Sooner than later the two most revered crops of summer—corn and tomatoes—will disappear from our farmers’ markets. Replacement vegetables such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, squash and roots will be bright and colorful on their farm-table displays until we have a few hard frosts that make the growing fields strain under the chill of seasonal change. But corn and tomatoes will be sorely missed.
Merrifield’s $1 per pound tomatoes
Still these two stellar crops have been showing up as great specimens from the growing fields. Ears of corn started out small and slim earlier in the season because of the drought but eventually became sweet and delectable. My favorite growers included Harris Farm’s ultra-sweet corn available in southern markets such as Saco Farmers Market and at their farm store in Dayton. The various varieties that are grown at Beth’s Farm Market in Warren are some of the best and sweetest. And more locally Jordan’s Farm in Cape Elizabeth put on a good show with their large, sweet stalks stacked on the table at their farm store in Cape Elizabeth.
Fresh-picked corn from Beth’s Farm Market
As for tomatoes they’re been the sweetest that I can remember because we had a very warm, sunny summer, though lack of rain could have been a problem for farmers who didn’t irrigate.
Lately the field tomatoes sold at the Portland Farmer’s Market from Merrifield Farm at $1 per pound were the best of the lot, leaving the $4 heirloom specimens overpriced. In fact, I prefer the simple, sweet flavors of field tomatoes more than the more artisanally “complex” heirlooms. All the different colors of heirlooms look great in a tomato salad but the flavor isn’t as intense as the basic field-grown tomato. For weeks I’ve been buying pounds of them to whip up creamy tomato soups and sauces.
In this great season of corn and tomatoes I remembered a recipe that I used to make all the time but lost touch with over the years.
Casserole of baked corn and tomatoes
It’s a casserole of corn, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, butter and bacon that’s all baked together to emerge as a great side dish, especially to grilled or roast chicken.
Corn and tomato casserole served with roast chicken and potato-carrot medley
These two great summer vegetables are still available at the markets, but corn will quickly fade while tomatoes will last a little longer.
Local ingredients used:
Corn: Beth’s Farm Market, Warren
Tomatoes: Merrifield Farm, Cornish
Onions: various farmers at the markets
Green pepper: various farms at the markets
Butter: High-View Farm, Harrison
Bacon: Bisson’s, Topsham (house cured and great value at $4.99 per pound)
All of the ingredients are available locally at markets now.
Ingredients
- 4 to 6 ears of corn (about 2 ½ to 3 cups kernels), depending on size
- 3 large local field tomatoes, sliced about ½-inch thick
- 1 small local onion, grated or chopped very finely
- 1 local green pepper, seeded cored and diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 rashers smoky bacon, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Take the kernels off the corn and scrape the ears to extract the corn milk and put into a large measuring cup or mixing bowl.
- Add half the corn to a buttered 1 ½- to 2-quart casserole dish. Add half the tomato slices (no need to peel or seed) and sprinkle with half the onion and green pepper. Dot the top with 1 tablespoon butter; season very generously with salt and pepper
- Cover with another layer of the remaining corn, tomatoes, green pepper, onion, butter and salt and pepper. Cut the bacon and sprinkle over the top. Put into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes until the bacon is crisp and brown and the corn and tomatoes are cooked through.
