The open field across the street from our farm invites the northwest winds to invigorate the yard, sometimes saving us hours of raking or shoveling. Such was the wind that howled during the full moon last week. Its invisible force blew the tied cornstalks away from the craggy granite signpost on the front lawn.
Earlier this fall, my machete had made quick work of harvesting the tall yellowy-green stalks, still laden with their cocooned ears of corn wearing little hats of silk. I gathered a dozen or so and secured them around the tall piece of stone from which an old wrought iron arm holds the heavy wooden oval sign reading Connemara Farm. I tucked a pumpkin between the heavy curlicues of the iron, and trailed a variety of pumpkins out from the granite base, beginning with a large traditional orange Jack-o-lantern, followed by a few heirloom varieties such as Cinderella Carriage, white Lumina, and squat red French pumpkins. When I got around to righting the cornstalks, crows and ravens had evidently been nibbling on the pumpkins as well as pecking at the ears of corn, leaving barren, drying cobs. Thinking about how the birds must have feasted on those golden, milky niblets, two recipes using corn came to mind.
The first recipe, for a remarkably moist and tasty rendition of cornbread, comes from my friend Phoebe, who uses her Waterford woodstove to bake in. Additionally romanticizing the thought of corn bread baked within a cast iron pan in a stove made in Ireland, is the tantalizing drizzling of pure maple syrup, finished with a slather of sweet, creamy butter, fresh off the farm.
The second recipe, for corn chowder, is a cinch to make, is well-worth doubling, and can be made with or without the crab garnish. These recipes are great together, and also make ideal accompaniments to crab cakes.
Anne McCormack, former owner of the Village Bakehouse, is an English major who also teaches cooking classes at her farm in New Gloucester.
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Cornbread
– 4 tablespoons butter
– 1 3/4 cup of buttermilk (can be made by adding a spoonful of vinegar to regular milk)
– 1 egg
– 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (optional)
Dry Ingredients
– 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
– 1/2 cup white flour
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 2 teaspoons baking powder
– 4 tablespoons or 2 tablespoons honey
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in an 8 or 9 inch iron skillet. Swirl pan to coat sides. Pour off all the butter that doesn’t stick to the sides of the pan into 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, and briefly stir buttermilk. (Buttermilk can be made by adding a spoonful of vinegar to regular milk). Keep pan warm.
Mix together dry ingredients.
Add milk/butter mix and 1 egg to dry ingredients. Stir just until blended, and pour mix into warm skillet. Bake for 25- 35 minutes, depending on size of pan. Option: In the last 5 minutes of baking, drizzle about 1/4 -cup pure maple syrup over cornbread and return to oven for final finish.
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Corn Chowder with Crab garnish (yield: 4 first course servings)
– 1 l6 oz. bag frozen petite white corn (reserve 1/4 cup)
– 1 cup milk (low-fat, whole, skim.)
– 1 8 oz. bottle clam juice
– 4 tablespoons sliced scallions (reserve 1 tablespoon)
– 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (reserve – 1 teaspoon)
– 4 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (reserve 3 teaspoons)
– 2 tablespoons butter
– 4 oz. crab meat
Bring corn and milk to boil in medium saucepan. Cover, remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes.
Puree mixture in blender, or, more conveniently, use a hand blender. Add clam juice, scallions, ginger, lemon juice and puree until almost smooth. Bring to a simmer. Mix in 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
For the Crab garnish
Melt butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add reserved 1/4 cup corn and sauté 1 minute. Add crab and remaining reserved ingredients. Stir until warmed through.
Divide piping hot chowder among bowls and mound crab mixture in center. For additional pizzazz, sprinkle with a few fresh kernels and a few snips of herbs.