Summer’S Sweet Signal

Nothing defines summer quite like the moment when teeth gnash into that first fresh ear of corn on the cob.

While most other fruits and vegetables have become available in supermarkets on a year-round basis, the very best local corn remains the sweetest sign that our warm-weather season is in full bloom.

Of course, the Midwest is famous corn country, with its wicked heat and humidity providing prime growing conditions. But in our part of the world, the area around Yakima and Moses Lake is home to Washington’s biggest producers of sweet corn.

Though not a significant amount is planted in the Inland Northwest, there is one grower in the Valley who has earned a reputation for outstanding ears.

Marv Carver has been growing corn near the Idaho state line for more than 20 years. This year, he said his 22 acres of sweet corn at Carver Farms is “looking super.”

Carver typically plants his Illini Sweets and other varieties starting in May and continuing into early June so the harvest is staggered over several weeks.

The introduction of hybridized varieties such as the Illini Sweet more than a dozen years ago revolutionized the sweet corn-growing business, giving ears a longer shelf life.

“It used to be that with some old heirloom varieties you’d want to have the pot of water boiling while you picked it,” Carver said.

Now, by crossing two varieties, the sugar in the corn no longer immediately begins to turn to starch once it’s harvested.

“It actually gets sweeter in the first 48 hours after picking,” Carver said.

Long before it can mature, though, the plant must go through the crucial pollination stage. The tassels on the top of a stalk send out pollen, which is ideally deposited on the ear’s silk.

“If a plant doesn’t get enough pollen, it won’t develop properly,” Carver said.

Each strand of silk is attached to a spot where a kernel will grow. Miss hitting the silk with pollen and the kernels might be misshapen or might not form at all.

Home gardeners might even shake the stalk to help the process along, but commercial producers don’t have that luxury. So, they count on the wind to do the job.

Some 70 to 85 days after an early-maturing variety is planted, it’s ready to be harvested. But that depends on the weather.

Corn thrives in warm, dry weather. Carver also said the rocky soil in the Valley has given him a boost because it holds the heat overnight.

All that makes the plants awfully thirsty.

“You have to water often through the whole growing process,” Carver said.

When it comes time to pick, each stalk will yield only two ears: the primary and the secondary. And those precious kernel-filled cobs don’t deserve the treatment some of the customers at his U-Pick place give it.

To determine the best ears, “you should never strip away the husk,” Carver said.

The best method for picking prime ears is to note the color of the silk (it should be dark) and feeling the tip of the ear (it should feel full.)

“The husk keeps the moisture in, so you shouldn’t strip it away,” he said.

If the warm weather continues, there should be corn to pick at Carver Farms by the first week of August.

“We used to have huge corn feeds,” he said. “But this year, we’re going to be doing tastings of the different varieties on the weekends.”

The newer varieties also freeze well, Carver said.

“Some of our customers have told us they have great luck just taking some of the outer husk off and wrapping it in Saran Wrap and then freezing it,” Carver said. “That keeps in the moisture. Then, they reheat it for a minute or two in the microwave.”

Finally, we had to ask Spokane Valley’s corn king how he tackles his ears: typewriter style or working his way ‘round the cob?

“Oh, typewriter style, with lots of butter and salt and pepper,” he said. “And at least three ears at a time.”

In Betty Fussell’s excellent tribute to America’s favorite vegetable, “Crazy for Corn” (HarperCollins, 1995), she covers everything from appetizers to desserts. While most corn lovers are purists and go for straight kernels on the cob, the following takes it on an elegant turn, nicely contrasting textures of toothsome corn and smooth avocados.

Angel Hair Pasta With Avocado Corn Cream

2 to 3 cups chicken stock, boiling

2 ears fresh sweet corn

1 ripe avocado

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1 teaspoon lemon juice

4 tomatillos, parboiled

1 jalapeno chili, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound angel hair pasta, cooked al dente

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Put all ingredients except the pasta and cheese into a blender or food processor, beginning with 2 cups chicken stock and adding more if needed. Pulse until a chunky, slightly creamy consistency. Taste for seasoning and pour the sauce into a pan and bring to a simmer. Pour sauce over cooked pasta and toss. Serve with the shredded Parmesan.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition per serving: 566 calories, 19 grams fat (30 percent fat calories), 22 grams protein, 84 grams carbohydrate, 10 milligrams cholesterol, 7 grams dietary fiber, 1,273 milligrams sodium.