RECIPE BOX: Ready or not, fall is here

RECIPE BOX: Meals in mugs 

Fall is here; decorations begin to grace porches and storefronts. Mums, pumpkins, gourds, straw, and fodder shocks take over the season, announcing the arrival of Autumn. We like to gather up the corn stalks left after the sweet corn ears in the garden have been harvested. With twine or jute rope, we bundle up the fodder for decoration. My curiosity got the best of me and I began investigating the origin of decorating with fodder shocks. After all, who even thought of tying up corn and placing it out during this season? 

Before modern farm machinery, farmers cut corn stalks by hand. They stood fodder shocks in large bundles throughout the fields, allowing the corn stalks to dry out. Often, the shocks stayed out all year long, and the farmer used an axe to chop off the amount of stalk they needed to feed the livestock. Corn cobs were picked and tossed into a corn crib to dry. 

Today farmers use combines to bring in corn, the corn goes into a grain bin with access to a drier to prepare the crop for livestock or food production. When you see a creative fall display including a fodder shock, you can be thankful that you aren’t reliant on drying corn out yourself or your animals, thank a farmer! Ohio is the seventh leader in the United States in corn production, with 14.3 million acres devoted to crop production and worked by 33,000 farmers. The United States is the largest corn producer worldwide with 96 million acres reserved for corn production. A fun fact from www.agshirerecruiting.com caught my attention, “The average ear of field corn has 800 kernels in 16 rows. A cob will almost always have an even number of rows.” 

Corn provides our bodies with important minerals such as zinc, iron, and magnesium. One of the healthiest ways to eat sweet corn is steamed. Every corn kernel is attached to a strand of silk. In order for each kernel to develop, the individual strands of silk must be pollinated by the corn’s tassel. If you’ve come across an ear of corn missing a kernel, it is most likely that its strand of silk wasn’t pollinated. Maize is another name for corn, originally domesticated by indigenous people from southern Mexico over 10,000 years ago. 

Perhaps one of the most famous corn fields is from the 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz. Scarecrow is tied up on a post with the sole purpose of scarring birds away, but even the crows aren’t alarmed by him. Scarecrow spent countless hours pondering life among the corn stalks with only the ears of corn to listen. He offers us a sweet sentiment, “It’s not how a man looks on the outside that is important. The only thing that counts is what’s inside.” When you admire a neatly decorated fodder shock, you will know that today they are for fall fun, but years ago, they were built out of necessity.

Do you know why you should never tell a secret on a farm? Because the corn has ears! 

Contact Ashley at ashley@tippgazette.com

Spicy Mexican Corn Using Leftover Corn

Ingredients

·         4 cups corn kernels, cooked (roughly 4 cobs of corn) 

·         3 tablespoons butter 

·         2 garlic cloves, crushed 

·         1 lime, both juice and zest 

·         ½ teaspoon chili powder 

·         ½ teaspoon cumin 

·         ¼ teaspoon pepper 

·         ½ teaspoon salt 

·         ¼ teaspoon paprika 

·         ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro 

Instructions

1.    Cut the kernels off of the ears of corn using a sharp knife and set aside. 

2.    In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. 

3.    Add your garlic, lime zest, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and paprika. 

4.    Stir the spices into the butter and then add your kernels. 

5.    Sauté for 2 - 3 minutes or until the corn mixture is cooked through and the spices are well incorporated. 

6.    Add your last tablespoon of butter and mix until melted. 

7.    Turn off the heat and spoon into a serving bowl. Add the lime juice and mix well. Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top and serve. You can also garnish with a lime wedge or two.