July 4, 2011
After a whirl-wind weekend of spending time with family, blackberry cobbler and amphibious Jeeps...I have settled late this evening at my favorite privacy spot along the Beaufort River. This spot has free wifi and a view of the river that is unmatched. I may pass along this secret spot to a deserving friend before my time is done here in Beaufort. ;-)
My inspirational theme this weekend has been seen in a celebration of summer, the constitutional republic that we live in and adore....and of course.....the backyard BBQ.
In the South, when we speak of BBQ, we speak of pork that has been slow smoked on hickory, pulled and slathered in sauce. Most Americans (ahem....Yankees) call grilling "BBQ-ing". There is no humanly way you can "BBQ" a hot dog or hamburger....but let's leave the details to Alton Brown.
Here in the Great State of South Carolina, most people have fired up their charcoal or gas grills in pursuit of delicious beefy or porky goodness this weekend. Let's not forget the elemental side dish of fresh cut watermelon, potato chips, and.....corn on the cob.
Corn! It's so elemental, most people don't realize it's importance in the establishment of the United States of America. Before 1607, when England sailed the open sea, for Glory, God, Gold, and the Virginia Company, the Native Americans were celebrating their freedom with maize, a staple crop precursor to what we know as corn.
The ancient Mesoamericans would most likely be disgusted (or yet delighted?) to see what we have done with modern corn. After all, it was the Mayans and Aztec ancestors that began to cultivate maize some 10,000 years ago. It was essential to human life systems in times of old, and continues to have a large impact on our socio-economic health today.
To see more, read at the Economist.com: The Beef About Corn, etc.
Politics aside, I LOVE CORN! :)
After a leisurely swim with the 1943 Ford GPA at my parent's lake this weekend, we enjoyed some delicious fresh grilled corn-on-the-cob in our bathing suits, under a gorgeous azul north Georgia afternoon sky. This was nice, but not completely practical for year-round satisfaction, as fresh corn is quickly perishable and only attained at it's peak in the summer. I find myself wanting it in the winter, where it can only be obtained from the depths of my freezer in sub-par condition.
I have received copious amounts of this same sweet corn in my CSA box for the last couple of weeks here in Beaufort. What to do with the excess besides give it away? This is not dent corn #2 that I can store in a silo and transport to Poland a year from now. I've had to get creative.
I have learned to use a form of corn cake that will please both the gourmet and the redneck palate. Delicate herbs will envelop your senses, but the grilling method makes it accessible to any backyard cook. These cakes can be made in advance and frozen very well!
These are so good! I have done them with just parmesan cheese and with the smoked mozzarella. I find that if you grill them or fry them, you need to add an egg to this recipe for extra binding power. Excellent!
Serve with a little creme fraiche at your next dinner party, or as a side dish. If making them to grill up in winter-time, wrap each cake in plastic film, and store in a zip-top bag in your deep freeze. Allow to thaw slightly before grilling or frying.
Corn has always been a staple of the American diet, don't let it die! Have pride in your native foodstuffs! Don't get bored with it, as most people do. It's not all about jalapeno cornbread studded with corn kernels out of a can (still sounds good though....), give some fresh corn a try this summer either on the grill or in a new dish! Start up your Google people....and get cooking!
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