Corn times 3!

It's been a busy few days--thanks to everyone who has stopped by.  This is certainly the best time of year for eating local...every meal here seems to be a 100 mile menu...or maybe even 100 meters with fresh corn, cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, peppers, salads made from all of the above, pickles we couldn't wait to sample, our own beef and on and on!

It's been a great few days for corn.  We have three delicious varieties on the table--a yellow, a white and a bi-colour.  We keep on taste-testing here but can't quite decide on our family favourite.  And how's this for a family confession---Peter's mother Bernadette always said you had to taste corn before you sold it to ensure it was up to the Doris standard.  In keeping with the tradition, Peter cooked corn for breakfast 3 times in the past few days as we sampled new varieties before offering them to you.  Now that is corn dedicated!

If you're thinking about a corn roast for Labour Day Weekend, give us a call and we'll have your order ready for pick-up.  And we can guarantee that we've tried it first!

Update for Wednesday

It's a bit of a grey day but we have exciting news from our corn table today.  It's the first time this summer that we've had 3 different types of corn available.  We have our favourite white, 2 kinds of bi-colour (the kind that looks like "peaches 'n cream--but isn't) and our first yellow of the season.

Feel free to drop by and for supper tonight, have your own "Corn Tasting" to see which you like the best!

And for something new, I have my first ever Three Corn-Zucchini Relish cooking away as a I type getting ready to be ladled into jars.  Sound good? 

If you have a favourite corn recipe, please share it via email or on under comments!

Corn Porn (or smut as we call it)

Today might be a good time for a confession....Peter is the head cornpicker at Dorisdalein case you didn't know.  He's the pro after all the years of practice--and I've been quite fine staying in the house with the kids on early mornings.  Liam and I did have to rush into the field last week one day (lucklily Liam knew exactly where to pick--he's been out with Dad picking).  Which leads me to huitlacoche....

My parents grew a little bit of corn in our garden growing up, usually next to the fields of grain corn.  I wasn't much of a gardener (and have the scars to prove it...but that's another story) and the one thing I absolutely hated was fungus growing on the corn which we called corn smut....especially when I unknowingly stuck my finger in it (YUCK).

Well my visit to Liam brought back those memories--we have a bumper crop of smut this year due to the hot, dry weather in July and the rains we've had in August!  Who knew we could have big money in "corn truffles" sitting right in our field.  I don't think we'll be trying any huitlacoche for supper at the Doris dinner table, but if you're interested, let us know!  (Note:  I'll refrain from taking pictures of our smut--check out this link to learn more)

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/corn-smut

A customer request....

We had a few people over the weekend asking about how best to freeze corn to enjoy over the winter.  Here's a couple of our favourite recipes.  Yes, believe it or not, we don't eat enough corn during July, August and September!

One option is to freeze Dorisdale corn using the 5 Steps for Blanching Vegetables.  Check out this easy to follow recipe card from the Peterborough County-City Health Unit or ask for your copy next time you pick up corn.  FYI- there's one recipe card for vegetables and another for fruit.

PDF of Freezing Vegetables and Fruit: Extend Your Local Growing Season.   It's EASY!
http://www.pcchu.ca/NP/NP-images/Freezing%20Fruit&Veggies.pdf

Flash version
http://www.pcchu.ca/NP/Presentation1/index.html


Another favourite is my Aunt Sara's Freezer Corn recipe.  It was given to her by a family who grew sweet corn in the Renfrew area.

Aunt Sara's Easy Freezer Corn

Ingredients:
10 cups corn kernels
2 tsp salt (or less)
6 tsp sugar
3 cups water

Directions:
With an electric knife, cut kernels from cobs of corn (remove the husk and silk first!!).  Hold at the top of the cob and watch your fingers!!

Measure raw corn kernels into large pot.  Add sugar, salt and water.  Bring to boil over high heat.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Portion into freezer bags (corn and liquid) and freeze. 

Maggie at the Hastings Farmers' Market

Maggie joined Carolyn to sell Dorisdale Corn at the Hastings Farmers' Market on Saturday.  Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello and try our corn.  Special thanks to Janet and Kevin for the use of their amazing table and umbrella--and their booth space!

Up to our ears in corn!

Hmmm-how many puns can we make about corn?  Let us know if you have a favourite we can use!

It's been a busy day at the corn table---everyone must be having corn for supper tonight!

