CSA Challenge

[bookluvingbabe]

Third question: What’s the best way to dry herbs? Are there herbs that don’t “dry” well? I have -- I think -- thyme. Can I dry it the same way? Or should I store it in the freezer, in a plastic bag? What about the basil? I can make more pesto, but there's only so much pesto a gal can eat.

Will you use the basil in other things? I would puree and freeze it in teaspoon size servings for Italian cooking. That is what I did during my CSA year...

[cgarden]

We got cauliflower yesterday, which has always been among my least-favorite vegetables - does anyone have any ideas for ways to disguise it? I suppose incorporating it in curry is always a safe bet...

[DanielK]

We got cauliflower yesterday, which has always been among my least-favorite vegetables - does anyone have any ideas for ways to disguise it? I suppose incorporating it in curry is always a safe bet...

What about a soup? Once you mix it with other vegetables and/or drown it in cream...

[mdt]

We got cauliflower yesterday, which has always been among my least-favorite vegetables - does anyone have any ideas for ways to disguise it? I suppose incorporating it in curry is always a safe bet...

Sprinkle with some olive oil and spices of your choice and roast it.

[legant]

Ooh! Cauliflower! The first thing that comes to mind: Aloo Gobi. OMG! This is one of two ways I'll eat cauliflower.

Check out this and this and maybe this. My own recipe is a hodge-podge of these. For example: I boil, rather than fry, potatoes, then cube them; I use plum tomatoes 'cause I like the texture; and the spice mixture depend on my mood.

We got cauliflower yesterday, which has always been among my least-favorite vegetables - does anyone have any ideas for ways to disguise it? I suppose incorporating it in curry is always a safe bet...

Monique DC reported that she received a small -- the size of her fist small -- head of cauliflower from Bull Run CSA. Gus... I'm so jealous... enjoy the cauliflower for me.

[Barbara]

We got cauliflower yesterday, which has always been among my least-favorite vegetables - does anyone have any ideas for ways to disguise it? I suppose incorporating it in curry is always a safe bet...

My favorite way to eat cauliflower is Julia Child's au gratin recipe in "Mastering . ." You make a bechamel and add cheese; pour over boiled or steamed cauliflower florets and bake until hot. Using blue cheese intead of gruyere is particularly good. We like this much better than the roasted cauliflower everybody on eGullet was going on and on about.

[legant]

This week, in my CSA basket: eggplant, garlic, sorrel, cabbage, kale, as well as parsley, basil. and epazote. Oh! I found a small head of cauliflower, mixed with the cabbage, that I snuck in my bag. Right now, I’m bringin’ home the basil just because it’s there. I can’t use it all but it sure makes my kitchen smell nice. In fact, I’ve offered to trade my basil for organic eggs.

I’m beginning to think the Week 1 basket was an anomaly; the amount of food received each week since has dwindled… considerably. Someone described last week’s Bull Run pick-up as “a bunch of weeds.” Given that I have a tendency to over exaggerate, I thought nothing of it. However, when I picked up this week’s produce I thought: Oh com’on; I understand there’s a drought and all that, but this is ridiculous. I’m paying $10/week for this!

(I did, however, get my “handful” of the leafy stuff… basil, kale, parsley, lettuce mix, sorrel; no complaints in that department. Yet, the way kale cooks down, I can imagine only using this week’s supply as an appetizer.)

My Tuesday CSA routine: Get CSA basket; go home; change clothes – there are bugs and stuff in there!; pour glass of wine; unpack and layout produce; stare in disbelief and exclaim: what the fuck was I thinking; take digital photos; pour another glass of wine; sit at computer and try to figure out what the f*ck I got in the basket – is this thyme or oregano -- and what am I going to do with this stuff; pour another glass of wine; put herbs in water; throw the veggies in bin… to be dealt with later; pour yet another glass of wine.

What the f*ck is the difference between Japanese eggplant and regular (Italian?) eggplant? Just because this sucker is small, does that make it a Japanese variety? It weighs in at 70 grams! What am I to do with something that won’t even feed my 18 m.o. niece??!!

And what about the garlic??!! Garlic scape was one thing. My garlic comes from the store in those nice white, papery bulbs. This thing obviously came from the ground; do I just brush the dirt off and mince it as usual?

