One of the benefits of the early growing season is that we’ve
had corn since the first of July, so August corn this year doesn’t have quite
the same meaning as in years when corn is really just coming into its own. For me, though, it has a different meaning: the last time I will really
eat it until next year.
Yes, I am back in Tucson. You may have suspected, since I
missed posting last week--the first sign, at the end of the summer, of
impending blog hibernation. I was traveling back to Tucson last weekend, and
there is nothing like a change in schedule to throw you off your blogging game.
School starts tomorrow, and you know what that means. The game of weekly posts
is up.
But back to corn and why I will be
on corn, as well as blog, hiatus until next summer. There is corn at the
farmers market here, but I can scarcely bear to look at the poor things, let alone buy and
eat them. (I know there is an agreement issue with that sentence, but I couldn't make it come out right in singular. Feel compelled to explain.) So I limit my corn eating to New England summer. Ditto with fish. Fortunately, the Hatch
chiles are in to distract me. Maybe this year I will figure out what all
the fuss is about.
I love corn fritters of all
shapes and varieties, and so decided to make some on one of my last evenings in
LC. These below are yet another type than others
on the blog, very much like a clam cake, for those of you from Rhode Island
who know from whence I speak. For those
who don’t: they are like little puffs of slightly eggy, fried, studded (with
corn, or clams, or…) bread. I was in the
process of cleaning out refrigerator inventory, and made a little dipping sauce
with sour cream, buttermilk, scallions, lemon, salt, and pepper. I had them for my dinner with a glass of
wine. A very nice last supper.
RI Corn Fritters
6 ears corn
3 eggs, separated
scant c sifted a-p
1 tea sugar
1 tea salt
2 tea bp
Cayenne and black pepper to taste
Oil for frying
Into a small bowl, cut
the kernels from the cobs and and scrape the milk from the cobs. Stir in
the egg yolks. Sift the dry ingredients
together and mix into the eggs and corn.. Beat the egg whites stiff and fold
them in gently.
Heat about 4” of oil to 375F; drop the batter by the
tablespoon into the fat, without crowding. Cook them, turning them over with a slotted
utensil, until they are golden brown. Remove to paper towels and salt while
hot. Make sure your fat is hot enough or
these will be too soft; you want them a bit crisp on the outside. Eat plain or dip into a sauce of your choice.
2 comments:
What a lovely ode to End-of-Summer!
These are one of our absolute favorite things (after fresh-from-the kettle with butter, or just-off-the-grill, almost caramelized in the shucks).
And I'd never thought of a sauce for them, though I suppose we've always had one of sorts---corn night is one for a cereal-sized bowl full of chopped juicy tomatoes per person, salted while the fritters fry to get the juices going, and then a little dot of Blue Plate or Duke's atop, for stirring in at the last minute.
You need only your fingers for the fritters and a spoon for getting every drop of the "sauce."
I'll miss you, sweet friend---surely there will be some good hot Dutch-oven stew suppers or winter soups, and SURELY a holiday dessert or two?
Happy until . . .
rachel
Or, another favorite, off the cob and cooked entirely in butter and cream...
Tomatoes with a little mayo is sure a sauce...gosh, I feel hungry.
I will miss me too--in the sense, that writing the blog makes me feel more like me...and will miss your validating and eloquent comments...but work takes precedence and it will be a busy, busy fall. Yes, I will SURELY get a winter or SW something or other out. In fact, I have a little inventory of Little Compton items that I should be able to get out.
Enjoy the Fall bounty in the South!
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