fields of DREAMS
“KNEE-HIGH BY THE FOURTH OF JULY” was the saying about corn that I was told by an American uncle when I was a child. I was fascinated with the idea that corn plants should be at a specific height (depending on whose knees you were using, of course) at an exact calendar date in order for the crop to be good. In the summers before I was a teenager, I made it my personal mission to “inspect” the quality of the cornfields through the window of my uncle’s 1970s Pontiac station wagon when my sisters and I were on our way to spend the weekend in the country with my cousins. And when August arrived and the roadside stands appeared with their bounty of peaches and cream, I would feel like I was somehow part of the success. Corn on the cob was my favourite thing to eat. From shucking it (a kids’ job) to rolling it on a pat of salted butter (also a kids’ job) to munching along the cob as if your mouth was a typewriter, this fresh-from-the-garden food was a mainstay that spelled summer.
As an adult, I still love it. I’ve made many a recipe with sweet corn over the years (lots from Canadian Living!), and I can never get enough. In fact, it was that hankering for fresh corn that inspired our cover recipe. The Test Kitchen’s barbecued Cajun Chicken and Grilled Corn Salsa (see the recipe on page 79) celebrates the end of summer in a simple, tasty way—and you can get this meal on the table in 30 minutes. We’re sure it’s going to be your next family favourite. Tweet or Instagram us with a pic of your dish using the hashtag #Clcoverrecipe.