A few years ago in the pages of Martha's Vineyard magazine, I proposed a challenge: to eat fresh sweet corn every day for as long as it is available. I was kind of flip about this idea (Take This Bag and Shuck It), suggesting you might want to eat corn — on, but mostly off the cob — not just for dinner, but for breakfast and lunch, too. Crazy loon, I thought, rereading this yesterday. But then I paused. Wait, why not?
So here goes: Morning Glory Farm (Glorious Corn) picked its first corn this past weekend. First out of the gate (er, field) is Allure F1, a lovely bicolor variety. But six more varieties, including customer favorites Providence and Silver Queen, will follow. If all goes well, the farm could be picking a succession of varieties all the way up to late October. People, that gives us about 90 days of sweet corn. Are you ready?
Start by making a versatile corn sauté part of your repertoire. Try this Corn and Yellow Bean Sauté with Bacon and Herbs. Next time, switch out the beans for peppers, mushrooms, or potatoes; vary the fresh herbs; drop the bacon. Just keep the technique
Then make two killer soups: Chef Ben DeForest's famous Island Fresca — a deeply flavored combo of tomatoes, fresh corn, and basil — has been on his menus for decades for good reason, and it’s easy to make at home.
Chesca’s Roasted Corn Chowder is another Island classic.
Move on to Cathy Walthers’ Summer Risotto with Lobster and Corn and Jan Buhrman's Corn Pudding Soufflé. Make Morning Glory’s Corn Muffins while you’re at it. There are no limits: Try Scup Ceviche with Summer Corn and Tomatoes or make Summer Grain Salad with Tomatoes, Corn, Basil and Nectarines.
Basil blues? Read Something (More) About Basil for growing and cooking tips.
Put fresh corn in scrambled eggs, frittatas, fritters and pancakes, salsa, in stir-fries, in any green salad, in minestrone (when the weather cools down), on top of fish, or in pickles.
Then wait for the tassels to start growing out of your head.
You will need a break now and then from all this corn. Make a batch of Whipped Lemon-Thyme Feta (use Mermaid Farm feta, of course) for topping crostini or for more substantial toasts, like this Grilled Toast with Whipped Lemon-Thyme Feta, Summer Squash and Arugula.
That bread for your toast? Really good news: The bakery at The Grey Barn and Farm is up and running, with freshly baked loaves being sold out of the farm stand in Chilmark every day except Tuesday. We tried the Japanese milk bread on Saturday, and it was divine.
And if you’d like to have your bread but leave the gluten behind, check out Frankie’s Flatbreads, which opens next to Island Copper behind the Larder in Vineyard Haven on Monday. You can't miss the big blue truck. Go now to taste founder Ky Keenan's delicious, crispy, plant-based flatbreads, because Ky's new food truck business heads to New York this fall.
We'll see you next week when the first Sungolds will be ripe. In the meantime, thank you for following us on Instagram @cookthevineyard, and please share the newsletter with your food-loving friends.