Early in September, the full moon cast its glow across our field of food, urging the ears of corn to plump and sweeten and the tender pods of beans to swell. Under the light of the Corn Moon, I held my breath, anticipating the readiness of so much fall food, including some pretty decent looking sweet corn. (I realize, of course, that sweet corn is mostly associated with summer, but being the sweet corn growing novices that we are, our first ever planting of it is not ripening until the early days of September). This late planting of ours is currently yielding a healthy patch of bi-color sweet corn that is as sweet and delicious as any candy I've ever tasted. The four of us Boerson's took turns nibbling raw kernels off of our test ear, and we agreed unanimously that this is truly some sweet, sweet corn!
Growing corn seems like no big deal if you look around the rural fabric that surrounds us. There is corn all over the place, growing tall and achieving high yields in field after field. Big farms grow oceans of corn, so it is easy for consumers to come by during the summer months. Why would we be so excited about successfully growing a little patch on our little farm?? I will tell you a little secret; we did not use a single chemical to grow this corn! It is pure and unadulterated. Compost, timely water, cultivation and love produced these ears, and there is nothing in them other than just corn and real corn flavor. You will get to taste it for yourself in this week's box! Although I wish we had been able to plant much more than we did, we now know that success with this sensitive crop is indeed possible. Next season we will plan to do more...
But for the time being, there is still much to look forward to during the latter portion of this growing season. As we say good bye to summer squash, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers, we will say hello to fresh fall greens, fall roots, celery, winter squash, leeks, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and more. Temperatures are beginning to settle down into the 60's and below, which means it's time to cook a bit more and really enjoy the flavors that fall has to offer. We are all so fortunate to have this fine food on our plates!! Next time you sit down to a meal, think of the Corn Moon, and give thanks. The moonlight did its part to help grow your food. We hope you enjoy every bite!
