Eating Locally in the Grand Valley: Sweet Corn Recipes | Rocky Mountain Health Plans Blog

By RMHP

3 Olathe Sweet Corn Recipes the Whole Family Will Love

When it comes to sweet corn from Colorado, Olathe has the crops that make your mouth water. This delicious veggie thrives in Olathe, a small town in Montrose County, that many consider to be the Hub of the Uncompahgre Valley. Olathe hosts an annual sweet corn festival with live music, corn on the cob eating contests, and more to celebrate the town’s fantastic vegetable.

During the summer months, you can find sweet corn readily available at local farmer’s markets. While we all love the classic corn on the cob, consider surprising your taste buds with one of these unique and mouth-watering sweet corn recipes.

 

 Chilled Corn Bisque

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 medium shallot, diced
• 8 ears corn, for approximately 1.5 quarts of kernels
• 1 heirloom tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry vermouth
• 1/4 cup Calvados
• 1 cup fumet (or 2 cups water)
• 1 cup corn stock (or 2 cups water)
• 1 sprig lemon verbena
• 1 sprig lemon balm
• 2 sprigs basil
• Cheesecloth (learn how to make a bag of herbs and spices that’s perfect for soups here.)

 

Directions:

Using a large saucepan, melt the butter on low. Add garlic and shallots then sauté until soft, which should take approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Add one quart of corn kernels to the pan and sauté for another 2-4 minutes, then repeat with the chopped tomato.

Add vermouth and Calvados, reduce for one minute, then add the fumet and corn stock (alternatively, use 4 cups of water.)

Make an herb sachet for the lemon verbena and lemon balm, but save the basil. Add the sachet to the bisque and simmer for one hour. Next, blend or emulsify the bisque and strain it through a fine mesh sieve. Chill over ice, garnish with basil, serve, and enjoy.

 

 

Crab Croquettes and Creamed Corn

 

Ingredients:

• 8 large ears sweet corn
• 1 cup half and half – separated
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
• White pepper and sea salt to taste
• 4 prepared crab cakes (or make your own using a favorite recipe)
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• Butter, olive oil, or a combination (for sautéing)
• ½ bunch green onions, minced
• 1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped

 

Directions:

Cut kernels from the cob, then use the back of a knife to extract the “milk” by scraping each cob. Divide the kernels into two batches. Puree 2 cups of corn with ½ cup half and half.

Melt butter in a sauté pan, then add your pureed corn, remaining corn kernels, cream, the remaining half and half, cayenne, and salt to taste. Simmer until the soup is nice and thick.

For the crab cakes, make sure you’re working with small patties (this may require reshaping.) Roll them in panko crumbs and sauté in olive oil and/or butter until lightly browned. Serve the creamed corn in a flat bowl with a crab croquette on top and garnish with chopped green onion and tomatoes.

 

Cooler Corn

This trick is so simple, and perfect if you’re cooking for a big crowd. Here’s how it works:

• Clean and sanitize an insulated cooler.
• Fill it with shucked ears of sweet corn.
• Cover the corn with boiling water, close the lid, and let it cook for 30 minutes.

That’s it! The corn should stay warm for more than an hour, and transportation couldn’t be easier.