Native American Herbal, Plant Knowledge

the grill. Turn it a couple times. Usually about 7 - 10 minutes it's done, but this varies with

the type of corn (and freshness). Husks should blacken slightly at their edges, but not turn

brown. Push done ears off direct heat. When serving: pull off husks (into garbage!) and dip

ear into melted butter. Wrap paper towel around stem and hand to customer. Have several

sprinkle-cans of salt on counter. Don't do this if you can't get long-stemmed fresh corn; it

just doesn't work.

EMAIL from a corn-on-cob expert: Yes it does work! We can only order loads of it from a

farmer, not control its cut. Make sure your grill is very hot, so it roasts, not steams, the

corn. Don't strip off the husks, to get the silk, they come off very easy when hot. Grill the

corn about 7 minutes, so the edges of the husk blacken, then holding it with a dish towel,

strip off the husks and silk and dip in butter. If worried about them seeing worms, turn your

back to them.

Oven roasted in husks: You can roast it anywhere from 9 to 45 minutes, a lot depends on

the variety. The more sugar in the corn, the less roasting time. 45 minutes at 400 degrees

turns the husks all brown and dry, just beginning to burn the edges. You might strip the

husks, then grill it under the broiler till it turns reddish brown, this is really roasted corn for

traditional recipes. It's not dried out. The kernels scrape off the cob really easily.

Microwaving corn in the husk: Again, it depends on the variety, how much sugar is in it.

Also microwaves are different. Usually 7 minutes on high is about right, then strip off the

husks, using a dishtowel to protect from the heat. The silk will come off easily, too.

Here's a recipe for "brown corn". Bake 6 ears in husks at 400 for 15 minutes. Fry a cup of

sliced mushrooms with 3 cloves garlic chopped fine in olive oil.. Then shuck the cooled-off

corn and brush it with olive oil. Broil it, turning a couple times about 10 minutes till it turns

light brown, then cut off the kernels. Mix corn, mushrooms, and 3 tablespoons olive oil with

2 TBS chopped cilantro, 1 tsp marjoram, and some mild chile in adobo sauce chopped fine

with sauce from the can -- not more than a couple tablespoons. How much sauce how much

chile -- how hot do you like it? Squeeze in juice from 1/2 lime. Stir it all up. tossing to coat it

all evenly like a salad.. Add about 1/2 tsp salt (taste). Serve either hot or at room

temperature (room temperature: let sit for a couple hours is better) as a relish with chicken

or meat.

-- From A. Nonny Moose (by request) from WI

PosoleStew--This recipe (on Indian Health Service page) uses a southwstern form of

hominy, and it's also for outdoor grilling of the meat. You an use canned hominy or perhaps

you can find dried whole hominy at a health-food store; if you use canned, naturally don't

cook it before you add it to the final stew phase, and only put it in for the last 40 minutes.

Dried hominy will cook up to a volume of 3 times, so 1.5 lbs dry would equal an addition of

at least 2-3 quarts canned (this is whole hominy, not grits). Also, the meat can be roasted in

an oven, and the peppers carred under the broiler or in a very hot oven in a paper bag. This

recipe resides on the Indian Health Service server, which gives promise of more, I'll keep

checking back.

Simpler Posole, Navajo -- serves 4-6

2 cups blue dried posole (dried whole hominy)

1/2 cup mild fresh green chiles, roasted, peeled

Native Foods -- Recipes--Corn

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