A-maize-ing Grain

Long before the Americas were colonized, the native people propagated and subsisted on Zea mays, the true gold of the Americas; corn. The corn that we know descended from teosinte, a darker version of the corn that you’ll find at the supermarket without the tight, even rows. It appeared more like a smaller, version of modern corn that forgot to see the dentist on a regular basis so that individual grains were widely spaced. And since Mesoamericans depended on maize as a cornerstone of their diet, they learned that nixtamalization or soaking the corn in an alkaline solution was essential for processing the kernels. Likely, they nixtamalized the corn to remove the outer hull and to improve the flavor of corn. They may not have known at the time that nixtamalizing corn also reduced aflatoxins on dried corn which are lethal in high doses and carcinogenic in lower doses over an extended period. Nixtamalizing also liberates niacin and tryptophan – an essential B vitamin and essential amino acid. Montezuma’s Revenge usually refers to traveler’s diarrhea after visiting Mexico – I think Montezuma’s real revenge was allowing the conquering Spaniards to return to Spain with maize without the knowledge of nixtamalization which resulted in widespread pellagra causing dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia and eventual death due to a lack of the essential nutrients, niacin and tryptophan in their diets.

Corn Season

Though fresh corn is normally harvested between August to October in the Northern hemisphere, in the 50th, supermarkets have been putting corn on sale for the past 8 weeks. So when prices drop to 50 cents per cob (or less), we stock up but because fresh corn takes up a lot of refrigerator real estate, we usually cut the kernels off the cob right after our purchases. And since I’ve been having the “ono’s” (craving) for cornbread, made a batch of corn muffins. Why not traditional cornbread in a baking pan or skillet? Because Ms. S prefers sweeter versions while I like savory cornbread. Baking them in a muffin tin means you can make 2, 3 or 4 varieties of cornbread at the same time. The following recipe makes 12 muffins – you can divide the recipe in half, thirds or fourths by simply weighing the base batter then dividing the batter in half, thirds or fourths. If you can’t find small containers of buttermilk, adding 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to 1 cup of milk accomplishes the same.

Cornbread Muffins

1/2 cup olive oil

1 & ½ cup fresh corn kernels

3 tbsp light brown sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 & 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup cornmeal

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the fresh corn and dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil, buttermilk and eggs beating the eggs until they’re incorporated into the milk and oil (to make a vegan version, use 1 cup of plant-based milk and 1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice). Mix the wet ingredients into the dry just until incorporated. At this point, if you plan to make different variations of muffins, divide the dough in half, thirds or fourths. I weigh the empty large mixing bowl empty, record the weight then weigh again with the mixed batter subtracting the weight of the bowl.

Suggestions: Add several dashes of garlic and onions powder plus smoked paprika for a savory version. Or add a tbsp of roasted jalapenos and ¼ cup of pepper jack cheese for a spicy version.

Or add 1 more tbsp of dark brown sugar, maple syrup and honey for a sweet version.

Or add 1 heaping tbsp of sauteed garlic, bell peppers and onions plus 2 tsp of Cajun seasoning for a Big Easy version. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Because the 50th is currently in our unbearable hot and muggy summer, Ms. S has been making a variety of salads often using the fresh corn on sale. Her salads have a mixture of fresh corn, cucumbers, red peppers, sliced red onions or sliced olives and may also contain grains like barley, farro or wheat berries. Sometimes she’ll also add a bowtie or raddiatore pasta, sometimes she fortifies it with protein like beans or chicken. But we’ve been partial to this vinaigrette with fresh lime juice, mustard and honey.

Lime Vinaigrette

1/2 cup olive oil

The juice from 1 large lime and the grated zest

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp honey

Salt and black pepper to taste

For a recipe that uses corn that’s available year-round, this “stoup” or very thick soup (more stew than soup) uses posole or dried corn also known as hominy. It’s available canned like beans but since I love the Rancho Gordo products, I purchase both dried heirloom beans and nixtamalized dried corn from them. However, if you want to save time, you can use both canned hominy and beans for this recipe.

Gochiso Gourmet’s Posole

1 lb. dried posole

½ lb. dried beans

Olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 14oz cans, diced, fire roasted tomatoes

1 quart vegetable stock

3 tbsp dried cumin

4 tbsp dried chili powder

3 tbsp dried smoked paprika

2 tbsp dried oregano

3 bay leaves

Salt and black pepper to taste

Soak the posole and black beans overnight. Drain the water, add fresh water to cover and simmer the posole for ~2 hours – cooked but still chewy.

Drain the bean water, add fresh water and simmer for 45 to 90 minutes depending on the bean or pressure cook for 10 to 20 minutes again depending on the bean.

Sauté the fresh vegetables and garlic in the olive oil until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, vegetable stock and spices as well as the posole and beans and bring to a boil then lower to a simmer and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.