Ears Of Corn

I never met a male who didn't like the smoky goodness that grilling imparts to food, so this Father's Day, I will move my kitchen outdoors to prepare a meal for my husband - a father of many years and now a grandfather. In fact, I will cook more than one dish over hot coals. My spouse loves steaks, so he won't be disappointed when he bites into a juicy, spice-rubbed porterhouse that is charred on the outside and rosy pink inside. I'm also going to grill ears of corn wrapped in their husks.

It was one of those days when it was too hot to cook indoors. In Maryland these days are usually called August.It seemed like a good time to try cooking an entire meal outside on the barbecue grill. The hotter it gets the more I get the urge to start a fire in the back yard. I am not alone in this view. On any given evening in August, perhaps Maryland's hottest month, back yards are alive with the scent of something burning.Usually it is just charcoal. Sometimes dinner is aflame. More often than not, it is the man of the house who is responsible for the smoke.

Jimmy Carter was inaugurated. Anwar Sadat visited Israel. Seattle Slew won the Triple Crown. Elvis died.The year was 1977, and in Baltimore that summer, an urban renaissance project -- the Baltimore Farmers' Market -- began."

Carol Kendrick of China Grove, N.C., writes that she wants a recipe for pickled corn on the cob like that her mother made. "I remember as a child sneaking in our outside building, where Mom kept her crock. She would always yell, `It's not ready.' It tasted ready to me." Jean Koon of Canton, Ohio, responded. She wrote: "I am from Spencer, W.Va. My mom made pickled corn and green beans when we were growing up. I had to find the recipe, since my mom passed away in 1994. "I think this is the recipe and I hope it helps Carol Kendrick.

THIS IS THE TIME of the year when my grandmother made a face, twisted her nose and declared our surroundings "buggy."She knew her local geography and the particulars of its weather. Buggy season began right about July 4, a date after which outdoor living becomes chancy -- especially if you have delicate skin. And a buggy address was her idea of no place to visit.Almost anywhere can be buggy, but let's describe the Baltimore version. You walk into the kitchen, turn on the lights and -- presto!

If my husband were asked to name his favorite summer food, he'd say corn without even pausing to reflect. He is so enamored of this vegetable that I could prepare it every night of the week and he wouldn't complain. He likes simple corn on the cob, corn pudding, fried corn and corn bread baked with fresh corn kernels.Imagine my delight, then, when several weeks ago my talented friend and culinary assistant, Emily Bell from Columbus, Ohio, sent me a recipe she had devised for Spicy Fried Corn With Vidalia Onions and Red Peppers.

Alta Folkers from Olin, Iowa, wrote in looking for some help in finding a recipe for making corn relish. She said her late mother, who was of German descent, used to make this frequently when she was growing up to make use of some of the extra vegetables they grew on their farm. Folkers, who says she is 92 years old and still going strong, would like to be able to re-create this dish at the senior dining center where she helps out most days and goes for her meals. Cynthia Snavely from Columbia sent a recipe for corn relish from her copy of "The Dutch Cookbook" by Edna Eby Heller.

Dorothy Bass picked out a half dozen ears of corn, tugging back the green husks to be certain the kernels were fresh and free of bugs. With equal care, Bass, 91, selected cucumbers, peaches and nectarines, and then paid a vendor at the Pikesville Farmers' Market with cash -- and a check issued by the state. Bass is one of hundreds of county seniors who is taking advantage of a program that helps people with limited incomes obtain fresh, local produce. "We are supplying food to the nutritionally at-risk senior population and also promoting farmers -- everybody's happy," said Joan Schulz, who administers the farmers' market nutrition program for the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- There are about three dozen varieties of corn bread in the South; and it is rare to come across a real Southern restaurant that doesn't serve it in one of its wondrous forms. There is basic corn bread, baked as individual rolls or in muffin tins, with or without cracklin's (chewy nuggets of baconlike pigmeat), jalapeno peppers or Cheddar cheese. There are corn dodgers, hush puppies and corn sticks cooked in old-fashioned tins that yield fat tubes of bread that resemble miniature ears of corn.

Corn stands as tall as eight feet across Maryland farmlands, growing into what promises to be a bumper crop.That's good news for consumers, hungry for one of Maryland's favorite summer side dishes.But it might be bad news for farmers, who might be unable to cash in on their golden fields."We are looking at a great crop but drastic prices," said Kelly Hereth, executive director of the Carroll County Farm Service Agency.Maryland corn usually hits its peak in August, and consumer demand appears to be high for sweeter varieties that keep their flavor longer -- one reason local groceries and roadside stands are stocking more corn.