Photo from Sustainable Seed Company. Click to go to their website, check out the wisdom around growing and eating heritage seed corn.
It is corn season! Happy memories surround the late summer corn harvest: Mom coming home from the William's Family farm stand in Winthrop with an arm load of corn. We would put a ton of butter on a slice of bread and roll the hot corn cob over the bread, passing the bread around the table for everyone to use. After 5 people buttered their corn, the bread was warm with melted butter. The dilemma... who gets the amazing slice of butter bread?!
The Nutritional Benefits of Corn:
- Loaded with nutrients, anti-oxidants, and phyto-nutrients. Each variety of corn has its own amazing profile of nutrients.
- High fiber: good for digestion and elimination.
- High fiber and nutrient content creates a slow release of carbohydrates into the blood stream. This prevents blood sugar highs and lows.
This is a brief overview. There is so much information on the web about corn, its benefits, organic vs. conventionally grown, the GMO-ing of corn seed. Read up, interesting stuff what we humans do to the food supply....
Key to Buying Healthy Corn:
- Buy organic and avoid the pesticide laden corns grown by agri-business. Corn is not on the dirty dozen list but if corn is not organic, it is most likely GMO: meaning the pesticides have been genetically modified right into your corn for you. Ain't that just sweet!?
- So buy non-GMO corn as well.
- Know your farmers, ask them questions: what do you use for corn seed, is it GMO, what do you use for pesticides, etc. Ask questions because your health depends on it!
This recipe was whipped up by my older 'Sis. She brings it to family events and it gets devoured! Try it, it IS corn season!
Bean & Corn Salsa
1 can of each, drained and rinsed: Organic Black Eyed Peas & Black beans
2 ears of organically-grown, non-GMO, sweet corn (gently steamed before cutting off kernels)
1 medium, organic, bell pepper, finely diced – any colors, red, green, orange, yellow – if using 2 colors, use ½ pepper of each color. Be brave, use multiple colors!
½ large, organic, red onion, finely diced or 1 medium and use the whole thing!
SAUCE
2/3 cup organic, extra virgin, olive oil. (Can't I use my butter here? : ) Please!)
1 cup organic, RAW, apple cider vinegar
½ cup organic, sucanat (Sucanat is unrefined sugar, or you can use 1/4 cup local maple syrup or 1/4 cup local. raw honey. I would probably use less of any of these sweeteners.)
3 Tbsp. favorite organic hot sauce – increase hot sauce for more kick
Optional:
· add a Tbsp., or 2, of Dinosaur Spice Rub (Cajun Foreplay)
· mix it up, use more & different types of beans – try adding Kidney, Navy, Pinto, Aduki, and/ or Garbanzo
· adjust/increase the amount of sauce when adding more beans and making a bigger batch
Combine sauce ingredients and mix well. Add all beans and veggies and mix gently. Marinate at room temp, at least overnight. Do not refrigerate to marinate, as the olive oil will solidify in the cold temperature.
To keep salsa longer in refrigerator (if there’s any leftover), store salsa covered and drain most of sauce. This helps to keep the salsa longer and reduces calories from the oil.
Serve salsa with organic, non-GMO corn tortilla chips, or try on top of an organic, fresh green salad, or in a sandwich wrap (use a 100% whole grain wrap, Food For Life has an amazing sprouted grain wrap that I highly recommend!).
Eat and enjoy people! Enjoy the health benefits of real corn, real food!