Category Side Dish

I have a deep appreciation for good corn, rooted in the fields of Kent County that surround my mother’s childhood hometown of Chatham, Ontario.

I was raised to worship Kent County corn. My mom fondly recounted how her sister Jean would come home from work with an armful of the precious cobs, freshly picked and so sweet. Dinner that night would be a corn feast, honouring cob after sweet cob of golden summer.

The key to being crazy about corn is to buy the very best locally grown corn you can find; then cook it and eat it as soon as possible on the day you buy it. When you bring it home from the farm market, get it straight into the fridge and don’t husk it until just before you plan to boil it. Then boil it in plenty of fresh water without any additions: once the water is boiling, cook for 3 to 4 minutes for young cobs and 5 to 7 minutes for mature cobs.

Where can we find the best corn in the Peel Halton area? My answer is Allison’s Farm Market in Georgetown, Ontario.

The first time I tasted Allison’s tender, sweet corn I was hooked-at-hello. Olive Allison’s Farm Market corn so much that when the local corn season arrives, I make the journey to Georgetown from Streetsville. This year, I was so eager that I showed up a bit too early, LOL. Next year, I’ll call first to find out when the corn will be coming in from the fields.

Bob Allison was kind enough to invite me onto his corn fields recently, to teach me a bit about what makes his corn taste especially good.

The Allisons have been farming their land since 1965 and have been growing sweet corn since about 1975. They started out with an honesty box on their front yard and have grown into a permanent farm market where they sell their homegrown corn and pumpkins, as well as a bounty of fresh, local fruits and vegetables they bring in from other farms.

The Allison’s grow Gourmet Sweet supersweet corn: 1 acre of yellow corn and about 30 acres of bi-colour (Peaches & Cream) corn. Colour is just visual and doesn’t affect the taste of the corn. They plant a new patch of corn about every three days. The last patch is planted in early July and ripens the end of September. Bob’s crew looks for ripe ears on the stalks and hand picks them.

As soon as the corn is picked, its sugar starts to turn to starch. The hotter the weather, the faster the corn will deteriorate. That’s why Bob and his crew take extra special care to chill the corn right after it is picked. You will notice the difference between Bob’s corn and grocery store corn, which can get left out in warmer temperatures for a week.

When selecting corn, look for big cobs with moist, dark green husks and moist, stiff and dark silk.

All of these beautiful ears of corn that I bought from Allison’s Farm Market were perfect.

Please don’t buy already husked, cello wrapped, foam tray packets of corn. Please buy your corn locally and fresh, the day that you want to use it, ideally from a farm market. If you are a corn worshiper like me, it’s well worth the lovely country drive to Allison’s Farm Market in Georgetown. I often drive to Georgetown just to get their corn but come back with a bounty of fresh summer fruits and vegetables.

The Allisons also have a stand at Georgetown Farmers’ Market – so if you go on a Saturday morning, you can enjoy this lovely, vibrant market that runs along Main Street in historic downtown Georgetown.

Allison’s corn is so delicious that (dare I say it?) it is even better than the Kent County corn that my Chatham cousins brought to our cottage last week. Perhaps I overcooked the Kent County corn? I am grasping at corn stalks here, trying to remain in good standing with my dear Chatham family. I can hear the butter knives being dropped on the floor in Chatham right now. I will have a lot of explaining to do.

I don’t have a recipe for you because good corn should be served unadulterated…

Or perhaps with a splurge of Stirling Whey Butter smeared over top. Mmm…creamy, slightly nutty, all natural buttery goodness. Artisanally crafted in Stirling, Ontario at Stirling Creamery since 1925.

Tel: 905-873-8283

Open: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from June to Oct 31^st

On-Farm Market: Grow and sell their own sweet corn and pumpkins. Bring in strawberries, apples, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, green beans, blueberries, peaches, melons, preserves, pies, bread (weekends only), fall décor, mums.

Farm Market Stand at: Georgetown Farmers’ Market

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Stirling Creamery Butter: Available at Longo’s & Goodness Me! Visit Stirling Creamery’s website for other GTA locations.

My backyard garden seems a little withered these days. I don’t know if it was the heavy rain we had, or lack of tender loving care while we were away, or my total lack of a green thumb. The lettuce was great when it was young,

but the last head of lettuce seems so faded that I have decided to leave it as bunny food. I pulled out the beets too early and was disappointed to find they weren’t ready and maybe never would be. The pea vine has now died at the top and whatever peas that were too small to pick before we left are still hanging on, but are stunted and too tiny to eat.