Now… once I Google it… what do I do with the epazote?

[Pat]

Now… once I Google it… what do I do with the epazote?

It's an ingredient featured in Mexican cooking, especially with beans. (It's like a natural Beano . ) I've only used it dried, mostly in chili and bean soups.

Epicurious has a number of recipes using it.

[legant]

Seriously: what am I to do with this garlic? Do I hack off the long, stalky part? Is that part edible? Do the garlic bulbs need to be dried? What’s the best way to do that? Or, are they ready to use? Do I need to brush off the dirt on the bulb if I’m roasting it or just using a clove or two? How do the stores get those papery white bulbs? How do I store this thing? Is it okay to store the just-pulled (organic, pesticide-free) stuff next to the store-bought?

I'm on the ledge again folks!

[legant]

Chilled tomatillo and cucumber soup using my CSA tomatillos, onions, garlic, parsley and peppers.

Unfortunately, soups do not photograph well:

[Anna Blume]

Louise: Soup looks great!

What's your cookbook collection like? Sounds like you need a few more to consult as reference books, though you might try borrowing a few from the public library before making the commitment.

Most relevant to your CSA dilemma is Deborah Madison's Local Flavors which is organized in terms of the growing season and types of produce since it takes farmers markets as a theme. You can find it for very little at Jessica's Biscuit, an online bookstore connected to epicurious.com.

Other possibilities that focus on vegetables are by Alice Water, Elizabeth Schneider (more of an encyclopedia on less familiar vegetables, but she includes recipes and lots of suggestions for ways to use green garlic, etc.) and Roger Vergé. A friend swears James Peterson is a god, but I don't think his book on vegetables is all that.

I don't know how to dry garlic, but once you slice the bulbs, you'll see green garlic lacks separate, individual cloves. I'm assuming it's a baby vegetable. The flavor is quite mild and I like to treat it as I would spring onions or leeks, even. Great for soups, stir-fries and anything you'd typically make w onions. You use only the lower portion of the stalk close to the bulb that is relatively easy to slice; the rest is tough and fibrous. ETA: Looking at your photograph after writing this, you seem to have mature garlic, only it's neither from China or California, the major suppliers of the nation's garlic. It is a root vegetable.

Small eggplants are great in Indian and East Asian dishes as well as Mediterranean dishes. They cook quickly, are tender and don't need to be salted before cooking since they tend not to be bitter. Stuffed, sliced, spiced, diced, stewed.... Good with tomatoes, colored bell peppers, basil, onions, coconut, chilies, lamb, chicken.... If I had only one, I'd dice it and make something w ground lamb and pilaf or couscous. Sauce pasta. Make pizza.

[edenman]

The baskets have been smaller recently, and more full of cukes and zucchini. First week of tomatoes (scarfed down this morning). Thinking about using the cukes in some sort of cold cucumber soup? Not sure yet, and I'll probably keep grill the zucchini like I did with the ones from two weeks ago.

[Spiral Stairs]

The baskets have been smaller recently, and more full of cukes and zucchini. First week of tomatoes (scarfed down this morning). Thinking about using the cukes in some sort of cold cucumber soup? Not sure yet, and I'll probably keep grill the zucchini like I did with the ones from two weeks ago.

Is that your full load? I feel like we are getting huge amounts in the Jug Bay CSA. This week, we got:

- 6 ears of corn

- 3 eggplant

- 2 squash

- 1 cucumber

- 1 head of garlic

- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes

- 2 big heirloom tomatoes

- 6 smallish tomatoes

- String beans

- 2 green peppers

- 2 hot peppers

Plus, eggs and fresh flowers for those who have signed on for those optional additions.

Then again, maybe we're paying a lot more. ($570 for the season, plus $125 for 14 weeks of flowers, plus $55 for 20 weeks of eggs.)

[legant]

Dah-um! Before I call Jug Bay, I decided to do a bit of math:

Jug Bay: $570 for 20 weeks = $28.50/week

Bull Run: $350 for 20 weeks: $17.50/week

Any other farm breakdowns?

