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Jul 01, 2023

Looking for a few corn

Corn is one of chef Chris Colburn's favourite summertime ingredients STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOS Great Big Sea founder making peace with his past | SaltWire Juanita Rossiter Special to

Corn is one of chef Chris Colburn's favourite summertime ingredients

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOS

Great Big Sea founder making peace with his past | SaltWire

Juanita Rossiter

Special to SaltWire

Have you been thinking about new ideas for the upcoming corn season beyond eating it on the cob?

It's a perplexing thought – is there anything really better than a fresh traditional cob smeared with better?

Susan Lester Ryan is one of the owners of Lester’s Farm Market at 173 Brookfield Rd. in St. John's, N.L.

During the season, the Lester family grows over 100 different varieties of fruits and vegetables on about 120 acres of land and, since 1994, they have been selling directly to their customers through their market.

“Over the years, we have expanded what we do to include our onsite bakery, kitchen, greenhouse operation, children's program, school tours, agritourism, local craft fairs, and more. Local restaurants also highlight our veggies in their dishes,” says Ryan.

Included in their farm are four acres of corn that they grow every year.

It is difficult to grow corn in Newfoundland due to the short season, Ryan says.

“We have to choose the lowest harvest dates so that it can have time to mature," she explains.

“We grow our sweet corn with the help of biodegradable plastic. We direct seed around early June and then usually begin harvest around late August-early September."

Ryan recommends that customers consume the corn fresh, “as the sugars will begin to change to starch. In season we harvest our corn daily, giving it the opportunity to fully ripen before being harvested.”

She does offer a few suggestions when it comes to storing it, though, including putting it in the freezer in the husk and taking it out and using it as-is.

Another option?

“Others have had success by chopping it off of the cob and storing it into baggies in the freezer," she says.

“These two options are a great way to use our corn in chillies, soups, stews, casseroles and more.”

Leah Visser is the communications manager with the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture (NSFA) located in East Mountain, N.S. Since 1895, the NSFA has represented the interests of Nova Scotia’s agricultural community and it currently represents over 2,000 farm businesses and farm families across the province.

Visser explains that the Meet Your Farmer initiative was developed by the NSFA to help connect people to farmers in Nova Scotia.

“Meet Your Farmer profiles Nova Scotia’s farm families, sharing their favourite home-cooked recipes, and updating everyone on food and farming events throughout the year," she explains, adding that the website also provides information on where to find locally-grown produce and help support the local economy and Nova Scotia's food supply.

One recipe included on the Meet Your Farmer website is for Sweet Corn Mango Salsa, submitted by Andrea Palmer and Ian Newcombe, owners of Newcombe’s Sweet Corn, located in Upper Cunard, N.S.

The thing they love most about this recipe is that it is fresh, and it was their daughter Rachel who created it.

Method:

Servings: 4

Hints:

Rachel likes to add a dash of cayenne pepper to this salsa because she says this gives “the sweet on the tip and front of the tongue, and the heat on the sides, creating an awesome full-palette experience.”

Andrea Palmer and Ian Newcombe’s recommendation: Use the freshest sweetest corn possible.

Chef Chris Colburn is the former executive chef of Dalvay by the Sea in P.E.I. and is the current director of culinary operations at the Lark Hotels in the United States.

Colburn says corn is one of his favourite summertime ingredients, and he’s always loved pairing it with beetroot and lobster.

“The corn adds a candy-like sweetness, the beetroot adds an earthy sweetness, and the lobster is a nice bridge between the two with its saline sweet flavour profile," he says.

The slightly tart green chermoula cuts the richness and takes this dish to another level,” he says.

Par cook the lobster:

Sweet Corn Velouté:

Method:

Keep cool and brew on: Cold coffee beverages come in many varieties and are an essential summer drink for some

EAST COAST FOOD & DRINK: Chain Yard Urban Cidery

Chermoula:

Method:

Beet Oil:

Method:

To finish:

Hints:

Servings: 4