Come Into My Kitchen
by

How many of you have ever heard of Hickory King corn? I once asked a farmer why so few farmers planted it and he replied, ... "Cause, Ma'am, you can't keep it pure: it cross-pollinates with any other common corn around it."

So much for the sex life of corn on the cob.

When I was growing up in Chattanooga and the corn season was upon us, Silver Queen, Golden Bantam and several other varieties appeared in produce markets. We seldom bought those; we just waited until Hickory King showed up and then we went to town. Practically every meal included that incomparable, delectable, sugar- sweet corn.

Hickory King has to meet certain rigid standards, for true Hickory King has only eight -- not seven or nine -- but eight rows on the cob. The kernels are pearly white, shiny, satiny, full to bursting. If you sink your thumb into a kernel to test its freshness, it will "pop" and squirt the milky juice with all the force of a spray gun. You have to eat the corn while it's fresh. Try to store it and you'll be sorry.

My dentist was as great a lover of Golden Bantam corn as we were of Hickory King. He had a small garden in his backyard where he grew Golden Bantam corn. He was so maniacal about eating it fresh that he'd go out to his garden, pick a few ears, run back to the kitchen where he had a large pot of boiling water on the stove. He'd shuck the ears as he ran, plump them into the pot and stand there watching the ears boil for something like 18 minutes (or less). Then he'd snatch them out of their bath and serve them forthwith.

During later years whenever I saw a produce stand offering vegetables, I'd inquire if they had Hickory King corn. They not only didn't have it, they didn't know what I was talking about.

You don't have to be a purist like my dentist was to enjoy corn on or off the cob. Fried corn is a noble southern dish.

I learned how to prepare that noble dish from my mother-in-law, a great cook from the deep, deep south. No recipes, no fancy kitchen equipment, no modern techniques, no rules. But everything that came out of her kitchen was as good as that dish could be. (That was a real rock in my shoe when I became her daughter-in- law.)

• Use a large, heavy skillet with tight fitting cover.
• Shuck and clean about 6 ears of sweet white corn.
• With a sharp knife slash down the center of each row of kernels.
• With a quick motion cut the kernels off the cob into a large bowl but do not cut all the way through to the cob on the first go-round.
• Go over the rows a second time, scraping the cob well. This yields valuable starchy liquid.

• Stir into bowl 1/2 tsp. salt
• A dash of pepper
• A pinch of sugar
• A scant tsp. flour
• Stir mixture well.

Heat 2 Tablespoons fresh bacon drippings and an equal amount of butter in the skillet. When hot, add corn, allowing it to bubble madly and partially form a crust on the bottom. When these bits of brown appear, scrape them into the mixture and allow more to form, continuing to scrape and stir. Do not allow corn to cook dry; add small amounts of water as needed and you'll need it!

After about 10 minutes of cooking and stirring and scraping, turn heat low, cover and allow corn to cook at least 30 minutes longer. Check seasoning. Corn should have crisp bits of browned crust all through it but should have a creamy texture. It must not be gummy; it's better to add too much water than not enough.
 

1/3 stick butter
2 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
3 (12 or 15 oz.) cans shoe peg or yellow whole-kernel corn, drained
2 (4 oz.) cans chopped green chilies, drained (mild or hot)
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
Salt and black pepper to taste

In a small saucepan melt butter over low heat; blend in cream cheese until smooth; remove from heat. Combine this mixture with remaining ingredients in a 2-quart baking dish and bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. (May be halved. Leftovers may be frozen.)
 

1 can (15 oz.) cream-style corn (pref. yellow)
1 egg, well beaten
1/2 green pepper, minced
1 small jar slivered pimentos, drained
Salt and pepper to taste
3 or 4 slices bacon

In bowl beat egg. Stir in corn, pepper. Pimentos and seasoning. Turn into buttered casserole. Top with bacon. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 15 minutes to crisp the bacon. Serves 4.
 

5 or 6 ears fresh sweet corn
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 cup low-fat milk Water as needed

In large deep skillet melt margarine add garlic and saute a minute or two Cut corn off cob and add with red pepper. Cook and stir, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle in flour, stir well. Gradually add milk and cook 8 or 10 minutes, stirring frequently. As mixture thickens, add (more milk or water until desired consistency. (If corn is fresh and sweet, you won't need to add salt at all.)
 

1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp. onion salt
1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained

In blender combine cheese, milk, butter and onion salt. Cook over low heat, a few minutes; stir in corn, stirring constantly until heated through, but do NOT boil. (The last time I made this I omitted (the butter and it was still a great dish.)