Ears Of Corn

One twentysomething friend called me a few days ago to ask for help with a party she was giving her best friend. The young hostess was concerned about the food and was calling for menu advice. Simple, unfancy dishes, especially ones cooked over a grill, were what she envisioned for her fete. Could I offer suggestions, she asked. Together, we outlined a meal.For appetizers, there would be barbecued shrimp in their shells, served with a spicy dipping sauce. The main course would include grilled lime-scented chicken, steamed green beans, sliced tomatoes, and corn on the cob with three flavored butters.

When it comes to produce, what does the word "local" really mean? For Earl F. "Buddy" Hance, it was pretty clear what it shouldn't mean: Strawberries grown in California and advertised as local in a Maryland grocery store left a sour taste in his mouth. Unlike most consumers, Maryland's agriculture secretary was in a position to do something about such a misleading claim. So at Mr. Hance's request — and with unanimous approval from the state legislature last year — the department is in the process of adopting regulations requiring grocers and other retailers that advertise produce as local to indicate exactly what state it was grown in. Thus, an apple grown near Cumberland will have to be identified as being from Maryland, a cabbage from Erie as Pennsylvania and a peanut from Roanoke as a product of Virginia.

Back in the 1890s, the Shriver family of Union Mills celebrated the harvest season by feasting on freshly roasted corn. Time has changed little about the annual event -- other than its size.More than 9,000 ears of corn were slow-roasted on iron stoves yesterday at the Union Mills Old-Fashioned Corn Roast, held at the Union Mills Homestead on Route 97 north of Westminster. And more than 1,000 people showed up to eat them.Sitting at long wooden picnic tables covered with red-and-white checkered tablecloths, diners ate their way through the afternoon.

Recently I spent a few days in corn heaven. That would be the cornfields of the Eastern Shore, where, thanks to a "big drink" provided by the late June rainfall, the corn crop was thriving, growing faster than condos. The sweet corn sold in the farmers' market and even supermarkets showed up with its husks and silks still intact. This is a good sign, one that signals the beginning of the real corn season. In the winter, I have bought Florida corn in those peek-a-boo packages. These are the ones that present partially husked ears of corn, wrapped in plastic, offering a glimpse of the kernels.

Have you ever eaten hot corn on the cob straight, with no butter or salt?You might like it."If it's good, fresh corn, it's wonderful," says author Elizabeth Rozin. "You don't need anything on it."Sweet and simple, corn on the cob epitomizes all that is good about the summer table.It's cheap and available, and easy to cook. One ear per person makes a fine side dish. Or, a stack can make a meal.But all too often, corn on the cob gets short shrift. It's cooked too much, then slathered thoughtlessly with butter or margarine, as if this will atone for too many minutes in hot water.

Four Carroll County farmers have contributed to an exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History by handpicking 3,500 ears of corn.The farmers traveled to Virginia on Aug. 15 to pick corn for an exhibit commemorating the quincentenary, or 500th anniversary, of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492.Lawrence E. Meeks of Silver Run and Donald Lippy, Keith Lippy andBradley Rill, all of Hampstead, drove 220 miles to Elberon, Va., about 65 miles south of Richmond, to a farm owned by MacDonald Berryman.

Q: I love little pearl onions. The fresh white and red varieties look so tempting, but how do I peel them without spendinghours?A: The best way to remove the skins from all those tiny onions is to dip them first, very briefly, into a pot of boiling water. While the water is heating, score an X through the root portion of each onion. Drop them into the water for 30 seconds and then drain. The skins will pop off when you give the onion a squeeze, then cut off the root end. Cook as desired.Q: At the end of the summer I have an abundance of corn on the cob that I would like to freeze.

Old-fashioned corn roast There will be ears of corn as far as the eye can see Saturday at the 30th annual Old-Fashioned Corn Roast Festival at the Union Mills Homestead in Westminster. Ten dollars for adults and $4 for children under 12 buys a quarter of a fried chicken, roll and butter, applesauce, sliced tomatoes, iced tea, lemonade and, of course, all the roasted corn you can eat. But be sure to leave room for dessert: Hot fudge sundaes will be available for purchase. On the homestead's lower lawn, artwork from the Carroll County Artist Guild will be available for sale.

The red metal wagon clattered behind my younger sister Katie and me as we made our way back from the cornfield at the end of our street. Our feet, leathery from running around barefoot all summer, slapped the warm concrete sidewalk, and the ears of corn we had just picked rolled from side to side in the wagon. "Look, Mom," Katie yelled, racing with me up our driveway. "We found some corn for dinner!" Mom looked down into our expectant faces, trying not to laugh. We had brought home field corn, ears with hard kernels meant for farm animals.

Corn has inspired decorations on porcelain, furniture, metalwork and paintings for centuries. In the 1880s, corn became a symbol of America.About 1889, the W. I. Libbey & Son Co. of Toledo, Ohio, made a pattern of milk glass that resembled ears of corn.A tumbler was formed from the ear of the corn with green, blue or red leaves. The corn kernels were made in light yellow, white or light green.The pattern was called "Maize," and pieces are expensive collectors' items today.A saltshaker sells for $100 to $200; a celery dish for $275; a condiment set with three shakers for about $800.

