Going cob nobbing

• A-maizing grace, both on the cob and off
• Those ears were made for a lot more than just boiling

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

Aloun Sou and his son, Alec Sou, look over corn being prepared for vacuum drying and refrigeration at Aloun Farms. Advertiser library photo • Oct. 26, 1998

Wayne Kaiura, wethouse sales manager for Aloun Farms, says they've been working on keeping corn available throughout the year, and have found a hybrid that seems to lend itself to growing here pretty much all the time — although the winter crop isn't as prolific as in drier, hotter months. "We tried growing a crop in December and January and it worked out pretty good," Kaiura said.

The big risk for Aloun in growing corn during the rainy months is that this variety is so delicate that if there should be significant rainfall when the ears are just ready to harvest, the water is soaked up right through the plant and the ears burst.

Corn production is on the rise in Hawai'i, although it's still far from a common commercial crop here. State agricultural statistician Donald Martin said the Islands produced 41 percent more corn in 2002 than in 2001: 2.7 million pounds last year as compared to 1.9 million pounds in 2001. And corn production for the first five months of this year is 2 percent higher than in the first five months of 2002, he said.

"This is replacing corn that we import. so that's pretty significant," said Martin, who noted that corn is grown on all the major islands, with increases being seen on O'ahu and Kaua'i especially.

With six acres in production, Aloun Farms is O'ahu's major corn supplier. The operators expect to harvest about 800 cases of corn this week (at 48 ears per case), most of which is sold to Times Supermarkets, but also to Daiei, Foodland and Safeway stores when supply allows.

Produce managers compete to get the local sweet corn. At Foodland, produce buyer Harold Uchino said they've scheduled a delivery for the Labor Day weekend. "We have to prebook corn ahead of time because they only grow so much, and if you don't get an order in, there's not enough to go around," said Uchino. "The 'Ewa sweet corn is very good corn. I think it's better than the Mainland corn. It's very sweet, very crunchy."

Aloun Farms is aware of the interest. "We're planning to put more in," Kaiura said. "There's a big demand for it."

Kaiura said the particular hybrid they grow — the name of which is a closely held secret, since Aloun doesn't want competitors to know it — is a sweet, yellow-kernel corn with one very nice attribute: That pesky brown silk just drops off when you shuck the ears, rather than nestling inside the rows as some Mainland varieties do. It takes about 45 days to grow to maturity, less if the sun is shining consistently.

Here are corn facts to savor along with those creamy kernels:

A short history of corn: There are five types of corn grown commercially — sweet, pop, flour (cornmeal), silage (green feed) and feed corn. Sweet, the variety we eat fresh, gets its name from a special gene that prevents or retards the normal conversion of sugar to starch during kernel development. There are four sweet corn types: normal sugar (Su); sugar-enhanced cultivars (Se) with 25 to 50 percent more sugar in the kernels than Su types; shrunken 2 cultivars (Sh 2 ) with 50 to 100 percent more sugar in the kernels than Su types; and a mixed genotype kernel (SB) known as "super sweet." Sweet corn may be yellow, white or mixed yellow and white; color bears no relation to sweetness.

Color yourself healthier: Natural pigments in vegetables can help protect against common diseases and illnesses. The yellow in corn protects against macular degeneration, No. 1 cause of blindness in the elderly, according to "Five a Day, The Better Health Cookbook" by Dr. Elizabeth Pivonka and Barbara Berry.

A-maizing grace, both on the cob and off

In her recipe, she has substituted cheddar for the crumbly age-cured cotija Mexican cheese. The trick with grating cheddar, she says, is to make sure it is very cold when you grate it to prevent it from "gumming up." Put the cheese in the freezer for about 10 minutes to make it easier to grate.

"This recipe doubles as a substantial side dish or a great first course to keep the hordes happy while you're grilling the rest of the meal," Moulton says.

Sara Moulton's Mexican-style Sweet Corn

• 4 ears corn, husks removed
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika, preferably hot smoked paprika
• 1/2 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 pound very cold cheddar cheese

Prepare a charcoal grill and allow the coals to burn down to gray ash. (Or heat an oiled grill pan over medium-high heat until almost smoking.) Place the corn on the grill and cook, turning often, until tender and marked on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise, paprika and garlic together in a shallow dish or pie plate. Remove the cheese from the refrigerator and coarsely grate or chop in a food processor until it crumbles into small pieces. Place the cheese in another shallow dish or pie plate and return to the refrigerator to prevent the cheese from becoming too warm and clumpy.

Working with one cob at a time, spread the mayonnaise on the corn, then sprinkle on the cheese to coat on all sides. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Award-winning cookbook author James Peterson picked out one of his favorite recipes for corn from "Vegetables" (Morrow, 1998, $35).

"I find that corn goes amazingly well with Mexican flavors such as poblano chilies and dried chilies, which again demonstrates that foods grown in the same place so often go well together," he pointed out.

"I think what most people miss when it comes to corn is how easy it is to take it off the cob. Just run a knife along the sides while holding the ear on end and then convert it into any number of delicious things," he adds.

"If you grew up on the canned version, as I did, creamed corn, made from fresh corn and real cream, is a revelation."

James Peterson's Mexican-style Creamed Corn with Bacon, Chilies, Tomatoes and Cilantro

• Two 1/4-inch-thick slices bacon or thinner slices, cut into ¥-inch cubes, or 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 poblano chilies, seeded and chopped
• 2 jalapeno chilies, seeded and chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups corn kernels (5 plump ears)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

If you're using the bacon, gently cook the cubes in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart pot over medium heat until the cubes just begin to turn crispy, about 8 minutes. Take out the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Remove some of the bacon fat so only a tablespoon is left in the pot. If you're using the butter, simply melt it in the pot.

Stir the onion, garlic and chilies into the bacon fat or butter and cook over medium heat, stirring every couple of minutes, until the onion has turned translucent but hasn't browned, about 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cream, the reserved bacon and the corn kernels.

Simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes, until the corn is heated through. Stir in the cilantro and cook for 2 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Makes 4 side-dish servings.

Those ears were made for a lot more than just boiling

Don't get fresh: There's no need to strip corn of its husks when buying it; it's rarely sold by the pound, so there's no savings in discarding the husk, and you can tell how fresh it is without peeling it back. Top-quality corn has green fresh-looking husks (not dried out). Feel the ear from base to tip; it should be well-filled, bulging and somewhat rounded, not skinny and rock-hard to the touch.

Corn off the cob: To cut the kernels from fresh corn, you can use a tool designed for that purpose or make do with a knife. Called corn cutters or corn strippers, one version of the tool consists of a circular blade that fits over the cob with handles on either side; kernels are stripped away as you press downward. Another type is like a cheese grater, with a handle on top and a single semi-circular blade that you run down the cob. (Check kitchen-supply stores or search online for "corn cutter.") The old-fashioned method is to stand the corn on a work surface, holding it by one end. With a large, sharp knife, slice down the length of the corn, cutting as close to the cob as possible. It's best to do this in a very large bowl because kernels have a tendency to fly off and juices to spurt.

Corn on the grill:

• Method 1 — Soak corn in husk in cold, salted water for 1 hour; place on grill and cook 10-12 minutes, turning at least three times. This steams the corn.
• Method 2 — Grill expert Steve Raichlin's favorite method: Husk corn, brush with olive oil or melted butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper; grill over a hot fire 2-3 minutes a side (four sides, total 8-12 minutes). Sugars caramel-ize; corn absorbs smoke; rich flavor.
• Method 3 — Lay corn in husk right in the ashy embers of a wood or briquet fire; kernels darken and achieve a smoky flavor.