ETA: Okay… after a visit to the Dupont market I have a new appreciation of my CSA share. Basil was $3 a bunch; potatoes $5/basket; garlic $1.50 a head; eggplant $1.50/lbs. Granted some of my numbers may be off, but I easily take home $12 worth of basil each week.

CSA is very, very good to me. Even if my basket is full of weeds.

[legant]

Sunday: Baked squash blossoms, stuffed with home-made Boursin (CSA basil, parsley, garlic)

Saturday: all'Amatriciana strata (CSA eggplant, garlic and oregano)

[edenman]

Is that your full load? I feel like we are getting huge amounts in the Jug Bay CSA.

That's all I get, but I'm on a half-share.

But yea, it doesn't feel like much, even for a half-share.

[dgreen]

This week from Great Country Farms in Bluemont, VA:

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes

4 "regular" tomatoes (not sure what they're called)

4 ears of corn

1 squash

2 green peppers

10 smallish peaches

3 beets

1 chive plant to add to our herb garden

That's half a share. We share a full share with some friends.

Not sure how other CSA farms work, but ours allows a certain amount of U-Pick to members each week. This week is a couple pints of blackberries, a few pounds of peaches, and some sunflowers.

Also, what we love most since we have kids, the farm has animals, slides, swings, hay rides, and a big jumping pillow that we can use as part of our membership. It also has a Country Store for the wife. It's almost impossible for me to leave the Country Store without buying some kettle corn.

[edenman]

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes

4 "regular" tomatoes (not sure what they're called)

4 ears of corn

1 squash

2 green peppers

10 smallish peaches

3 beets

1 chive plant to add to our herb garden

That's half a share.

Jealous.

[goldenticket]

What the heck is this stuff: scape; sorrel; kohlrabi? And what the **** am I suppose to do with it.

Did you catch this story in the Post yesterday titled "The Kohlrabi Chronicles"? There is a recipe included for a side dish that sounds pretty good, along with some other suggestions from local growers for kohlrabi and other things that might be showing up in your CSA shares. I haven't been enough this summer to see if it's on the menu, but the sorrel soup/veloute on the lickity-split menu at Eve is one of my all time favorites.

Having done the Bull Run CSA for a couple of seasons (a few years back), I am enjoying reading about your adventures here - I think you're getting a bit more with the very dry weather than we did one extremely wet summer. Bookluvinbabe might be reminiscing too, as I think she was also an alum of the quirky Bull Run Farm CSA .

Someone mentioned upthread that their CSA offers some pick-your-own opportunities. Bull Run does this too - it's definitely worth the trip out there to pick up some fresh eggs or tomatoes or pumpkins. The farm is a beautiful spot in the middle of what is rapidly becoming an overdeveloped, suburban sprawl nightmare.

Having experienced the CSA, I definitely prefer my weekly (or more frequent) farmer's market trips and picking out my own selections. I'm not sure how the economics work out, but at least I get what I want and will use. I am also not subject to items running out before I get to the pick-up point or things (like the eggs I ordered as my last subscription) being forgotten some weeks. I bet your baskets will be overflowing with tomatoes before too long!

[legant]

In Tuesday's Bull Run basket: salvia

Epicurious was of little help. Here's Wikipedia's recipe:

crush the leaves to extract leaf juices... mix these juices with water to create an infusion... drink this infusion to induce visions

I love looking this stuff up!

[legant]

Bull Run CSA, week 10:

potatoes, eggplant, pepper, yellow squash, garlic, tomatoes

… and the usual herbs (basil, thyme, oregano, epazote).

[legant]

When I wasn’t RWing, I did some CSA cooking:

Week 10:

Wednesday dinner: Sautéed shrimp and capers over yellow squash papperdella

Thursday lunch: Pasta pesto* salad with chicken.

Sunday dinner: Roasted potatoes with a mustard-sage vinaigrette

Panko-crusted mustard pork chop (flavored with sage)

... using CSA garlic, oregano and green pepper

*Hey! This frozen pesto stuff is da bomb! Taking other’s advice: I froze the pesto, sans cheese, in ice cube trays. When I was ready to use, I let the cubes rest at room temperature for a few minutes… add some olive oil… mashed them up… and added to my salad. Then I added a whole mess of cheese. The darker green color was a bit disconcerting, but it wasn’t bad at all.

