Cooking with Corn... Ice Cream?

Here's Marianne's second offering -- sweet corn ice cream!

Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Blackberry Sauce

The natural sweetness of freshly harvested corn combines with cream to create an unusual—but delicious—ice cream. With a drizzle of fresh blackberry sauce that’s a fruity counterpoint to the rich ice cream, this cooling dessert captures summer in a bowl.

4 ears of fresh sweet corn, husks and silk removed 

3 cups half-and-half 

1 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed 

2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar 

Pinch of salt 

1/4 cup water 

2-1/2 pints blackberries 

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice 

Using a chef’s knife, cut the kernels off the corn cobs. Add the kernels and cobs to a large pot along with the half-and-half and the 1 cup cream. Add the 2/3 cup sugar and the salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for about 

5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let steep for at least 3 hours or up to overnight. (If steeping for longer than 3 hours, refrigerate the mixture.) 

Strain the corn mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Using your hands, wring out the cobs and press on the kernels with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the cobs and kernels. Measure the liquid; you should have about 3 cups. If not, add more cream as needed. Cover and refrigerate the corn-infused mixture for at least 3 hours or up to 8 hours. 

In a nonreactive saucepan, bring the 1/2 cup sugar and the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 2 pints of the blackberries and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries break down, about 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and add the lemon juice. Puree the berry mixture, then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Freeze the chilled corn-infused mixture in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If desired, pack it into an airtight container and freeze until very firm. 

To serve, scoop the ice cream into bowls, drizzle with the blackberry sauce, top with a few of the remaining blackberries and serve immediately. Makes 1 quart ice cream; serves 6. 

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma New Flavors for Desserts, by Raquel Pelzel (Oxmoor House, 2008)

Cooking with Corn, Part S[oup]

First up, a recommendation from Marianne, plot SC11. Marianne is a chef for Williams Sonoma, and she has offered up two recipes from a class she taught at Williams Sonoma last year. Here's the first:

Corn and Zucchini Soup with Crumbled Bacon 

The texture of the fried corn, bacon and thyme garnish elevates this humble dish. You can make the soup ahead of time, but prepare the garnish just before serving.

6 thick-cut bacon slices

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

4 cups chicken broth

3 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 6 ears)

Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

1/4 tsp. minced fresh thyme 

In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, cook the bacon, turning once, until crispy, about 

8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Let cool, then cut into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

Discard all but 1 Tbs. of the bacon fat from the pot. Add the olive oil, onion and garlic and sauté over medium-high heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and sauté for 

5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add 2 ½ cups of the corn kernels and cook for 

5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Return the soup to the pot and season with salt and white pepper.

In a small fry pan over high heat, melt the butter. Add the remaining 1/2 cup corn kernels, the bacon and the thyme. Fry, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Serve the soup topped with the corn and bacon mixture. Serves 4 to 6.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Soup of the Day, by Kate McMillan (Weldon Owen, 2011)

You grew it -- now what do you do with it?

I'm starting a section on recipes on the blog -- and I have to admit, this may be more for me than for you! I'm not a great cook, and I'm not always confident reading through cookbooks and choosing recipes. I figured if you guys sent me recipes you like, that's enough recommendation for me!

So here we go -- send me any recipes you love that use veg or fruit you grow at Wagner Farm or purchase at the Farmer's Market. Let's bring this party full-circle -- growing and eating what we grow!

Check out the RECIPES section on the right side of the blog -- click on a recipe name, and you'll be taken to the recipe if you'd like a copy to print out.

Enjoy!

Do Organic Pest Control Methods Work?

Ok, so I've been a little lax putting up new posts. I'll admit that August always flies by for me -- harvesting veg every day, doing all the end of summer stuff for and with my kids -- generally, I'm lucky if I remember to shower during August. (And my family would be lucky, too!)

But I'm back, and to start back up, I'm putting up an article by Mother Earth News, questioning which organic methods of pest control work, backed up by a survey. It's interesting stuff -- and worth keeping in mind for next year.

One of the best methods of pest control, one which I'll mention again and again next year, is using row covers to keep pests like cucumber beetles away. Another one for the cucumbers? Plant later, after the first flush of cucumber beetles pop up, and after predators of this insect are higher in number. I've got some other research to do about cucumbers -- we should be growing them better, and it's been a sad two years for this popular veg.

Anyway -- click here for the whole article. I've copied just a bit of it for quick reference below.

Top-Rated Natural Methods for Controlling Common Garden Pests

Aphid: Insecticidal soap, attracting beneficials, horticultural oil
Armyworm: Bt (Bacillus thuringiens), handpicking, row covers
Asparagus beetle: Poultry predation, neem, handpicking
Blister beetle: Poultry predation, neem, handpicking
Cabbage root maggot: Crop rotation, beneficial nematodes, diatomaceous earth
Cabbageworm: Bt, handpicking, row covers
Carrot rust fly: Crop rotation, beneficial nematodes, diatomaceous earth
Colorado potato beetle: Poultry predation, neem, handpicking
Corn earworm: Bt, horticultural oil, beneficial nematodes
Cucumber beetle: Poultry predation, neem, handpicking
Cutworm: Rigid collars, Bt, diatomaceous earth
Flea beetle: Insecticidal soap, garlic-pepper spray, row covers
Harlequin bug: Handpicking, good garden sanitation, neem
Japanese beetle: Handpicking, row covers, milky spore disease
Mexican bean beetle: Poultry predation, neem, handpicking
Onion root maggot: Crop rotation, beneficial nematodes, diatomaceous earth
Slugs: Handpicking, iron phosphate slug bait, diatomaceous earth
Snails: Handpicking, iron phosphate slug bait, diatomaceous earth
Squash bug: Handpicking, good garden sanitation, neem
Squash vine borer: Growing resistant varieties, crop rotation, beneficial nematodes
Stink bug: Handpicking, good garden sanitation, neem
Tarnished plant bug: Handpicking, good garden sanitation, neem
Tomato hornworm: Bt, handpicking, row covers
Whitefly: Insecticidal soap, attracting beneficials, horticultural oil

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Worst Garden Pests by Region

Ever wondered which pests thrive in your region and how your region compares with others in North America? The information in our regional pest chart breaks it down.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/print.aspx?id={43C559E0-267A-4383-8B69-9EA3290484C4}#ixzz2cYa8wUCs

Farmer's Market Recipe Generator from Mark Bittman

So you all are growing some terrific veg out in the community garden. I'd love to hear about some of your favorite recipes or preparations, because while I know how to grow organic veg, I'm not the best cook.

Here's something else I'm going to try -- I found a Farmer's Market Generator on Mark Bittman's website. (Bittman is a terrific chef and cookbook writer -- one of my favorites because he includes very simple recipes in some of his cookbooks).

Here's how it works: The Generator includes up to 50 combinations of fruit, veg, cooking method and herbs. You choose a fruit/veg, and the Generator randomly picks a cooking method and herb, and includes a recipe using all three right below. If you don't like the cooking method or herb chosen, click on those down-arrows, and see if there are other options.

If you want to add a few recipes to your summer repertoire, or you're considering buying something new at the Glenview Farmer's Market on Saturday and you want to see what you might do with it, check out the Farmer's Market Generator here.

Bon appétit!