Sweet corn: a rite of summer

I made a beeline at the farmer's market in Dorset today straight to the Sheldon Farm's sweet corn. Sheldon Farms is regarded as the sweet corn in our area, and it's well-deserved. I grew up eating sweet corn grown by my maternal grandfather on his farm in northwest Indiana. This was one of my favorite vegetables, probably at least in part because I didn't have to weed it! Grandpa would bring fresh-picked ears of corn up to the farmhouse in bushel baskets, where Grandma and I (plus any assorted cousins, relatives, or visiting neighbors) would sit outside under the shady maple tree and shuck it. In mid to late August my paternal grandfather would come to our house loaded down with sweet corn from his farm, and help us freeze quart after quart of corn for the winter. The kids would shuck the corn, my mother did the blanching in the boiling water, Grandpa would cut the kernels from the hot ears, and we all would spoon it into quart freezer bags. By the time we were finished there was a sticky layer of sweet corn goo all over the counter tops and ourselves, but we always had enough frozen corn to last until the next summer.

Today I buy my corn from a local farmer, but I still sit outside to do the shucking, sometimes joined by my teenage boys. It always brings back memories of hot, slow summer days back in Indiana.

Some people think that sweet corn is too starchy to be a healthy vegetable, but they're wrong. Sweet corn contains both vitamin A and beta-carotene, which are powerful antioxidants. Sweet corn is also a good source of fiber and folate, which promote a healthy cardiovascular system.

We prefer to enjoy our sweet corn simply boiled, then spread with butter and a touch of salt. I cut the kernels from the cob for my youngest, braces-wearing son, and any leftovers are added to tomato salad for the next day's lunch. Whether the corn is from a family garden or a farmer's market, it's as much a part of summer as cooling off in the local swimming hole and catching fireflies in the backyard.