This post was created in partnership with America's Farmers. All opinions are my own, though I am in no way aligning myself with any issues in association with the partner. All reader comments in relation to that aspect are free speech and entirely welcome- just remember, there's a recipe here too.
Momma Told Me: If you only knew how much work went into your meal!
Growing up in Southern California, I've often told people where I'm from and been the subject of ridiculous assumptions. Living so close to Los Angeles, and on the coast, I must rub elbows with movie stars and see nothing but palm trees from my kitchen window. While SoCal is glamorous, it is also just as rich in land and soil as the great Redwood forests of the North. In fact, my humble town of Oxnard, CA is listed as the USDA's number one producer of strawberries. Yes, there's even an entire festival (next weekend) dedicated to this abundant local crop, and people travel from outside the state to attend. But my community produces more than berries, Southern California is also a top citrus producer and has high success in the manufacturing of avocados.
No, I don't live on a farm, but to the East and South I can look off my porch and see sprawling fields for miles. These farms an fields not only provide thousands of jobs for the local community, but are almost always family owned, and generational. As humans we've come a long way from an ox pulling a plow and dancing for rain storms; some farming techniques are even now considered controversial- but I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to get you thinking about America's Farmers, and how their hard work and determination impacts you every day. Did you know there are about 90 million acres of corn planted in the U.S. annually? Corn is a staple ingredient in many common household cooking and baking products, as well as one of my favorite vegetables. It' also a highly versatile crop, as scientists have been able to successfully pop corn known to be as old as 1,000 years old!
The edible 'ear' of corn is actually a part of the plant's 'flower,' which certainly changes the way you'll see a field the next time you are winding your way through a corn maze, right? The United States produces about 40% of the world's corn supply, and every May I find myself eagerly awaiting the grocery store bins full of sweet white corn ears. To me there is nothing more indulgent in the Summer than a freshly grilled ear of buttered, salted, corn on the cob. That's why it's surprising I recently learned I can mimic the flavor and cooking technique in my oven without any open flames!
In preparation for 'corn season,' at the local market, I have been collecting some delicious recipes made with corn, and other American crops on a seasonal #AmericasFarmers Recipes Pinterest board. With cotton, corn, soybeans, wheat, and pork among some of America's biggest agriculture crops it's easy to see how the families that tend these farms impact our daily plate. When I spotted corn first hitting the product department on sale last weekend I was sure to grab several ears for a new recipe I wanted to try out; Chipotle-Lime Corn. This six-ingredient recipe was pretty simple, though the prospect of preparing the corn in a new-to-me-manner was a little daunting.
It turned out this Chipotle-Lime Grilled Corn recipe was the perfect answer to a busy weeknight where cooking time is minimal but the desire for fresh from the far flavor is high. I 'grilled' the corn on the cob in the oven at 415F for 20 minutes, turning the cobs on a cookie sheet every 5 or so minutes. To bake in grilled flavor I had first rubbed a stick of butter along the inside of a sheet of foil, then dusted it with garlic salt and pepper. After carefully rolling up the ears they were ready to bake, and emerged perfectly tender from the oven. The rest was elementary!
When making Chipotle-Lime Grilled Corn do not be afraid of the word 'chipotle.' Chipotle power is more of a flavoring, and can be used without adding an over-poweing heat, especially with the lime juice in this recipe accenting the spices so heavily.
As Summer approaches what crop are you looking most forward to cooking with?
What Daughter Says: Support America's Farmers and buy local produce this Summer.
Chipotle- Lime Grilled Corn
***Click here for printable Chipotle Lime Corn recipe.
Ingredients:
*4 Ears corn, husk and silk removed
*2 TBS Butter
*1/4C Cotija Cheese
*1 TSP Lime Juice
*1/4C Cilantro
*1/4 TSP Chipotle Power
*Salt and Pepper to season
Directions:
Preheat oven to 415F
1.)Spread the butter as a stick or with your hands along the middle of an (approx) 10" x 14" piece of foil. Sprinkle buttered section with garlic salt and pepper as desired to bake flavor into corn while cooking.
2.) Roll each cob, individually, in it's own piece of seasoned foil and place on a baking tray or cookie sheet. Bake at 415F for 20 minutes, using tongs to carefully rotate each cob ever 5 minutes or so.
3.) Remove the wrapped cobs from the oven and allow them to cool about 10 minutes. Opening the seam of the foil wrapping will help the cobs cool faster. Once the corn has cooled enough to handle remove the kernels from the cob by carefully running a sharp knife down the length of the cob (while standing.)
4.) Melt butter gently in microwave and stir in chipotle power and lime. Drizzle and toss over bowl of kernels. Sprinkle with freshly diced cilantro and crumbled cotija cheese to serve.