We'll be around the farm all weekend so feel free to drop by for a dozen or 2!  We'll also be making a one-time appearance at the Hastings Farmers' Market on Saturday from 8am to noon.  Our friends, the Dawson-Cornish family of Indian River, are busy trying to improve the nutritional status of the crowds at the Havelock Jamboree so we'll be selling Dorisdale Sweet Corn at their stand tomorrow-for one day only!  (FYI--that's  my Registered Dietitian way of saying that Janet, Kevin and family will be selling their sweet corn along with a variety of other Ontario grown fruits and vegetables at the Jamboree)

What we're up to today

Along with both the white and bi-colour varieties of corn today, we have more fresh picked cucumbers and tomatoes available.  The cucumbers must love the heat and rain we've had this summer--they seem to grow overnight.

Liam loves pickles so we have two batches on the go today.  After tasting our first batch of Jennifer MacKenzie's Dilly Pickled Cucumber Chips from The Complete Book of Pickling (2009) http://www.fireflybooks.com/bookdetail&ean=9780778802167 we had to start another!  We love Jennifer's cookbooks and of course all of her Milk Calendar recipes over the years!

We're also trying a sweet pickle recipe so our kitchen counters are covered with cucumbers sitting in brine.  Crossing fingers they all taste delicious. 

Claire has been volunteering as a youth interpreter at Lang Pioneer Village just outside of Keene for the last 2 weeks.  Today is her last day and she's had an amazing time baking in a hearth, learning how to embroider, gardening and being a student at one-room school house all while dressed like a girl from pioneer times.  We had the chance to hear her "interpretation" about punishments at school yesterday.  Here's hoping she doesn't decide to use some of those tactics while babysitting her brother and sisters!

Ears to you!

We're officially in full corn mode today with 2 types of corn for you to sample.  The white corn variety is Edelwiess (see yesterdays post) and we also have a bi-colour called Charisma.  How about that for Doris charm!

If you're planning a corn roast, let us know and we'll be sure to have your order ready for easy pick-up.  The Doris kids love counting to 14!

The hills are alive with the sound of corn!

It's time for Edelweiss -our first white variety of the summer.  And according to the Doris kids, this new to us variety (our first time growing it) is  delicious!  (All 3 are on their third cob while I type this)  If sweet corn is one of your "Favourite Things" drop by the farm this week.

Peter is now picking in our second planting of the year and it's going much better.  We should have corn available daily now for the next couple of weeks. 

On another farming note, Claire and Maggie had a great start to their show season with their Simmental 4-H calves at the Peterborough Exhibition on Sunday.  Next up is the Peterborough County 4-H Achievement Day at the Norwood Fairgrounds on Monday, August 22.  Looks like the girls may be exhibiting some of their sweet corn for their Fieldcrops club too.

Another little hiatus

We're feeling the pressure--weed pressure.  As a result, we're sorry to say that we don't have any corn available this weekend. 

On a positive note though, it looks like we'll be up and running early next week with 2 types of corn--a white and a bi-colour as we move into our second planting .  It looks much better with fewer weeds for the corn to compete with--which makes for better corn (and a much happier farmers)!

Even without corn though there's been no rest for the Doris'.  The kids entered artwork, crafts, baking and vegetables at the Peterborough Exhibition and will be coming home with an array of prizes.   Liam even got a first place ribbon for his sweet corn--so I guess we can officially say our corn is award-winning (despite being the only entry in the class--but that's our little secret).  On Sunday, Claire and Maggie are taking their 4-H calves (big Simmental Yearlings) to the Ex for the beef show.  Hoping the calves stay on the halter! 

Hope to see you next week at the picnic table!

More Bi-colour!

It's another day for Navajo--one of our favourite bi-colour varieties of sweet corn. 

Did you know that although everyone talks about Peaches and Cream corn it's really a variety that's about 30 or 40 years old and not typically grown today?  But everyone still thinks of it when choosing corn with  a mixture of tender white and yellow kernels.

So don't be surprised if you ask for Peaches and Cream and we correct with you a name like Navajo, Trinity or Temptation-some of the  8 to 10 varieties we grow each year here at Dorisdale!

Liam and Ella hard at work in the garden.

Sweet Corn is here!

After a little summer hiatus, it looks like we're back in business today!  We have a new variety of bi-colour (popularly know as Peaches 'n Cream) on the table today.  Carolyn has also been doing a little garden picking so we have a few cucumbers, tomatoes and yellow beans.  Hope to see you at the farm!