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09/10/2020 12:01 AMBy the time you read this, Labor Day will be a memory—a fond one, I hope. School may be in session for some of us. More of us, I hope, may be back to work.
We will still be using our masks, that I know. I carry mine in my pocketbook and in my car. Twice I have forgotten, and had to head back outside to mask up. I forgot at my farmers market, noticed someone touching her own mask, and immediately donned mine.
It’s starting to feel like autumn on some days, even though others are still pretty hot. My cat is beginning to shed. Is my cat the only one that sheds in the fall and spring? My geraniums are dying, although my neighbor’s look better. What’s with that? I bought them both, and at the same time. My Rose of Sharon is blooming for the first time in 2020. It’s time to get some mums.
My air conditioning has been on since June, but I am thinking of turning it off soon and opening windows. I truly dislike humidity and I know weather in September can be sticky, so I probably will not.
Anyway, I love cooking and baking all the time, so the air conditioning will probably stay on for another few weeks. Yesterday I wanted pasta with vodka sauce and Italian sausage so the stove was on high for a few hours. At the same time I boiled another pot of water for peaches, then dumped them in cold water and skinned them. Friends and I ate pasta for dinner and those amazing peaches were silky and juicy.
Soon local tomatoes and sweet corn will be nothing but a memory. So peaches will, too. But my local farmstand still has sweet corn and tomatoes and this corn soup is delicious. I bought miso for the first time. Real Simple says it is fermented, which is good for gut health and aids digestion. As important, they say it is a flavor bomb.
Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.
Summery Corn Soup
From Real Simple magazine, August 2020
Yield: Serves 4
8 ears fresh sweet corn
2 tablespoons oil, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped (1 ¼ cups)
3 scallions, white and light green parts, finely chopped
(about ½ cups), dark green parts sliced and reserved for serving
1 ¼ teaspoons kosher (or sea) salt, divided
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup dry white wine
3 sprigs thyme
1 dried bay leaf
¼ cup white or yellow miso
Sliced radishes for serving (optional)
Cut corn kernels from cobs. Reserve cobs and set kernels aside (you should have about 4 cups).
Heat oil and butter in a large pot on medium. Add leeks, finely chopped scallions, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook stirring often, until softened, 2 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in wine and cook for 1 minute. Add cobs, thyme, bay leaf and 6 cups water; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce heat to medium; simmer for 20 minutes to let flavors meld.
Remove cobs, thyme, and bay leaf from pot, and discard. Add corn kernels and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium stirring occasionally until corn turns bright yellow and is just tender, 5 to 6 minutes.
Ladle 2 cups corn mixture into a blender and add miso. Secure lid on blender, removing center piece to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over opening. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Return mixture to pot and stir to combine.
Serve soup in bowls topped with sliced scallions and radishes. Drizzle with oil.