Tuesday 13 January 2009

Corn, Corn, Beautiful Corn . . .




The Corn Song

Heap high the farmer's wintry hoard!

Heap high the golden corn!
No richer gift has Autumn poured
From out her lavish horn!
~John Greenleaf Whittier

I love corn. I love corn in any way, shape or form. As a child, growing up in Canada, Corn season was a time of year eagerly anticipated by everyone in my family. Occurring during the dog days of August, we'd always have a few nights during the corn season where we would have nothing but a feed of corn for supper. A feed of corn means exactly what it sounds like . . . a meal where we ate nothing but ear after ear of delicious golden corn, slathered in butter and salt, each one of us vying to be the one who managed to eat the most ears of all! I think the most I could ever manage was four.



One of the things I miss over here in the UK, is really good corn. It just doesn't exist. A dear friend sent me some seeds to grown my own North American Corn over here a couple of years ago, and that is what we tried to do last summer. We discovered why they don't have good corn over here. It doesn't grow well, or at least ours didn't. Out of the whole packet of seeds we ended up with about 6 small puny ears that were mostly tassel, but my oh my, as small as they were, they were delicious, and I at least got to taste some of what I have been missing these past 8 years and Todd, bless him . . . he finally got to taste what a real ear of corn should taste like!!! Trust me when I say that fresh corn over here generally tastes like what we call cow corn back home . . .



Now, why all this talk about corn? Well . . . it's Tuesday and you know what Tuesday means . . . it's Tuesdays With Dorie Day! Yay!! That one delicious day during the week where I, together with about a bazillion other baking nuts, bake a tasty recipe from that beautiful baking book, "Baking, From My Home To Yours" by the equally as tasty Dorie Greenspan! (Whew! That was a real mouthful!) This week Rebecca of Ezra Poundcake chose Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins on page 6.

Ohhh Rebecca, if there is one thing I love as much as corn on the cob, it's corn muffins or corn bread, so I thanks you from the bottom of me heart!



As you can probably tell I was totally thrilled with the recipe Rebecca chose. I have loved corn muffins and corn bread ever since I realized that such a thing existed. Can you believe that I was a totally grown up adult before I ever tasted such a thing? Neither can I, but it's completely true. My introduction to Corn bread was my mother in law's Corn Cake, the recipe of which you can find HERE. It was love at first bite for me and I have been carrying on a love affair with the stuff ever since! (sorry Todd!) Another reason I was thrilled with the recipe choice was because it made a change from all of the sweet and rich goodies we have been baking over the past couple of months!



Cornmeal is not something that is readily available over here. Most times I end up substituting coarse polenta for it in recipes. I just happened to have a container of cornmeal this time though, so I used some of it for this recipe, and I have to say from the outset . . . it was well worth the sacrifice of my precious store of the stuff. These muffins are delicious! They are moist and chock full of lovely little surprises such as red peppers, green chilis, CORN, and other goodies. I was awfully tempted to add some cheese, but I didn't. I could wax on about them with eloquence forever, but I won't. Suffice it to say these muffins are wonderful and you should bake them. You won't be sorry.



You know, for once I can say I am going to have one of these for breakfast and it won't sound totally crazy! I think eating a corn muffin for breakfast falls completely within the realms of acceptability! These are so good, I might even have two, but shhh . . . don't tell anyone.

Next weeks recipe is Berry Surprise Cake on pages 273-275, as chosen by Mary Ann of Meet Me In The Kitchen. I can't wait!!! In the meantime if you would like the recipe for these delicious corn muffins hop on over to Rebecca's page as she will be posting it there! Don't forget to pop on over to the Dorie Blog Roll and check out some of what the other ladies have done with this lovely recipe. There is sure to be something exciting there for everyone!

39 comments:

  1. Your muffins turned out great!

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  2. Marie -
    Your corn muffins look very delicious. I will have to check out your link to the corn cake! Now that sounds different, but intriguing.

    I hope you have a wonderful day today!

    xoxoxo
    Jen

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  3. My mother made us corn bread to eat with pinto bean soup that we had often. John loves it with butter and honey or maple syrup.

