Garden Variety

Garden

Beat the Heat with Malabar Spinach

BY LARRY ALLEN

N.C. Cooperative Extension Service

Master Gardener Volunteer Gardening in the South certainly presents its challenges in the summer months. High temperatures and humidity are great for tomatoes and okra, but what is one to do if a salad is on the menu? Lettuce and spinach are cool weather favorites, but they have wilted or bolted by late May.

If a fresh, green, cool salad is what you want to beat the summer heat, one of the greens you may choose to grow is Malabar spinach. This highly nutritious native of the Indian subcontinent is now grown across tropical Asia and Africa. Thus, it can take the Southern heat and thrive throughout the summer months. In fact, mid-May or even early June is the time to plant it, as seedlings will not thrive until nighttime temperatures average 65 degrees.

While it is not a true spinach, the leaves closely resemble spinach and can be used in the same ways. When cooked it tastes much like spinach, but eaten raw is a revelation of flavors from citrus to pepper, making it a wonderful addition to other greens in a salad.

Unlike true spinach, Malabar is a vine; in its native tropics it is a perennial, but here should be grown as an annual. Malabar is a member of the Basellaceae family. Two available seed varieties are Basella alba, the green leaf choice, and its red-stem cousin, Basella rubra. Both varieties mature in 60 days. The vines are prolific and make a striking statement in the vegetable garden.

• Seeds may be sown directly into the soil here in the Sandhills. • This hardy choice will grow in a variety of conditions but thrives in soil with a pH of 6.5 to 6.8 and plenty of organic matter. • Being tropical in origin, it needs moist soil; it does best in full sun but will tolerate partial shade. • Its vining habit means that it requires a trellis, perhaps the one used for snow peas in the spring, or one in a large pot on a sunny patio. Expect the vines to reach lengths up to 12 feet.

SP

/NCMGMooreCnty

Sweet Corn

By ROBERT NASON

Corn has been domestically cultivated for more than 10,000 years. Farmers in what is now Mexico planted a small wild grass called teosinte that produced a small amount of kernels. Over the centuries, farmers began selectively breeding the teosinte kernels to make them grow larger and sweeter. According to scientists, modern-day corn is about 1,000 times larger than its original teosinte ancestor.

The cultivation of corn spread through North America with indigenous tribes. Sweet corn occurred through a natural recessive mutation in the corn’s genes that prevented the vegetable’s sugar from converting to starch. This is the variation introduced to Europeans by the Native Americans.

Corn is the No. 1 crop grown in the U.S., with an annual yield of more than 15 million bushels and is the third largest plant-based food source in the world. The states Iowa and Illinois are the largest growers of corn in the U.S. > Nearly 39 percent of corn grown each year goes to feeding livestock. > There are about 800 kernels on each ear of corn. And each ear will always have an even number of rows. > Native Americans used the sweet corn leaves as chewing gum. > Yellow and white corn offer the same amount of sweetness. Yellow corn, however, is a bit healthier because it carries beta carotene which our bodies then covert to vitamin A. > Corn on a cob is a vegetable. The corn kernel is a grain. Most of the world designates corn a grain, but in the U.S. we categorize it as a vegetable. > Corn stalks can grow up to 10 feet tall. The tallest sweet corn stalk on record was grown in Allegany, New York, in 2011, reaching 35 feet, 2 inches in height. > Sweet corn is one of six major types of corn. The other types are dent corn, flint corn, pod corn, popcorn and flour corn.

At the Table

At the Table

Classic Corn on the Cob

allrecipes.com Serves 6 Ingredients

2 tablespoons white sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 6 ears corn on the cob, husks and silk removed

Directions

1. Fill a large pot about 3/4 full of water and bring to a boil. Stir in sugar and lemon juice, dissolving the sugar. 2. Gently place ears of corn into boiling water, cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let the corn cook in the hot water until tender, about 10 minutes.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

delish.com Serves 4–6 Ingredients

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup frozen corn, thawed 1 avocado, diced 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and finely chopped 1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes 1/4 medium red onion, diced 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro Juice of 1 lime 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/2 tbsp. honey 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine beans, corn, avocado, jalapeño, tomatoes, onion, and cilantro. 2. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, oil, honey, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Pour dressing over salad mixture and toss to combine. Add cotija and toss again. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.

Mexican Street Corn (Off the Cob)

food52.com Serves 4–6 Summer Corn Soup with Fresh Herbs

onceuponachef.com Serves 4

Ingredients

2 pounds frozen corn kernels (or fresh if corn is in season) 3/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder Kosher salt Fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler. Defrost the corn and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, stirring once halfway through, for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. 2. In a large bowl, mix the cheese, cilantro, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, and ancho chili powder; season with salt and pepper.

Add the roasted corn to the cheese mixture and stir to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Mustardy Grilled Corn and Sausage Kabobs

midwestliving.com Serves 4

Ingredients

2 large ears sweet corn, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 8) 1 large green sweet pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces 1 (14 ounce) package kielbasa, cut into 12 pieces ⅓ cup bottled Italian salad dressing 1 tablespoon mustard

Directions

1. Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Thread corn, kielbasa and sweet peppers on 4 long metal skewers. 2. In a small bowl, whisk together Italian dressing and mustard; brush some of the mixture on the kabobs before grilling. 3. Grill, covered, directly over medium- to mediumhigh heat for 8 to 12 minutes, turning and brushing occasionally with remaining dressing mixture, until vegetables are tender and charred.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 heaping cup chopped shallots 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, best quality 6 ears fresh corn (white or yellow are both fine, but yellow makes for a prettier soup) 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil, for garnish 1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, for garnish

Directions

1. Remove the husks and silks from the corn. Set one ear of corn aside. Use a knife to cut the kernels off of the remaining 5 cobs, then break the scraped cobs in half. Set aside. 2. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, 8-10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, corn kernels, broken cobs, whole ear of corn, salt and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove the whole ear of corn and set aside to cool. Cook the soup for 10 minutes more, then remove the broken cobs from the pot and discard. 3. Off the heat, use a hand held immersion blender to purée the soup until very smooth. It will take a few minutes. (Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly and purée it in batches in a blender. Be sure to crack the lid or remove the center cap to allow steam to escape and cover with a dishtowel so it won’t splatter.) Place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl and pass the soup through, using a back of a ladle to push the soup through in circular motions. Discard the fibers and bits of kernels in the sieve. Return the strained soup to a clean pot.

It should have a creamy consistency. If it’s too thick, thin it with water or chicken stock; if it’s too thin, cook over medium heat until thickened. 4. Use a knife to cut the cooked kernels off of the cooled whole cob, then add the kernels to the soup along with the herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper (if necessary, you can add a bit of sugar to bring out the corn’s natural sweetness). Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with tiny sprigs of fresh basil and thyme, if desired. Serve hot or cold. SP