Drought in parts of the United States could make a relatively new variety of corn called Mirai more familiar. The variety, which American farmers tend to grow using irrigation in small plots, has been causing a commotion among corn lovers. Mirai has been a hit because of its tender bite, sweet juiciness and long, full ears. It is just one of the new "augmented sugary enhanced" varieties that plant breeders have developed to please hungry customers. Mirai, developed by Harvard, Ill.,-based Centest, has gotten the most press.

Jessie Thomas of Ellicott City was looking for a recipe for corn fritters made with canned or frozen corn. Rita Gifford from Timonium sent in a recipe that her mother gave her back in the '50s, when she got married. She remembers her mother's making them throughout her childhood. These fritters are surprisingly light - almost like a corn pancake. They are not difficult to prepare if you don't mind the mess of frying in oil. This time of year, while the sweet corn is in season, I would make them using fresh corn and save the canned or frozen for winter.

IT IS SWEET corn season, Les Pahl's favorite time of the year. Les was a farmer who, until his death late last month at the age of 48, sold fruit and vegetables at a number of Baltimore area farmers' markets. His pride was sweet corn. Customers would line up to buy his corn, sometimes forming a makeshift queue before his truck parked in its usual spot in a market. He not only grew corn, he devoured it. "He would eat six to 10 ears of corn for supper," his wife, Pam, told me. In an afternoon drizzle he would have regarded as a good "planting rain," I was one of many mourners who made their way to the funeral home in southern Carroll County to pay respects to Les, who had battled cancer for the last 1 1/2 years.

The red metal wagon clattered behind my younger sister Katie and me as we made our way back from the cornfield at the end of our street. Our feet, leathery from running around barefoot all summer, slapped the warm concrete sidewalk, and the ears of corn we had just picked rolled from side to side in the wagon. "Look, Mom," Katie yelled, racing with me up our driveway. "We found some corn for dinner!" Mom looked down into our expectant faces, trying not to laugh. We had brought home field corn, ears with hard kernels meant for farm animals.

Old-fashioned corn roast There will be ears of corn as far as the eye can see Saturday at the 30th annual Old-Fashioned Corn Roast Festival at the Union Mills Homestead in Westminster. Ten dollars for adults and $4 for children under 12 buys a quarter of a fried chicken, roll and butter, applesauce, sliced tomatoes, iced tea, lemonade and, of course, all the roasted corn you can eat. But be sure to leave room for dessert: Hot fudge sundaes will be available for purchase. On the homestead's lower lawn, artwork from the Carroll County Artist Guild will be available for sale.

Back in the 1890s, the Shriver family of Union Mills celebrated the harvest season by feasting on freshly roasted corn. Time has changed little about the annual event -- other than its size.More than 9,000 ears of corn were slow-roasted on iron stoves yesterday at the Union Mills Old-Fashioned Corn Roast, held at the Union Mills Homestead on Route 97 north of Westminster. And more than 1,000 people showed up to eat them.Sitting at long wooden picnic tables covered with red-and-white checkered tablecloths, diners ate their way through the afternoon.

I TRY TO BE both a serious student and a serious sipper of corn soup.For example, when I read announcements of church suppers or Lions Club feeds held in Western Maryland, my eyes light up at the words "chicken-corn soup."I know this soup usually contains a stewing hen, 4 quarts of water, some chopped onions, some parsley, some celery, a couple of eggs and the kernels from 10 ears of corn. Moreover, I have been told that many soup makers, especially those trained in the Pennsylvania Dutch school of soup making, add about 2 cups of homemade noodles called rivels to their chicken-corn soup.

Hands down, the Fourth of July is the biggest and best summer holiday. It's a day of family reunions and early traditions that become more delicious and meaningful with each generation. It's starting your own tradition with your favorite sizzling barbecue, corn on the cob and America's best strawberry shortcake. It's hanging Uncle Mark's 1956 souvenir flag from a pole, a porch or a window. It's the day to create your own extended family with friends and neighbors or a homesick colleague.Anticipating the day makes it even more fun, especially with crafts and projects that everyone can make.

Hands down, the Fourth of July is the biggest and best summer holiday. It's a day of family reunions and early traditions that become more delicious and meaningful with each generation. It's starting your own tradition with your favorite sizzling barbecue, corn on the cob and America's best strawberry shortcake. It's hanging Uncle Mark's 1956 souvenir flag from a pole, a porch or a window. It's the day to create your own extended family with friends and neighbors or a homesick colleague.Anticipating the day makes it even more fun, especially with crafts and projects that everyone can make.

This summer is a beaut. The weather is warm and the corn has been coming in like gangbusters.The first corn of the season tastes like a miracle. The earthy, grassy aroma of a just-stripped ear reminds us that nature not only renews itself, it frolics.The only way to eat corn in the early going, of course, is lightly steamed, heavily buttered and sprinkled with salt. But we're deep into the corn season now, and you're probably ready for fresh corn fritters with grilled shrimp and dollops of chipotle-spiked chevre.