    These corn muffins looks really good too. I can almost smell them. However, what I have been dying for all day are the cookies you showed us on your last blog. I wanted to make them all day but I resisted because I knew I would eat them all. However, I may not resist tomorrow. They keep calling to me.

    I didn't know that you can't get corn on the cob there...nor saltine crackers.... I would really miss both of these. You make me appreciate having them more. It never entered my mind that these things aren't available everywhere. I'm sorry.

    It is really windy and too warm here again. Not as hot as last fall but in the eighties and too warm for Jan. Also the pool is full of leaves, dirt and my potting table and all of it's contents...which are settled at the bottom of the deep end under 8 feet of cold water. Where are my teenage grandsons when I need them??? They were playing in that freezing water last week. It is too cold for me. If John can't figure a way to fish all of that stuff out of the pool it may have to stay there until summer...brrr...I'm not going in.

    Well, have a good day. I wish that you could send me a cookie to have with a glass of milk before I go to bed tonight....well...I will just have to dream about it.

    XOXOX Love, Lura

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  4. Oh, Marie! As an American ex-pat living aboard in Norway I so empathize with your missing of real, good corn, for I feel the very same way! I so miss the taste of sweet corn. We can find corn in the shop, often imported from Spain, but it's just not the same. Such corn does not really grow well here. Thank goodness there's tinned corn at least! :o) These muffins are marvelous. Oh, and I miss Saltine crackers too--can't get those here either--LOL! Happy Day, sweet friend. LOVE to you & Todd ((BIG HUGS))

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  5. Mmmm yes corn on the cob mmmmm. Sorry you can't get the yummy sweet kind that you get here. Here in the south there is a dish called Spoonbread. It is a doughy sort of cornbread and if it is served with butter and Sorgam syrup you would think for sure you had died and gone to heaven. The sorgam by itself is grand, but to add it to the spoon bread was too fantastic. Can't seem to get Sorgam syrup unless you live where the Sorgam sugar cane grows. I was thinking of such when you showed your good looking muffins and talked about your ex mother-in-laws corn cake. Yes a marriage made in heaven.
    You know it is not always safe to read instead of cook - it really motivates you to get up and try it your self.
    Maybe all of us need to send you a box of saltines and a couple of ears of real corn? Then you would have virtual corn and saltines.

    Love and hugs,
    Ruthanne oxox

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  6. Our corn's not the same then? My German friend was amazed that we (humans) actually eat the stuff. They only feed animals with it so I'm guessing Europe only has cow corn as well. Oh well, maybe a tin of Green Giant won't do for Dorie's recipe then.

    Never mind - I'll make yesterdays bikkies instead and bother the consequences!

    Have a lovely day.
    love, from Angie, xx

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  7. I do love corn too. Most any shape or size is just fine. There are so many differences between here and there but one never thinks about having a ear of corn or cornmeal as being one of them. They are so very commonplace here.
    Your pictures and recipes of all the good food in your journal make me want to go right home and stir up something good. Thankfully by the time I'm home I've forgotten so I don't . I'm already plump enough as it is.
    Enjoy your muffins. 'On Ya'-ma

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  8. I totally agree - there is nothing as delicious as a fresh ear of sweet corn!
    Your muffins look great!

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  9. They look so delicius, yumi. Makes me hungry

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  10. Oooooh but the addition of cheese sounds fantastic to your already gorgeous muffins!!!

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  11. I love corn, we eat a lot Marie, but normally how pudin corn or others, but these cakes look so nica and tasty, I will try, really like!.Have a nice day and I love Joshua, (I told you) kisses to you and Todd. Gloria

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  12. Splendid, Marie! And of course... very acceptable for breakfast! LOL

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  13. They look beautiful.

    On the corn growing front...you might want to find out what the pH is in your soil, and do something along those lines.

    Extra fertilizer or something. I bet with a bit of experimentation you can get some corn to grow.

    Also, you must grow them in beside each other so that they can pollinate.