Learning to garden is like learning to cook; practice makes perfect. We already have some ideas about how we can improve for next year. It’s exciting to plant a variety of tiny plants and watch them flourish under your care. My son learned to grow his own food, deepening his appreciation of real food. We will be planting a backyard vegetable garden every summer from now on; a habit I hope he will continue as an adult.

It was well worth the effort. The best part was watching my son swoon over the sweet peas he plucked straight from the vine, after I encouraged him to raid my garden. Between the two of us, none of the peas ever made it to the pot.

The first tomatoes we picked, moments before we ate them, were dripping with sunshine. The fresh mint has been added to everything from olive-oil-dressed boiled potatoes, to a Southeast Asian salad, and jugs of cold water. Hopefully, we will continue to enjoy our tomatoes and herbs throughout the summer.

The kale grew hearty and strong (I think it overcrowded the poor little beets). We harvested all the kale last week and enjoyed it at dinner. I was never a kale fan until I learned to oven roast it. Addictive as popcorn, it makes a wonderful, light and healthy snack that both adults and kids love.

Olive my Oven-Roasted Kale so much that we serve it every week for dinner. If you need your oven for more than one recipe, you can make the kale first and then hold it at room temperature on your table while cooking the rest of your dinner.  But be forewarned, the kale will likely be gobbled down as soon as it hits the table. In fact….we gobbled it down before I remembered to take the photo. Sorry!

Olive’s Oven-Roasted Kale Chips

1 bunch of kale

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided in two equal parts

Kosher salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Remove the stems and centre ribs from the kale by folding each leaf in half along the centre rib line and grasping both sides of the leaf with one hand and the end of the stem with the other; then gently pull the stem away from the leaf as far as it will go, not worrying if the kale tears into smaller pieces. Wash the kale carefully and dry thoroughly.
3. Divide the kale evenly between the two baking sheets. Drizzle liberally with the olive oil and generously sprinkle the salt over top. Toss to thoroughly coat each leaf with olive oil. Spread out in a single layer on each baking sheet.
4. Place one tray on each oven rack and roast the kale leaves for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir; then rotate the position of the trays. Continue roasting until the kale is crisp and dark green (not brown), about 5 minutes longer (but check at about 4 minutes).
   
5. Transfer to a serving platter and hold at room temperature until you are ready to serve. Try to resist polishing off the whole bowl yourself when nobody is looking.

Olive local field asparagus. I have eaten so much of it this season that it’s practically growing out of my ears. I have been longing to taste asparagus raw, the moment after it is freshly picked. I really wanted to make it out to Andrews’ Scenic Acres to pick my own asparagus this season but it was raining every day that was available to me to make the trip. I even thought of delaying this post by one day so I could get out there today. Guess what it’s doing this morning? Raining! Thankfully, there has been plenty of local field asparagus available at our local farmers’ markets.

Olive asparagus prepared in many different ways but my go-to recipe is a healthy, simple oven-roasted asparagus that once cooked, needs little (if any) adornment – perhaps just a squeeze of lemon.

I prefer to eat my asparagus the day I buy it but it will keep in your fridge okay for 2 to 3 days if you stand the stem ends in a jug of water or wrap them in a damp paper towel and cover the bunch in plastic wrap.

Simple Oven-Roasted Asparagus

Serves 3 to 4

You could also grill the asparagus on your barbeque, instead of roasting it in the oven.

Ingredients:

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Hold asparagus loosely near the end and snap off the tough end where it breaks naturally. Wash asparagus carefully in cold, running water, paying special attention to the head where sand and grit get trapped. Drain well and pat dry.

Pile the asparagus on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with  salt. Toss until evenly coated with oil. Spread the asparagus out in a single layer on the baking sheet, making sure that stalks are not touching each other. Roast on the middle rack for about 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears, until asparagus is tender but still slightly firm. Asparagus will have acquired lovely little caramelized spots here and there. Serve hot, cold or at room temperature.

My Simple Oven-Roasted Asparagus is lovely as a vegetable on your dinner plate but just as nice in a salad.

I once saw this idea on the pages of one of my beloved Gourmet magazines and have been smitten with it ever since. Olive to top my Simple Oven-Roasted Asparagus with a soft poached egg, then squeeze on some fresh lemon juice, sprinkle on a few shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano, some fleur du sel, and a cracking of freshly ground black pepper. The lemon and egg yolk mix together and make a bright, rich sauce that compliments the robust asparagus beautifully. Simple perfection. Guilt-free breakfast or lunch. One happy Olive.

www.andrewsscenicacres.com

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