[legant]

Bull Run, CSA Week 11:

Tomato, Garlic, Hot pepper, Cucumber, Squash, Apples, Potatoes

Plus: Honey (freebie) and Eggs (not part of the CSA subscription; an additional $2)

… and sage, basil, catnip, epazote

Why didn’t anyone tell me salvia was a flower!

I now have three different colors of potatoes! Red, white and blue!

I won't have to buy garlic for the rest of the year. But: what to do with the potatoes... what to do...

[edenman]

My CSA did the red/white/blue potato thing, and they timed it so it arrived right around July 4th (cute). I used them indiscriminately in the coq au vin I made around that time. They did the trick. Not sure how best to utilize the kitsch-factor of red/white/blue potatoes....maybe a potato salad? or some sort of colorful gratin?

[jparrott]

Well, the red ones are white on the inside, so the effect may be lost. Unless you get your beet juice on.

[Pat]

Well, the red ones are white on the inside, so the effect may be lost. Unless you get your beet juice on.

Skin-on potato salad is probably the best way to get the effect without enhancement.

[silentbob]

Has anyone had experiences with or heard anything about the Sandy Spring CSA?

I am toying with the idea of getting a share for the upcoming fall, mostly because my vegetable intake for the last year has largely consisted of eating Costco's organic salad mix five days a week (good but getting boring). How cost effective is participating in one generally? From the comments above, I am getting very mixed signals about the size of a weekly haul and the ease/difficulty of using up all the produce.

I don't have much free time during the week and would probably do most of my cooking on the weekends, if that makes any difference in the calculus (i.e., pick-ups are on Monday for this particular CSA, and I'm worried that the vegetables may not keep).

[acevedo81]

What CSA is recommended for those who live in DC for pick up?

[edenman]

I don't have much free time during the week and would probably do most of my cooking on the weekends, if that makes any difference in the calculus (i.e., pick-ups are on Monday for this particular CSA, and I'm worried that the vegetables may not keep).

In my (limited) experience, the stuff tends to keep just fine between my Tuesday night drop and when I end up using it on the weekends (or occasionally the next week). It's probably not at its peak, but it's certainly adequate for my purposes.

In other news, my CSA cancelled this week's delivery due to Monday's rains, and it appears an overzealous neighbor may have thrown out my basket as well

[ScotteeM]

I now have three different colors of potatoes! Red, white and blue!

I won't have to buy garlic for the rest of the year. But: what to do with the potatoes... what to do...

Potatoes don't stick around very long at my house, and we've been loving the ones Bull Run has given us this year. Last night I adapted a recipe from "Grass-Fed Gourmet" that involved thinly sliced potatoes layered on the bottom of my broiler pan, and a spatch-cocked chicken on the top, baked at 475 (after appropriate seasoning and oiling). The potatoes soaked up the chicken drippings and got nicely crisp. I'll do that recipe again!

We also love oven-browned potato wedges--tossed in melted butter and olive oil, with some minced garlic and onions. They get crisper in a metal pan, IME.

We still have half of our red-skinned potatoes from this week's share, and I think I might just boil them with a nice piece of salmon filet. Or maybe mash them.

Did I mention how much I love potatoes?

ETA: They should keep for a while in the vegetable crisper of your refrigerator, as long as they don't get damp. They probably don't need such cold storage, so if you have a cool place in your basement where you won't forget them, you can store them down there.

[Spiral Stairs]

... Last night I adapted a recipe from "Grass-Fed Gourmet" that involved thinly sliced potatoes layered on the bottom of my broiler pan, and a spatch-cocked chicken on the top, baked at 475 (after appropriate seasoning and oiling). The potatoes soaked up the chicken drippings and got nicely crisp. I'll do that recipe again!

...

Holy crap that sounds good. And it's a full meal using just a broiler pan! (I hate clean-up.)

I have definitely enjoyed our summer with the Jug Bay CSA, but will want to find a share partner next year. It's just too much work going through everything every week. (And, sadly, sometimes things have languished long enough to go into the garbage.) As a cook I am very much a novice, and this summer has been a crash course in things that I would usually shy away from in the grocery store (namely, vegetables).

