Volume 3 Article 6 Number 11 The Iowa Homemaker vol.3, no.11

1923 Corn - Greatest Crop of Iowa Gertrude E. Murray Iowa State College

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Recommended Citation Murray, Gertrude E. (1923) "Corn - Greatest Crop of Iowa," The Iowa Homemaker: Vol. 3 : No. 11 , Article 6. Available at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/homemaker/vol3/iss11/6

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Publications at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in The oI wa Homemaker by an authorized editor of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 6 THE IOWA HOMEMAKER Corn-Greatest Crop of Iowa By GERTRUDE E. MURRAY

some of the much-sought vitamins, but pared the same way as fresh corn. is these are largely destroyed thru cooking. The uses of cornmeal are practically HIS Corn also contains a fair amount of cal­ unlimited-cornmeal gruel, corn bread, cium, phosphorous and iron, especially corn muffins, boston brown bread, hasty the when used in connection with milk. pudding. A receipe for corn muffins fol­ Besides these dietary advantages, corn lows: State has an added charm in that it is pleasing to the taste and to the eye. Who does Corn Muffins not await with keen anticipation the 2 C. Cornmeal 1 T. Sugar Where first roasting ears of summer, or the 2 C. Flour 1 tsp. Salt tempting rich brown corn bread or boston 2 tsp. Baking Powder the Tall brown bread that is so acceptable on a 1 T. Fat 2 Eggs cold winter night? 2 C. Milk Corn All parts of the plant are now used­ Sift dry ingredients together, add eggs even the husks. Most of us are familiar beaten, and milk and mix with as few with many of the products of corn, canned strokes as possible. Add melted butter Grows corn, dried corn, hominy, corn meal, corn and bake in a hot oven. syrup and corn starch, but perhaps we Cornmeal is particularly good when ORN-whose praises are sung by did not know that from the husks are used, in place of wheat flour, as a dredge C many! The crop that has made Iowa made a kind of paper filling for mat­ for fish. famous; the food that has fattened her tresses, packing for fruit, cigarette wrap­ Corn oil is a product which has just hogs and her cattle! The food which we pers and door mats. recently come into its own. It is now could make much of if we, as Iowa's citi­ But we must hasten to return to the used in place of other fats in cooking, zens, would realize the possibilities consideration of our product as a food, and in deep fat frying. It has a much locked up in those little yellow kernels. not as a door mat. higher smoking temperature than lard Let's feed our corn to our people as well There are two main varieties of canned and hence decomposes less easily. It is as to our pigs. corn-cream corn and whole kernel corn. the oil most generally used for mayon­ Long ago in Egypt, Greece and Rome The cream corn may be used for scallop­ naise, a recipe for which follows: corn was an important food and today ing or for baking with tomatoes. T·he Mayonnaise it is for the Mexican what rice is for the following recipe is for corn baked with Chinaman. tomatoes: 1 pt. Corn Oil :14 tsp. Paprika 2 Egg Yolks 1 tsp. Salt The origin of corn is as yet a mystery, Corn Baked With Tomatoes but the Indians who gave the first seed 1 tsp. Mustard 2 T. Lemon Juice to the white men have an interesting lit­ 1 qt. Cream Corn Pepper 2 T. Vinegar tle legend which explains it for them. 4 Whole Tomatoes or 1:14 C. Canned To- Have all ingredients and mixing uten­ toes sils cold. Mix dry ingredients. Add egg The story is told of an Indian youth 1 C. Cream who went into the woods to fast. He yolks and when well mixed 14 teaspoon 1 Onion of vinegar. Add oil drop by drop until built a lodge deep in the woods and pre­ 1 C. Bread Crumbs pared to stay there seven days. At the the mixture begins to thicken, beating Salt slowly. As soon as the mixture thickens, end of the third day, when he was too Pepper weak to move about, he lay upon his bed add the remainder of the vinegar a little Butter a baking dish; put in a layer of at a time. Now beat in the remainder of looking up into the sky, wishing that he corn, then one of tomatoes and one of might find something which would be a the oil gradually until all is used. The bread crumbs; dust with salt and pepper mayonnaise should be thick enough to comfort and a help to his people. As he and dot with butter. Proceed in this way lay there a spirit came down, in the form hold its shape. Put in a glass jar and until all the materials are used. Add the cover closely. of a young man dressed in green with juice of one onion, and the cream. Bake green plumes upon his head. Delicious, creamy candy may be made in a medium oven for thirty minutes. by using corn syrup. It is also good for The young man told the Indian youth to The whole kernel corn may be satis­ use in making other syrups for hot cakes. arise and wrestle with him. The Indian factorily used . in fritters. The follow­ The following are some good candy re­ did as he was told and found that he ing recipe uses three of the products of cipes: was much stronger than he had sup­ corn: posed, as he was able to throw the green­ Cocoanut Candy clad stranger. The spirit returned for Corn Fritters 14 C. Cocoanut 1 T. Butter three days, and at each time the Indian 1 C. Flour 1 C. Brown Sugai 1 tsp. Vinegar became filled with an unnatural 2 T. Cornstarch 1 C. Corn Syrup strength which made him able to con­ 1 tsp. Baking Powder Spread the cocoanut on dishes in a quer the visitor. On the third day the Salt warm place to make soft and pliable. spirit said to him, "Tomorrow will be the Pepper Boil the other ingredients without stir­ last day that I shall wrestle with you, 2 Eggs ring until brittle in cold water. Stir in and you will again triumph over me. As 1/3 C. Milk the cocoanut lightly and pour onto tins soon as you have thrown me, strip off 1 T. Corn Oil well buttered. my clothes and bury me in the soft fresh 1 C. Corn earth and leave me there; but come occa­ Sift the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs, Chocolate Caramels sionally to keep away the weeds." add milk, corn oil, and corn, and stir into 4 squares Chocolate 1 C. Brown Sugar The next day the Indian did as the dry ingredients. Saute in hot fat or corn 1 C. Milk 1 T. Butter stranger had told him to do and in a few oil. Drop spoonful of batter in hot fat, 1 C. Corn Syrup 1 tsp. Vanilla days saw the green plumes of his friend spread out, let brown and turn. Cut up the chocolate and add to the coming up thru the ground, and in time An unsual way of treating corn is to milk. When dissolved add the syrup and the mature plant was seen. He invited can it on the cob. If there are only two sugar and cook till it forms a hard ball his parents to see the new plant and they of you and you sometimes feel the desire in cold water. Add the butter when near­ prepared a feast for all their friends. for roasting ears in winter, obtain your ly done. Remove and pour into greased Thus was the beginning of Indian corn. luxury in that way. But as a general rule pan at once. Chopped nuts may be added. But, to be more practical, let us con- . canned roasting ears are not the most Let my final word be a plea that we sider the food value of corn. Scientifical­ practical things one can buy. eat more of that crop which is the pride ly speaking, corn contains the constit­ The flavor of dried corn is to many de­ of our state; that we be loyal to our uents-protein, carbohydrate and fat. Be­ lightful, and dried corn, after softening, state by using her valuable corn for our fore cooking, there are in its make-up may be simply stewed, or may be pre- own use.