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It’s about corn and cukes today, folks. I think corn is an essential part of summer eating. As a youngster, I can remember eating just corn for supper. We weren’t concerned about carbohydrates back then (not to say we shouldn’t have been). When the corn was ready to pick there was no question as to which veggie to fix for supper.

And just how do you eat a cob of corn? Do you go around the corn or do you eat two or three rows at a time from one end to the other? I do the latter but no matter how you eat it, it’s probably my favorite summer veggie, but it has to be fresh picked.

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Let’s start with . . .

CORN SAUTE

3 c. fresh cut corn kernels (about 6 ears) or you can use frozen corn, thawed

4 green onions, with tops, sliced 1/4-inch

2 T. olive oil

1/2 c. evaporated skim milk

1 t. sugar

1 T. snipped fresh basil or 1/2 t. dried basil leaves

1 t. snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 t. dried leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Saute corn in oil until tender, about 4 minutes; stir in milk and sugar. Cook, covered over medium heat 1 minute. Increase heat to high and boil 10 minutes stirring or until liquid has evaporated. Add rest of ingredients, mixing well. Makes four cups.

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I love corn pudding, or as some call it, scalloped corn. This is a little different from the standard corn pudding and it is very good.

BAKED SWISS CORN

1-17 oz. can whole kernel corn (or use 2 c. frozen corn, thawed)

1/2 c. evaporated milk

2 eggs, beaten

2 T. diced onion

pepper to taste

1 c. shredded Swiss cheese, divided

1 c. soft bread crumbs

3 T. margarine, melted

Drain canned corn and mix with next four ingredients and 1/2 c. of cheese. Put in a 1-1/2 qt. ungreased casserole.

Combine crumbs; margarine and rest of cheese. Sprinkle over corn.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Serves 4-6.

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Let’s get to cukes now. Have you ever taken a bite out of a cuke only to find the taste to be bitter? I have. As a kid we would pick a cuke, peel it and eat it, sprinkling salt on it as we munched away. Now and then we’d get a bitter one and yuk! This is why there are bitter cukes––it is the chemical cucurbitacin (got that?) that gives cukes a bitter flavor, but cukes are not naturally bitter to begin with. Stress in the form of irregular or not enough watering encourages cucurbitacin production.

What about burpless cukes? Can you eat them without burping as they suggest? The answer is yes, in most people.

But then there’s the question, do regular cukes make you burp? I find they do but I don’t get the burps when I eat the burpless variety. So, I grow the regular short cukes for pickling and the 12-inch burpless for eating.

Let’s get to cuke recipes with this shrimp/scallop salad that has just 10 grams of carbs, 35 mg cholesterol, 1 gram of fat and 73 calories per serving.

SEAFOOD CUCUMBER SALAD

1 T. sugar

1 T. cornstarch

1/2 t. salt

1 c. rice vinegar (can use cider vinegar)

2 T. water

2 large slender, unpeeled cukes (with small seeds), sliced very thin (this would be burpless)

1 c. diagonally sliced celery

1/4 lb. cooked, small shrimp

1/4 lb. cooked, small scallops

1 T. toasted sesame seeds

Mix first three ingredients in small saucepan; stir in vinegar and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, till mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Cool completely.

In large bowl, combine this mixture with next five ingredients, refrigerate 2-3 hours or overnight. Stir before serving. Serves 6.

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This is a great summertime pasta/cuke salad.

CUCUMBER-DILL PASTA SALAD

3 c. cooked small pasta (shells, pasta nuggets, ready-cut spaghetti)

1/2 c. thinly sliced carrots

1/2 c. thinly sliced celery

1 c. broccoli florets, par-boiled 3-4 minutes, drained

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1/4 c. diced onion

1/2 to 3/4 c. bottled cucumber salad dressing (Ranch might be used.)

1 t. fresh dill weed

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; chill until serving time or 2-3 hours. Serves 4-6.

To this a full meal salad, add 1 c. diced ham and 1/4 c. diced cheese of your choice.

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I’ve used this recipe for years, which I got from a co-worker when I worked in a local restaurant. They are excellent!

JUDY’S CUKES IN CREAM

2 cukes, 6-8 inches long, peeled and sliced paper thin

2 c. cold water mixed with 1 t. salt

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 c. diced bacon, fried crisp, drained

1-1/2 c. sour cream

1/4 c. vinegar (I use white.)

In a large bowl, cover cukes with salt and water mixture; let stand for 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

Combine cukes, bacon, sour cream, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate two hours to blend flavors. Serves 6.

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Thought for the day: Laugh a lot––love a lot. Skies are always blue. Every cloud has silver linings, but it’s up to you!

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