Speaking of which, we will be missing next week's delivery (pick-up would be on Monday, Aug. 27). If anyone would like to take our share (for free), PM me. You have to go to Christ Church, near 6th & G St. SE, in Capitol Hill, between 5 and 7. It includes whatever veggies and fruit they will have, a dozen eggs, and fresh flowers.

[monavano]

What CSA is recommended for those who live in DC for pick up?

Metroblogging DC reported on Clagett Farm here. Scroll down to Aug. 20.

[legant]

As a cook I am very much a novice, and this summer has been a crash course in things that I would usually shy away from...

Count me among those ranks. I can’t tell you how many times during this CSA tenure I’ve had to Google a recipe or vegetable.

a spatch-cocked chicken

Is that a cooking method? Or, type of chicken?

[Barbara]

Is that a cooking method? Or, type of chicken?

It is cutting out the backbone and flattening the chicken so that it cooks evenly.

[Anna Blume]

Count me among those ranks. I can’t tell you how many times during this CSA tenure I’ve had to Google a recipe or vegetable.

Is that a cooking method? Or, type of chicken?

Method. Place the chicken on its knees and cut all the way down the backbone so you can open the bird like a book.

Then, grease your broiler pan or grill so you can splay the bird, skin up, over the potatoes in this case. Even better if you loosen skin around breast and at joints near thighs and stuff in some herb butter.

[legant]

Recent CSA meals:

Pasta with a browned butter sage sauce (This is becoming a staple.)

roasted eggplant, tomatoes with a basil chiffonade

spinach-mozzarella-roasted garlic polenta

Mozzarella-spinach omelet

[legant]

What CSA is recommended for those who live in DC for pick up?

Bull Run farm has a 16th and P Street pick-up location.

[legant]

I barter my CSA basil for some "good" Irish tea. Tonight my neighbor said: is that all you get? Herbs? I had to think... hard... for a moment: I had two good-sized bags of basil and parsley and very little else to show for my CSA pickup.

For week 15 we got: 1 garlic head, 1 sweet potato, 1 tomato, 2 beets (which are so small I don't know what the f*ck to do with them!), a good handful of string beans, and a HUGE watermelon. Okay, maybe it's not that big, but it's the size of a bowling ball.

Oh! And two apples. I didn't even bother to pick through the basket to find any w/o blemishes. It just wasn't worth it.

I have enough garlic to last me to the next CSA season. The sweet potato will accompany the pork chop later this week. String beans will go with a roasted chicken. The tomato will accompany some basil and mozzarella and olive oil for lunch. No more "Dollies scones" or KitKat bars: it'll be watermelon for the rest of the week.

I know, I know... we've had a drought. But: Where's the corn? Where's the okra? Where are the lima beans? How 'bout the cherry tomatoes? Dammit! I want my flowers!

Some folks are "pleased as punch" about their CSA. However... right now... as I'm looking at my 2 scrawny beets... I'm thinking: I'd be better off if I commit to spending my $20/week at a farmer's market.

And, yes... there will be pesto in the morning.

[edenman]

Some folks are "pleased as punch" about their CSA.

I hope you're not counting me in this number. I've gradually gotten more and more bored of the same things arriving, week after week. I really don't need 10 jalapenos a week.

It's been an interesting run (and it's forced me to try some veggies I otherwise would've passed up), but I go on vacation for the rest of the delivery season, and I don't plan on subscribing again until I cook more frequently and with less planning. My meals are still infrequent enough that they are often planned around a central ingredient, and the CSA veggies sometimes work and sometimes don't. Also, since I get a half-share for myself, I rarely have enough of a single ingredient to use it to feed a crowd (the cooking I tend to do). I could see splitting a full share in the near future, but my own full share will be several years off, I think.

However, the okra I've been getting, although sparse (7 or 8 per week?), has been delicious.

Strikes and gutters, ups and downs.

