Beth Bales: City Offers Tasty Corn Recipe

In issuing paychecks, the city of Geneva frequently adds something extra to the envelope.

No, it’s not money. (As an employee's spouse, I think that would be great! As a taxpayer, not so much.) 

Sometimes it’s a notice about a change in the paychecks themselves, such as new insurance rates or the start of a new fiscal year. It could be notification about an upcoming city event. 

It could even be a recipe.

The special notice in the July 15 paychecks noted the imminent arrival of sweet corn. “Corn Season is Almost Here!” the small piece of paper noted. 

And with that wonderful news was a recipe for “Crusty Skillet Corn,” perfect for those delicious ears of sweet corn now tempting taste buds all over this part of the state. 

Fresh, Illinois-grown sweet corn is out there. It’s available at the Geneva Green Market, open on Thursdays on North River Lane, at the Sunday Geneva , across from the train station. I purchased some Friday in St. Charles, at the Baker Memorial United Methodist Church’s Farmers’ Market (I work at Baker in the afternoons, so that was a natural–plus we got to eat the stuff Saturday!), and at Batavia’s Farmers’ Market on Saturdays. I haven’t been out to Windy Acres on Fabyan Parkway yet this summer, but I’m sure delicious corn is available there, as well. And of course, there are always the supermarkets, though it seems blasphemy to mention “sweet corn” and “supermarkets” in the same sentence, come this time of year.  

Always a sucker for a new recipe, we’ve had Crusty Skillet Corn twice already. The first time I made only half a batch (sweet corn wasn’t available in markets yet!), which made for too skinny a batch. And, it’s possibly not the best recipe for a 90-plus degree day, which was the temperature that particular day. 

But still, it’s definitely worth a try. I bought lots of corn Friday, and we enjoyed it again this weekend: this time, a full batch, plenty deep, plenty sweet. Sadly, it does still heat up the kitchen ...

Want to try it? Here’s the recipe:

Crusty Skillet Corn

4 servings

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 8 medium ears of corn (kernels cut and scraped from the cob)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup flour

1. Heat an 8-inch cast iron skillet in oven (425 degrees) for about 20 minutes
2. Remove corn from the cob and place in a large bowl. Add the salt and flour to form a thick batter-like mass. All of the flour should be moist. If the corn is not fresh, you may need to add a few sprinkles of water.
3. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and pour the oil into the skillet, rotating the skillet so the oil covers the entire surface.
4. Quickly scrape the corn mixture into the hot skillet. Press the batter into place with a spoon; do not stir.
5. Bake until a nice crust forms on the top and it starts to brown, about 20 minutes depending on the sweetness of the corn. (NOTE: I baked it at least five minutes longer.) 
6. Remove and invert onto a serving plate. If the corn is not brown, return it to the hot oven for a few more minutes.
7. Cut into four wedges. As the corn will be rather crumbly, use a spatula to serve. 

City of Geneva, our taste buds thank you.