Use farm-fresh corn in crispy fritters
I don’t know how it happened, but we’ve landed in September and another summer is sliding out the door.
I can see that it’s packing up to hit the road, with the chilly mornings and a few, yet notable, yellow leaves falling to the ground. There was one tucked under my windshield wiper the other day and I swear a little tear almost fell from my eye.
Alas, these late summer days are not to be wasted, and neither is the good stuff that comes with them — like glorious, glorious vegetables. The farmers’ markets have tables overflowing with everything awesome right now. Beets, carrots, onions, rutabagas and potatoes have been pulled from the earth and are ready to be roasted and mashed. Fat heads of cabbages are waiting to be made into cabbage rolls. Cucumbers are calling out to be pickled. Squashes of all varieties are starting to roll in, and you already have too much zucchini to know what to do with. When in doubt, make a chocolate cake. Tomatoes actually taste like tomatoes, and I’ve been eating my fill of toasted tomato sandwiches, nodding in gratitude to the garden gods after the last of the crumbs have been wiped from the plate.
And then there is the corn. Sweet, sweet corn. Nothing compares to the cobs freshly picked and grown locally. I recently found myself standing in a field of corn, and memories of being a kid, running through the stuff, came flooding back. It’s a lovely place to be, with the tops swaying
and leaves rustling. And then you get to pick the cobs you want to eat for dinner. Here is what you’re looking for when choosing corn: the cobs should feel firm, and the silk should feel very soft and loose. Peel back some leaves and check that no bugs have taken up residence. I’m greedy for the good stuff, with fat, juicy kernels almost bursting from the cobs themselves. Hot and buttered, with a smattering of salt and pepper, this is the one food I miss with all my heart when the snow flies.
Corn on the cob is fantastic, but I also love corn roasted. It imparts a smokiness which is very appealing in things like salsa, chili, quesadillas and in the fritter recipe I’m sharing with you today. And, the best part, if you have a gas stove and are too lazy to turn the barbecue on, you can roast the corn over the flame of your burner, rotating often for even cooking. It takes a few minutes, but you can do two cobs at a time
once you get the hang of it. Let it cool, then slice off the ends to make them flat and shear off the kernels into a bundt pan. All of the kernels get trapped and you aren’t losing any on the counter or floor. How’s that for kitchen hacks?
These fritters are a simple batter of cornmeal, flour and buttermilk, with some glorious add-ins of roasted corn, smoked salmon and cream cheese. Pan fried in a little oil, the fritters have crispy edges with a light cakey middle, and when you get a bite of all three key players, well, that’s a little bit of heaven.