It’s the start of sweet corn. Yep. That’s right, this summer favorite is here, but Upswing Farm style. That means we used organic growing methods to produce this sweet corn. No chemically treated seed, no herbicides to keep the weeds down, no pesticides to kill bugs.
The crew tasted it this morning and they approved. Yep, we eat it raw in the field. We will pick your corn the morning of your CSA pick up, so it will be super fresh – I highly recommend trying it raw if you never have.
The varieties of corn you are going to be trying are Sugar Buns and Sugar Pearl, both sweet, small ears, recommended by my friend Matt at Drumlin farm. He has been growing sweet corn organically for his members for years. They are chosen for their tight wrappings which restrict the entrance of worms. Yes, worms. I’m saying it; it’s a reality, if you don’t douse your corn in chemicals you are likely to find a worm in some of your ears. We do not intended to cut off the tips nor do we intend to pull every ear open to see which ones have worms. And we hope you will also not pull open every ear to check but accept the lottery and know that this corn tastes great and is a special treat.
There are pests in about 20% of the ears. If you are wary of coming across a worm, and have no sturdy friends or family who can face that reality for you, we recommend cutting the tip off the ear before opening it – this will remove any potential pest.
But we are lucky – these ears are in great shape – please enjoy and revel in these delicious and special treats.
Also in the amazing summer bounty this week:
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Lettuce
Green Beans
Mixed Choice:
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Squash
Carrots (loose)
Fresh Onions
Peppers
Eggplant
New Potatoes
We aren’t sure on quantities yet, it’s harder to get an estimate on fruiting crops than it is on items that you bunch/cut for heads, but we think we will be giving pounds of tomatoes this week, which will affect the quantities in the rest of the share.
As for recipes – I’m all out of fresh ideas right now. Salads, grilling, ratatouille, roasting . . . you got this. It’s summer. Enjoy!
Oh, corn. My farmer friend Chris who grows organic corn suggests this for boiling corn: bring big pot to boil, put in corn (shucked) for 4 minutes, removed and enjoy. You can also cut the kernels off the ears at this point and either freeze (if you have too much) or make a Corn/Tomato/Cucumber salad. Corn is also excellent brushed with oil on the grill. Or eat it all raw . . .
And tomorrow is the last day to get the early bird discount on the Fall Shares The crew is working hard this morning hand-weeding the carrots that are everyone’s favorite. Don’t forget to sign up!
Upswing Farm 