An Ear in the Life (a corn story)

If there’s a hole in your corn, there’s probably a worm in there, too. And that’s okay. I overheard a woman at the farmers’ market last week gasp at a little green worm that greeted her upon corn inspection. She plopped the produce down and walked away. Here’s the thing…if you like organic (good) things and you dislike pesticide (nasty) things, you’re going to come upon a few worms in your corn from time to time. The food chain is equal opportunity, y’all. 

Growing up south of Atlanta, in Henry County, my friend Jessica and I would pick corn in her dad’s field and sell it on the roadside. It was hot, sticky work. And the bugs waiting for us in between those rows of corn were a lot meaner than the ones just trying to get by inside the husks. I picked corn there because I had fun laughing with Jessica and because, at the end of the day, I got sent home with as much sweet cobs as my family could stand. We’d boil it, butter it, salt it, enjoy it, and repeat.

A few corn tips that I’ve learned along the way: Pick up corn with bright green husks and silky dark brown tops. You can sometimes tell if a worm’s in there because you’ll see a little hole in the husk. If it’s near the top, you’re ok. If it’s towards the middle or you notice brownish stains on the husks, the worm has won that battle and you can move on. Refrigerate the corn immediately when you get home. When it’s time to shuck, I pull back the husk gently and, if a worm’s been snacking up top, I just use the husk to break off that bit. A final tip, if you’re looking to remove the kernels for a recipe, cut the cob in half first. This gives you a shorter distance for the kernels to fall (all over the place) and a more even surface to balance on your cutting board.

Last week, we made a delicious corn side dish for our neighborhood diners group. The Barefoot Contessa’s Confetti Corn was quick, easy, and as pretty to look at as it was to eat. We picked up the corn, orange bell pepper, and herbs at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. I omitted onions since someone in our group is allergic and I couldn’t find any chives, so just went with parsley and basil. It was a sweet taste of summer and John even ate the peppers! For those of you that don’t like peppers, check out the orange ones. They’re sweeter and not as aggressive on the palate as green can be.