[Sam]

I am with the Great Country Farms CSA this year. Added bonus is that they deliver to your door. Downfall is that you don't pick your produce. However, I have been so happy with them. I get a 1/2 share which is a 10X12X14 box every week. It started with lots of greens and lettuces, but this past week I received 1 big zucchini, about 5 tomatoes, 1 medium eggplant, a bunch of peppers (not as much of a fan of peppers though), 4 ears corn, and 6 gala apples. I was swimming in peaches all summer (some weeks getting upwards of 10-15 peaches) to the point that I never want to see a peach again. Corn and eggplant have been coming for weeks also. Additionally, I have a U-pick allocation each week if I am willing to schlep out to the farm. As with others, it has forced me to try new vegetables. I have found I LOVE sauteed greens more than I ever thought. We only eat out 1-2 times/week due to the CSA. I am already dreading the stop at the end of October. For what it is worth, I am feeding myself and my boyfriend. I know I sound like I work for them at this point, but I cannot say enough good things about the farm. The owners are very responsive-I get emails back from them within 24 hours. If I have to skip a week, I get a double delivery the next week.

[Pat]

I am with the Great Country Farms CSA this year. Added bonus is that they deliver to your door. Downfall is that you don't pick your produce.

I did their CSA last year and was quite pleased, but I was outside the delivery area and had to drive there to pick up. Since I was making that trek, I also did the U Pick allotment every week too. I still had frozen corn from last year in the freezer at the beginning of this corn season . That was a lot of produce to cope with, and I struggled not to have to throw things out.

If the distance hadn't been impractical, I would have continued with them. Based on last year, at least, I'd recommend them to anyone in that area.

[dgreen]

My wife and I are on our third or fourth year with Great Country Farms.

I was swimming in peaches all summer (some weeks getting upwards of 10-15 peaches) to the point that I never want to see a peach again.

We've loved all the peaches and nectarines. It's been a lot but I'm not sure I can get sick of them. Then again, we also have three kids, so it's spread out more than it would be for you and your boyfriend.

Corn and eggplant have been coming for weeks also.

How's your corn been? We've had to throw out about half of ours.

Additionally, I have a U-pick allocation each week if I am willing to schlep out to the farm.

The U-pick here is awesome. It really makes this CSA worth the price if you can do the U-pick, especially towards the end of the year when they pretty much let their members take whatever is left. Since my wife stays home with our kids, we get out to the farm almost every week. Although, it does cost us about $12 in gas for a round trip.

I've heard they have Christmas trees, too. With our usual spot to cut down a tree closing, we'll have to check it out this winter.

I know I sound like I work for them at this point, but I cannot say enough good things about the farm. The owners are very responsive-I get emails back from them within 24 hours. If I have to skip a week, I get a double delivery the next week.

They are very customer service oriented. In year's past, we've paid monthly. One year, they kindly let us know that we missed a month. They didn't even say anything until several months later. When we called them to pay with a card over the phone, they kept telling us it was no big deal. This year we just paid the full amount up front.

They've added a winery and they have more changes planned for upcoming years. Apparently, the country store is going to be turned into a restaurant and one of the other barns/buildings will become the country store. I think that's only in the planning stages, though.

If you and your boyfriend are having a half share delivered, I'd suggest finding someone to split a full share with. It will really cut down on costs.

[ScotteeM]

For week 15 we got: 1 garlic head, 1 sweet potato, 1 tomato, 2 beets (which are so small I don't know what the f*ck to do with them!), a good handful of string beans, and a HUGE watermelon. Okay, maybe it's not that big, but it's the size of a bowling ball.

String beans? You got string beans? I do the Monday drop in Arlington, and we got squash (again). I kind of agree with you, which is why I asked in the regular CSA thread what everyone's experiences have been this year.

Bull Run's entire corn crop was wiped out by the drought--it was in the field that wasn't irrigated. But I agree that it has seemed rather monotonous lately.

I baked one of our sweet potatoes last night (we have a 2-person share) and it accompanied leftover roast (Cibola Farm) pork. I'll saute the squash tonight (I don't know too many other ways to do summer squash), or maybe grill it. The tomatoes were just sliced for a salad Monday night, because they don't seem to keep too long after we get them. Not sure about the beets. Last time I roasted them and diced them and tossed them with toasted walnuts and Gorgonzola. The garlic is nice roasted, and I've done that with a few of my heads. I'll probably bring some of my apples in to work to share, because I don't know what to do with them all. I loved the nectarines and peaches we were getting in the fruit share, but they didn't last very long.

