The Bearer of Bad News - And a really Yummy Recipe for Roasted Corn on the Cob

I bought Chrysanthemums.  Yellow ones.  Some of my flowerbeds are showing the stress of a hot and dry summer, and I thought Chrysanthemums would be just the thing to spruce them up with a bright show of colour.

I turned the A/C off.  The heat wave has finally ended.  I was able to open wide the windows and let the fresh breeze waft through the house.  It was glorious.

I wore a cardigan.  When I left the house for work one morning, I was surprised to find it a little chilly.  Not cold – just a slight chill in the air that I knew would disappear as the sun rose higher in the sky.

I went to a local farm market and delighted in the local harvest.  There was sweet corn, peaches, musk melons, and tomatoes, all freshly picked and ripe for eating.


A leaf landed on my head.   As I was out walking, a tiny yellow leaf floated down from a walnut tree and landed in my hair.


And then it dawned on me.  I mean, even I can read the signs when they hit me on the head - summer is winding down.   Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it's true.  Granted, that little yellow leaf was something of an over-achiever and it will be several more weeks before the trees are flush with fall colours, but the signs are all there - this glorious, long, lazy summer is indeed winding down!


Being a glass-half-full kind of gal, I decided to make the most of it with an old-fashioned corn roast.  I invited some friends over, planned a traditional menu of macaroni salad, baked beans, peach cobbler, and beer, and lit a bonfire in the backyard to cook the corn over.


It was perfect - except I'd never cooked corn over coals before.   But it's easy.  Trust me.  Here's the instructions:



1.  Pull back the husks, leaving them attached at the base.
2.  Remove the corn silk and pull the husks back into place.  Soak the corn in water for an hour or so.
3.  Light a fire.
4.  Once the flames have subsided and you have nice red coals, place the cobs directly on the coals and roast for 20 minutes, turning every now and then.
5.  Remove the cobs from the fire and tear off the husks.  Serve with butter.



But I ran into a small problem.  My Googled instructions made no mention of using only hardwood for your fire.  When my fire of pine carpentry ends burnt down to a bed of nice red coals, I went into the house to fetch the cobs.  But I returned just mere minutes later to find my bed of red coals had disintegrated into lukewarm ashes!  Within minutes!  You NEED to use REAL firewood.  Oh well...live and learn...

Not having a stash of ready hardwood, I cheated and used charcoal.  Supper was a little later than planned, having to re-light a fire, but it was worth it.  Roasting the cobs caramelizes the sugars in the corn, making it the sweetest corn you will EVER taste, and cooking it over coals gives it a delicious smoky flavour.   I swear, everyone who enjoys corn-on-the-cob needs to try cooking it this way!  Not only is it mouth-watering yummy, but it's also a great way to enjoy the end of the summer season.


Give it a try, and let me know what you think!