While I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, I hail from farming folk. There were few things I enjoyed more than a long day at my grandparents' farm. Tracking down kittens, skipping rocks in the creek (pronounced "crick" naturally), watching my uncle hook the cows up to be milked.
I felt one step closer to Laura Ingalls Wilder. Especially the time Grandpa let me drive the tractor.
My family wasn't always there to bring in the crop or help with preparations but sometimes we were. There was the day to make sausage, which to this day, is my favorite sausage to eat. Nothing even comes close! There were the days Grandma would can or prep the harvest in frozen bundles. We would enjoy the fruits of their labor throughout the rest of the year.
I can remember going through the corn field. Uncle Terry tossed cobs on to bed of the truck we were riding in. And then back to the kitchen to shuck and chop. I remember watching Grandma with her knife, cleanly knocking the corn off the cob into a bowl. We'd surely eat some for dinner that night. The rest would be stowed in one of her two deep freezers in the basement.
I can also remember that certain ears of corn brought critters with them. I was horrified to find a fat worm in the ear I was shucking. What was it doing there? Were there other worms feasting on our corn? What if I'd been eating the corn and accidentally ate the worm?
Ever since, every time I shuck an ear of corn, I worry I'll find another worm feasting on the kernels. It hasn't happened since, I'm happy to say. But even if it did, it wouldn't stop me from the summer tradition of eating corn on the cob.
The recipe below was in a Cooking Club magazine I used to subscribe to. When I read that it required corn from an actual cob, I knew it would be the perfect summer meal.
Creamy Penne with Corn and Bacon
8 oz. penne pasta
8 oz. bacon, coarsely chopped
2 1/4 cups corn kernels (about 2 to 3 ears of corn)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. packed chopped fresh basil, divided
1/2 t. pepper
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Return penne to pot.
2. Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until almost crispy. Remove and discard excess drippings. Add corn; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook and stir 30 seconds or until fragrant.
3. Stir ricotta and 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water into penne; cook over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes or until hot. Stir in bacon mixture, Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup of the basil (I added more because I have a basil obsession) and pepper. Add additional pasta water if pasta seems dry. Sprinkle with remaining basil.
What is your favorite summer meal? Or what's your favorite summer vegetable?