer is allowed to use any product like this unless all
other cultural controls are documented as ineffective. Natural enemies, good
husk coverage, and vigorous growth is often enough. We rarely apply these
materials, opting for a less is more mentality. There are now GE varieties of
sweet corn that have this same naturally occurring insect virus implanted into
the chromosomes of the corn itself. In these, every cell in the plant carries
this trait, so any pest of this type is killed when it eats any part of the
plant. What this also means is it is IN the kernel you consume! Insects are
already adapting to this technology and resistant species are adapting to
persist in this altered environment. Also, the stalks are not breaking down
after harvest because the insects that normally feed on such material are
reduced or eliminated.
Birds,
raccoons, and deer can also wipe out a corn patch. They, like the insects and
humans, wait for the kernels to ripen before going in for a meal. Birds will
tatter the ends eating the kernels out on the tip. We use inflatable balloons
with an eye painted on them for scarecrows. Traditional scarecrows work in
small gardens but we need something out in the middle of the patch. Raccoons will
pull the ears from the stalk, take a bite, go on to the next one, and consume
countless ears overnight. They may come from miles around depending on
availability of other sources of food. We use a version of our electrified poultry
netting to keep them out.
We used to not
include the non-perfect ears in Farm Shares, but you told us again and again in
your end-of-season surveys that you would rather have blemished organic corn
over conventional corn or no corn. So, you may see ears of sweet corn in your
share that show some insect damage, poor kernel development due to dry weather,
or we may have even cut the ends off for you. We think this is highly preferable
to growing GE varieties stacked with numerous traits so consumers will see the
perfect ear of sweet corn. Enjoy your
Elmwood Stock Farm organic, non-gmo sweet corn, for true beauty is in the eye
of the informed beholder!
In Your Share
Green Beans
Green Cabbage
Sweet Corn
Cucumber
Melon
Yellow Squash
Heirloom Tomatoes
Green
Zucchini
Okra
Recipes
Mexican
Grilled Corn
3 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. garlic powder
6 fresh ears of corn, husked and cleaned
Combine butter, chili powder, salt, cumin and
garlic powder; brush over corn. Wrap
corn individually in aluminum foil.
Grill over medium heat (300-350 degrees) 30 to 40 minutes, turning every
10-15 minutes.
Smothered
Okra
4 bacon slices
2 pounds okra, cut
in pieces
1 ½ tbsp. wine
vinegar
1 ½ celery ribs,
chopped
1 medium onion,
chopped
2 garlic cloves,
chopped
1 bell pepper,
chopped
1 pound tomatoes,
chopped (or 16 oz. can whole tomatoes coarsely chopped)
1 tbsp.
Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Cook bacon in a
skillet over medium heat until crisp; drain, reserving ¼ cup drippings in
pan. Crumble bacon and set aside. Cook okra in hot drippings over medium heat;
add vinegar, stirring well. Reduce heat
add celery, onion, garlic and bell pepper.
Cook 5 minutes. Add tomatoes,
Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to vegetable mixture, stirring well;
simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with bacon. Serves 6.
Szchuan Green Beans,
from Dinner With Julie.com; serves 4.
1/2 lb (ish? a small bunch) green beans, stem
ends trimmed
canola or mild olive oil, for cooking
sesame oil, for cooking (optional)
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
3-5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 small squirt sriracha (chile paste)
toasted sesame seeds (totally optional)
canola or mild olive oil, for cooking
sesame oil, for cooking (optional)
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
3-5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 small squirt sriracha (chile paste)
toasted sesame seeds (totally optional)
Set a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and
add a drizzle of oil (I use canola) and sesame oil. Add the beans and cook
until they start to turn golden. Add the ginger, garlic, green onions, soy
sauce, sugar and sriracha (as much as you dare) and cook for a few more
minutes, tossing them around in the pan, until the garlic is golden and the
beans are deeper golden and sticky. If
you like, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Zucchini and Walnuts
¼ cup butter
½ cup walnut pieces
2 ½ cups coarsely
shredded zucchini
½ tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp salt
½ tsp. pepper
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat; add
walnuts and cook, stirring constantly, until toasted (do not burn). Transfer to a bowl, reserving drippings in
skillet. Sauté zucchini in hot
drippings 30 to 60 seconds; sprinkle with lemon juice. Remove from heat and add walnuts, tossing
well. Serves 4.
Grilled Cabbage Wedges with Spicy Lime
Dressing
serves 8 as a side dish
Juice of 3 limes (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fish sauce,optional
2 garlic cloves, rough chopped
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Lime wedges, to serve
1 head green cabbage
Grapeseed or canola oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fish sauce,optional
2 garlic cloves, rough chopped
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Lime wedges, to serve
1 head green cabbage
Grapeseed or canola oil
Heat a gas or charcoal grill. Whiz the limes,
olive oil, fish sauce, garlic, cilantro, salt, cayenne and sugar in a small
chopper or blender until the sauce is pale orange and the garlic is pulverized.
Set aside.
Remove the loosest, toughest outer leaves from
the cabbage, and cut into 8 evenly sized wedges. Do not remove the stalk or
inner core. Lightly brush wedges with grapeseed or canola oil. Place wedges on
the grill and cover. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the edges of each layer
are blackened and the cabbage is beginning to soften. Flip each wedge over,
cover the grill, cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes on the other side.
Remove the cabbage when it is beginning to wilt, but is still firm in the
middle. (This will also be somewhat a matter of taste) If necessary, turn the
heat down or move the wedges to a cooler part of the grill so they don't burn.
But don't be afraid of those blackened edges; you want a lot of grill and char
marks on the cabbage to give it smoky flavor. Take the cabbage off the grill
and arrange the wedges on a plate. Pour the dressing over top and serve with
wedges of lime.
