I’m a Long Island Girl at heart, the first word I learned to read was ‘Corn’ while driving around on the east end with my parents. I guess you could say it’s my way of being a part of the Slow Food Movement. Corn has always been a part of my life be it at summer BBQs, at beach days, at fall fairs and more. With a few extra ears of corn, and a can of creamed corn the other day, I decided to go on a corny adventure at the end of the summer season.

After a bonfire we had 3 ears of corn left over. Not knowing what to do with it I looked up some recipes by googling ‘left over corn’.

I found this site, which was very creative and offered several ideas. I couldn’t make up my mind between making: Corn Fritters, Corn Salsa or Corn Chowder so I asked facebook via one of those polling questions. The decision was Corn Fritters. Unfortunately I cannot find the recipe that I modified so I cannot share it here. The outcome though was quite delicious, simply refreshing and sweet with a hint of spice (I used Paprika and red pepper powder). Here are a few recipes to take a look at if you want to get an idea of your own: http://glutenfreewithauntjayne.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/gluten-free-corn-fritters/
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/corn-fritters-recipe/index.html
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/1975-05-01/Buttermilk-Corn-Fritters-Recipe.aspx

Recommendation: Mike and I felt they were a bit dry, despite being delicious, so we suggest having them with a side dip (maybe a salsa). You could even make spicy Corn Salsa to go with it!

We’ve had a packet for Sweet Corn Cakes for some time now and just haven’t gotten around to using it. Chi Chi’s is a brand that makes salsas, dips, Seasonings/Mixes, tortillas and microwave meals. Being an offshoot of the Hormel brand, they are very conscious of their allergens and make every effort to provide information to their customers. For example, Hormel has this list of gluten free products that exist under all of their lines.

This mix was simple to make, see the back label in the photo to the left with instructions, and took little time to cook. The final product was similar to corn bread, although denser and less able to maintain it’s shape. It also lasted for some time and made a ‘healthy’ side with out dinners for a week. It went great with Salsa Con Queso!

So, there you have it. It was a very corny end to the summer season! I am trying to hold onto it as long as I can and will be eating summer produce until it’s no longer good!