[dcs]

How's your corn been? We've had to throw out about half of ours.

Agreed. We've had to toss close to 3/4 of the corn we have received. It was either rotting or bug infested. That said, we have been more than pleased with everything else.

[Sam]

Agreed. We've had to toss close to 3/4 of the corn we have received. It was either rotting or bug infested. That said, we have been more than pleased with everything else.

Same here. Corn has been terrible this year. I try to salvage as much as possible by shaving off little parts of each cob that look ok. Again, being 2 people really help stretch things. I have been supplementing the corn through the farmer from WV at the Columbia Pike market on Sundays. His corn has been amazing all year.

[legant]

How's your corn been?

On a slightly different tangent: how do you cook your corn?

I picked up a couple of ears at the Sheridan market. It's been quite a while since I cooked fresh corn. I do, however, remember an article from the WaPo... years ago... that advised:

• place corn in cold water with a bit of sugar;
  
• when water comes to a boil, recite Psalm 23;
  
• turn off the heat and allow the corn to sit for 5 minutes or until the meal is ready to be served.
  

I don't remember why Psalm 23 or the reason behind the sugar. Hey! I'm proud that I actually remembered that there was a 23rd Psalm! Yet, this method has worked for me.

There are other options, as well. Do you microwave your corn? Cook in a pressure cooker? Steam? Bake in the oven — either in foil or in the husk? Other than grilling, how do you cook your corn?

[Anna Blume]

On a slightly different tangent: how do you cook your corn?

Tonight I scraped off the kernels of a very fat yellow ear, tossed them in olive oil and salt and roasted at 425 F until a much brighter yellow (about 10 minutes for Toigo; only 7 minutes until New Morning's smalller, pale and drier kernels started to toast). Added to a plate of white Mexican rice and skinned chicken thighs cooked in a salsa verde w onions and roasted poblano peppers. (Yes, Zora, you have created a monster. )

Other quick method I love is scraped as above, sautéed in butter, then add a little heavy cream and basil or Parmesan. Then there is summer pudding--Epicurious had a quick recipe earlier in July which made me realize why Pat thought Madison's recipe a bit complicated. And corn chowder if you have potatoes, bacon, etc. Grills, fireplaces or pits on the beach in New England... Only thing I've tried that I didn't appreciate is adding fresh corn to polenta. Boring alone, as good as it is in cornbread.

As for the recommendations for boiling, I've never heard about the Post's advice. I plop my shucked corn into boiling water, no sugar and just let them cook for about the same amount of time it takes for a French press to make a cup of coffee.

As for the timing device, impressive recall, indeed, though you might consider an update .

[Xochitl10]

In Maryland, I would simmer the kernels with sauteed zucchini, chopped green chile, a sprinkling of cheese, and a splash of milk in calabacitas like my grandmother used to make. Here, I stick the whole cob in the fish grill.

[ScotteeM]

I love making corn pudding--I use John Shields' recipe. Sometimes I spread mayonnaise on the shucked ears, sprinkle a little powdered cayenne, and grill. If it's really fresh I'll just cut the kernels off and put them in a salad. But most of the time I steam the ears in my Cuisinart convection steamer. When my parents gave it to me 4 years ago, I thought, "Oh no, another gadget I'll never use!" But it makes corn just the way I like it, as well as other veggies and fish.

[dgreen]

On a slightly different tangent: how do you cook your corn?

I picked up a couple of ears at the Sheridan market. It's been quite a while since I cooked fresh corn. I do, however, remember an article from the WaPo... years ago... that advised:

• place corn in cold water with a bit of sugar;
  
• when water comes to a boil, recite Psalm 23;
  
• turn off the heat and allow the corn to sit for 5 minutes or until the meal is ready to be served.
  

I don't remember why Psalm 23 or the reason behind the sugar. Hey! I'm proud that I actually remembered that there was a 23rd Psalm! Yet, this method has worked for me.

There are other options, as well. Do you microwave your corn? Cook in a pressure cooker? Steam? Bake in the oven — either in foil or in the husk? Other than grilling, how do you cook your corn?

That's basically how we do our corn. Put it in the water, turn on the heat, and when the water boils it's done.