"corn" news and stories

Sloppy Joe. Photo: gezellig-girl.com, Flickr

• Aww... Sloppy Joe loses its spotlight to a cousin -- the salsa-infused Sloppy Jose.
• Avocados can be whipped into more than just guacamole -- try some Avocado Fries.
• Peppers are hitting farm stands, including the tiny and tasty Yum Yum peppers.
• Mushroom lovers rejoice -- it's National Mushroom Month. Get your 'shroom on with Mini Quiche Caps.
• Houston writer Greg Morago says, "Don't be sheepish about eating lamb."
• Meijer makes Moose Tracks mint-flavored.
• Picking out the right ears and dishing up Corn-Corn Muffins.
• Good Stuff finds a green-onion recall, food events and funky dishes.

Sweet corn custard. Photo: High/Low Food/Drink.

First, we were reminiscing over cartons of fresh-picked berries. Now we're swooning over seasonal sweet corn custard. That a typically savory grain could be made into such a sweet-sounding dessert is not unusual. (After all, who hasn't -- knowingly or not -- indulged in a little high-fructose corn syrup?) But the fact that it was whipped into such a smooth, butter-colored custard is a rare treat, indeed.

This multiscoop serving was captured by Andrea from High/Low Food/Drink after a late-night run to pick up a pint from restaurateur Danny Meyer's iconic New York Shake Shack. Though Andrea admits the yellow kernels were added at home "for artistic effect" only, they pop beautifully against the blue bowl, making the sweets look all the sweeter.

[Via High/Low Food/Drink]

Kid-friendly panda bento box. Photo: luckysundae, Flickr

• How to pack nutrition and flavor into kids' school lunches and home meals.
• Cookie jars might be cute but they don't keep cookies fresh, so slip a zipper-lock bag inside.
• Corn fiends who hate the cob can pick up a "Corn Zipper," which works just like a veggie peeler.
• Wine deets: Messina Hoff's 2006 Gewürztraminer is a top 10 BBQ wine, Texan wines get play at the DrinkLocalWine.com event, and wine courses and tastings will be held at the Texas Sommelier Conference.
  
• If you find it hard to figure out how much a sauce has reduced, a clean metal ruler can come in handy.
• Max's Wine Dive's best-selling Kobe Beef Burger has been named one of the 50 best burgers in Texas.
• Spiffy products: Leigh Oliver's White-Hot Queso, Reese's Dark, Organic Batter Blaster, 100-calorie-portion sandwich crackers, and Tyson's Pork Loin.

Photo: Caitlinator, Flickr

• Farmer's market etiquette dictates not shucking that ear of corn to hunt for imperfections: Pulling off the husk quickens the loss of sweetness, and is, in one writer's opinion, rude to farmers.
  
• Adding herbs to cocktails can perk up everything from whiskey to margaritas.
• Forget lemonade stands: Two tykes make ice-cream treats to sell to neighborhood friends.
• A taste test of low-fat cottage cheese.
  
• Good Stuff discovers tasty tortillas, a celebration for Olga's Kitchen, how to loosen caps with nutcrackers, and some delicious Fair Trade chocolate, vis-à-vis the Equal Exchange Chocolate Bar.
• Recipes: Lavender Cookies, More-Vegetable-Less-Egg Frittata, Whole-Grain Rotini with No-Cook Tomato Sauce.

Corn relish. Photo: bookgrl/ Flickr.

As summer kicks into high gear, roadside stands and greenmarkets are bustling with fresh produce.

Fresh herbs, cut just that morning, perfume the air: sultry thyme, sprightly parsley and rosemary for remembrance. Sweet onions tumble out of bushel baskets and into burlap bags. Piles of peppers fight for your attention in red, green, orange, yellow and even black. And who can resist fresh ears of satiny corn?

As you lug all of your fresh produce home, don't worry -- as always, we've got your back. Beyond the jump is an original recipe to use that corn, those peppers and those onions to make a quick, fresh corn relish.

This relish has a Southwestern twang, but it can accompany virtually anything coming off of your grill for Fourth of July barbecues, from juicy burgers and seared steaks to perfectly smoked chicken. And if the summer corn is too irresistible to resist buying a bushel, you can double the recipe and send some home with your guests.