Tag: seasonal eating

Easiest Way To Cook And Shuck Corn On The Cob

For years I would buy fresh corn on the cob, shuck it and get the sticky silks all over the place and somehow there were still more on the cob. Not to get too infomercial on you, but I wished there was a better way…and there is! Oven-roast those suckers!

When my friend first told me how to do this, I was convinced that shoving paper-like husks into a hot oven would result in roasted corn and an epic house fire. I’m happy to say that only one of those things happened. (It was the corn thing; if it were the house thing then this would be a terrible method for cooking corn.) The corn comes out of the oven cooked to perfection and the silks are magically stuck to the husk instead of the corn. Just peel the husk off and the silks come too!

How to make this fabulous corn on the cob

Place corn on the cob (still in the husk) directly onto the racks of your 400°F oven and bake for 30 minutes.
(Optional) Continuously open the oven door to peek inside and make sure the corn is not on fire…despite your friend’s insistence that it is not.
Once the corn is done roasting, remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 10 – 15 minutes before asking your dinner guests to shuck a 400°F object (lesson learned).

That’s all there is to it! (And you thought the house was going to burn down…)

Want to learn more about corn? Check out my Bounty From The Farm: Sweet Corn post and coming on June 11 (National Corn on the Cob Day) I’ve got a great Edamame, Corn and Tomato Salad that makes a great side dish at outdoor barbecues.

katie: normal girl

Bounty From The Farm: Sweet Corn

While milling around my local farmer’s market last weekend I visited one of my favorite local farmers where I found a lovely pile of sweet corn. He had just harvested the corn earlier that morning so it was about as fresh as I could get without growing it myself! Armed with my bushel of corn, I decided that I just had to tell you about one of my favorite veggies: sweet corn.

Is all corn “sweet corn”?

Sweet corn has a higher sugar concentration than its counterparts, flint and dent corn and popcorn – all of which have a high-starch content. Flint and dent corns are typically grown with the intention of processing into corn meal and flour for many corn-based foods like tortilla chips, polenta and grits. Sweet corn is grown to be consumed as a whole kernel, whether cut from the cob, frozen or canned.

Is it ripe?

As soon as sweet corn is harvested, its sugars begin to breakdown, so the smaller you can make the farm-to-table gap, the better. Corn is ready for harvest (and eating) when the silks begin to turn brown but aren’t dry.

Peel the husk down a little bit; if the kernels go to the top and are plump (not dimpled) then you’ve got a fresh ear of corn. As a final test, puncture a kernel and if the juice is milky then you’ve got corn at its peak of freshness. Time to eat it!

If you’re ready to get cooking, this is (in my humble, corn-loving opinion) the easiest way to cook and shuck corn.

katie: normal girl

Just in case you didn’t know…

Husk – the green, leafy covering over your corn.

Silk – the stringy bits at the top of corn. Along with the husk, they are removed before eating the corn.

Shuck – the processes of removing the husk and silk from the corncob or just another word for peeling – you peel a banana; you shuck corn on the cob.

Ear of corn – refers to a single cob of corn, in or out of the husk.

Check out more from my Bounty From the Farm series.

How To Get Pomegranate Seeds Out

Pomegranates are a round fruit that is typically in-season during the cooler months. Depending on where you live it can be anytime from September through April. You eat the flesh covered seeds (also Pomegranate - learn to get the seeds out at katienormalgirl.com | #howto #lifeskills #food referred to arils, which is actually the red portion that covers the seed) that are found inside, in a white membrane. The seeds have a tart, slightly sour taste that gets sweeter the longer it remains in the fruit. Getting the seeds out of the membrane can be tricky and there are two common methods, the water bowl method and the “beating it with a spoon” method. I prefer the later method. Despite the violent sounding nature of it, using the spoon method will get you a bowl full of seeds that are fully intact and unharmed.

You’ll need:

a sharp knife
a wooden spoon
a medium to large bowl
an apron/clothing protection

Before you start, you’ll want to put on an apron or drape a tea towel down the front of your clothing to protect it. Juice from the red arils can stain clothing.

Start by using the knife to score the outer skin of the pomegranate and pull it apart. Don’t just cut it in half because you’ll burst some of the arils which will create a mess and you’ll loose some of the seeds you’re working so diligently to harvest.

Next, take half of the pomegranate and pull the sides, stretching it in several places to loosen the seeds. Turn it over in your hand and use the back and side of a wooden spoon to hit the pomegrante. The seeds will start to fall out in your hand, dump them into the bowl and keep on going! Repeat with the other half.

That’s all there is to it! Now you can enjoy these tasty little delights as a snack by themselves, mixed into yogurt or on top of ice cream. Enjoy!

katie: normal girl

Want to learn how to cut and prepare more things? Check out Kitchen Skills.

Winter Sipping: Spiced Tea Latte

Grab your scarf and gloves, it’s time to get all bundled up for winter, and because your insides need to be warmed up too, it’s tea time! The spice in this winter tea will get your blood pumping and warm you from the inside out. A dash of vanilla and whipped cream balance out the spice and provide that hint of sweetness that you expect this time of year.

For each cup you’ll need:

Mulling Spices for Apple Cider

This is a great last-minute Thanksgiving idea and a fantastic way to naturally scent your home with the smell of Fall. You can buy pre-made mulling spice mixes but they can be a bit pricy, so I just make my own and save it in a mason jar.

Candy-Dipped Apple Sundae Bar

This is my favorite new Fall dessert! It’s the perfect communal dessert for parties, with or without kiddos. And, oh the varieties of yummy-ness that you and your guests can create!

I provided chocolate fudge and caramel sauce to dip the apples into, then I provided a variety of sweet and salty topping choices. For a final bit of yummy, I also set provided small containers of sea salt, pumpkin spice, and dried orange peel. If you’d prefer to serve something with less sugar, you can go healthy and provide warm peanut butter or honey for dipping instead of caramel and chocolate and swap the candy for dried fruit and granola. The possibilities are endless!

Here’s a list of what I provided:

Simple Summer Recipe: Mango Salsa

Now that you’ve learned how to dice a mango, what to do with it? You can throw the pieces of one mango into about two cups of your favorite pre-made salsa for tasty semi-homemade recipe. I like to pair mango with a medium or hot salsa because the sweet, cool fruit cuts the heat a little.

If you’re in the mood to make salsa from scratch, give this easy recipe a try.

Cutting Mangos Can Get Dicey

Mango season is almost over, so be sure to scoop up a couple of these yummy fruits the next time you’re in the store. When selecting a mango, pick one that is firm with just a small amount of give. You want a firmness between an apple and a ripe peach.

If you haven’t sliced a mango before, then you may not realize that there is a large seed in the center. You need to be careful to avoid cutting the seed because it’s very hard and your knife could slip and…well…bad things man…bad things. Also, don’t cut too close to the seed because the fruit around it is fibrous and not very tasty. Check out the pictorial below for some tips on how to dice a mango!

Now that you have this wonderful bounty, what shall you do with it? It’s tasty as-is, or you can toss it together with some raspberries and blueberries for a fancy fruit salad. There’s mango martinis, mango smoothies or one of my favorites…mango salsa.

No matter what you pick, it’s bound to be delicous because these little guys are at the peak of freshness and flavor through the end of the month.

Enjoy!

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