creme of corn

[Guest guest]

dear left wing raw fooders, right wing raw fooders, progressive raw fooders,

bagdad sex perverts, and especially those of us that have been twice around the

block -

 

sure it can be best not to mix foods, but hey, gimme a break. life is killing

me.

 

I have been having some really delicious salads lately. I want to write a recipe

and take pictures, but I am not going to. Mainly because it's a stupid thing to

do. The ingredients of a salad are made with a combination of what's available

and what tastes good. I could say the baby romaine lettuce is best for the

salad, but when I am tasting the lettuce before buying, sometimes I pick red

leaf or butter lettuce. Sometimes I get little round cherry tomatoes if the big

red ones aren't ripe. Sometimes I add onion, or scallions, but once in a while I

can get sprouted garlic. Yeah, I can take pictures, but it wouldn't really be of

practical use to others, since the salad is a personal and resource determined

project. Sometimes I put grated beets for sweetness, or grated ginger for zip.

Sometimes, if I can't get a ripe avocado, I use olive oil. Sometimes, I am

really bad and use a few tablespoons of braggs cider vinegar.

 

There is one ingredient of the salad that I am using lately that really makes

the difference. Young white corn on the cob. (or white and yellow) It works for

me. This is how I prepare the corn before adding to the salad.

1. Shuck it

2. Brush to remove stray hairs

3. Use a very sharp slicing knife to cut off the kernels. Don't cut too

close to the cob, infact, leave extra on the cob. If the knife is sharp enough,

you can cut the kernels with successive one saw down motions. This is best so as

not to make a mess of the kitchen with flying corn kernels. Balance the corn on

the sharp end, and tilt down a little to the cutting board, to also minimize

flying kernels

4. Use the back of a chef's knife (the spine) to scrape off the rest of

the corn residue. This is the crème of the cob. It really gives the salad great

flavor. This is the funnest part.

5. Put it in the oven and bake at 450 degrees for 35 minutes. (only

kidding)

 

The corn is not in season all year, so I am eating a lot now while it is

available and I like it

 

Here are some extra tips for salads

1. An old rule of thumb is to make sure there are three colors in the

salad: like green lettuce, yellow corn, and red bell pepper

2. A salad should have a uniform range of sizes. So that if corn is a

dominate ingredient, then cut the bell peppers into small cubes also. And cut

the romaine into small pieces also

3. Its not necessary to use a blender for the salad dressing. I just

squeeze the avocado threw my fingers, grate the beets and ginger, and squeeze

the large tomatoes before tossing all by hand. There is no blender to clean or

electricity to worry about. I do use a blender sometimes, and it is good too,

but I prefer it this way today

4. If you have avocado, you really shouldn't need any oil

 

Here are some extra thoughts on corn

 

Corn kernels are seeds. Like nuts and other seeds, they are the first stage of

life for the new plant. Most nuts and seeds need to be sprouted first because

they have high starch content and huge protein molecules. While this is optimal

for the new life, it can be one of the worst periods in their life cycle for

human digestion. Most nuts and seeds are better sprouted first. Corn is the big

exception. It is best eaten fresh from the cob. (You can sprout the corn, they

say, after drying and then rehydrating it.)

 

I could be wrong about my facts, I am just ranting, but one thing is for sure, I

am planning to enjoy my corn salad now.

 

your cyber chef

jrellis, firepriest

 

ps - corn can be abused in cooked food diets. it is one of the wonders of

nature. Like cotton candy, fluffy egg souffle, cheese fondue, and leavened wheat

bread, the slave cultures of the world have manipulated sacred fire to create

popcorn. don't you sometimes wish these abominations of nature were naturally

occurring and good for you. and to requote severen schaeffer again, " the

question is not, 'can man live by bread alone?' but 'can man live by bread at

all?' "

 

pps - summer is almost over, so its the worst time not to take advantage of the

abundance of fruit.