Summer corn
{sweet and crunchy with a burst of juice in every kernel}
Trading on corn’s natural sweetness, it’s hard to resist putting the sweet, juicy kernels into a sweet context. On the savory side, corn on the cob, picked just hours before serving, then grilled to perfection and zinged with a chile-lime flavored butter may be another irrefutable winner, but what gets me out of bed on a summer morning is the prospect of baking (and then eating) the Doubly Corny Blueberry Muffins which I wait all year to make. Whether the corn cobs yield white or yellow kernels or a patchwork of the two in a hybrid variety, freshness is key. When the ears are left for more than a few hours after picking, their sweet juiciness turns to a starchy blandness. So plan ahead, take time to visit a farmers market in your area and set aside a bit of time (muffins are called quickbreads for a reason) to make a batch of muffins. When at the market, respectfully ask the vendor to shuck a few ears and offer you a taste of the crop. The kernels should have a nice snap, ooze with milky juice and taste sweet not mouthcoatingly starchy. Then pick out a few firm and plump ears, place them into an ice chest waiting in your car and rush home to the kitchen to lose yourself in the simple pleasure of baking.