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  14. They look lovely...very tasty and delicious! There are just some times when a girl needs corn, right? I grew up in northeast Iowa...lots of corn. Sweet corn, and the word you are looking for instead of "cow corn" is feed corn or seed corn...but I think cow corn is rather endearing, so you should keep that term...LOL!

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  15. You had my mouth watering. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to corn. That doesn't stop me though. I do eat fresh corn on the cob, popcorn and cornbread...but I have to take medication first. Isn't that crazy...I have a pop a few pills so I can eat corn...but it's worth it. Have a blessed day!

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  16. Marie, I love your blog, it's beautiful! You are truly multi-talented. And I'm so excited to see you have a book for sale! I'm definitely putting it on my "wanted" list- I'd love to have lots of your recipes in one place! Congratulations on being a published author!

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  17. Oh Marie, reading about your love for corn is making me doubly regretful that I forgot to put the corn in mine (I know -- who forgets to put corn in corn muffins?) Fortunately, I thought they were great anyway. Your muffins are gorgeous -- truly worthy of the corn lover, and destined to convert non-corn lovers!

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  18. MMM those muffins look yummy, Marie! BTW, I can relate to eating many ears of corn and only corn at a meal. I once had a garden and grew silver queen corn and one time I ate 8 ears for lunch!!

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  19. I'm so glad you got to enjoy some corn bread! Yours turned out amazing!

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  20. Your muffins look so tasty!

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  21. These were good, weren't they. I want to make them again - soon!! Sorry you can't get good ol' American corn on the Cob across the water. I would send some if I could. Yours look great.

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  22. glad you enjoyed the muffins. They were really good and super easy to make.

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  23. I love the way you write your posts. It makes me want to be there and experience where you are. :) Your muffins look delicious and I think having them for breakfast is perfectly acceptable!

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  24. Do you love corn bread? I can't tell...:P j/k

    Your muffins look gorgeous and of course you loved them!

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  25. Delicious as always! I can't wait until I get to England and you can fatten me up with all your good cooking!

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  26. YUMMYYYY!! Your muffins look really tasty. Hope you enjoyed them as much as I did!

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  27. Hi Marie . . . Well I guess your corn muffins drew me in. I am a long time visitor to your blog. I always feel like I'm sitting at a good friend's kitchen table with a cup of hot tea when I visit. But I never posted a comment before. So here I am from eastern Pennsylvania. Thanks for all the great recipes, photos and whimsey you pack into your blog. ~ debcarol

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  28. Isn't that weird that you can grow corn there, you wouldn't think the climate was that different during the summer. I just love that little bit of color in those muffins!

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  29. So sad! I absolutely love fresh corn in the summer - it's so sweet, it's like candy! I wish I could ship you some, but something tells me customs would have a problem with that :P Beautiful muffins!

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  30. These look so amazing, it makes me want to pull my leftover muffins out of the freezer and eat them right now!! (It's 2 am and I just got home....)

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  31. My parents were both from the South. We ate alot of corn, especially fried. Mom would cut it off the cob, right into the pot, butter, salt and it was great. I, too like it almost anyway.
    Love your blog...Thank you so much..
    Barb

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  32. Your muffins are so so pretty Marie. And I'm glad they were a little taste of home for you. We loved them too!
    Nancy

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  33. Patrick grew up in Indiana, so he too is a lover of good corn! We visited one summer and I kept asking him to stop the car to take pictures of the beautiful corn fields- some over 11 feet tall! We both would love these muffins!

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  34. i'm allergic to corn(NOT COOL!) but i still eat it anyways:) i love cornbread and muffins and of course popcorn!

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  35. Yours look great! And I think it's perfectly acceptable to have a corn muffin (or two) for breakfast - especially these!

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  36. So sorry you don't get good sweet corn -- I'd miss it too!

    Thompson & Morgan is a really good English seed company -- perhaps they have some varieties that will grow in your climate? Or some advice?

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  37. I LOVE corn and luckily I live in Nebraska and we have lots of it!!! In the summer we have corn on the cob about three times a week. We buy it from a little farm up the road. It is fabulous! I had thought about freezing some last summer for the winter but never did...now I am wishing I had! :)
    xx

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