HUNGRY GERALD

Yes, HG has waxed rhapsodic about this year’s crop of heavenly PEI sweet corn. Unmatched. Unbelievable. So much so that HG sometimes goes overboard and puts up too much corn to cook — the basic Eyes-Bigger-Than-The-Stomach problem. So, what to do with all that wonderful corn the next day? Corn pancakes. Yes, light, delicious pancakes that can be used for both sweet and savory effect. Directions are simple: Use your usual pancake recipe but instead of using flour in your batter use a mix of half flour, half corn meal. Cut kernels off the cob and add to the batter (leave them whole or mash them up a bit). Eliminate sugar and use buttermilk instead of whole milk. You will now have a savory pancake that will taste great with a dollop of salsa or pico de gallo (plus a grating of Mexican white cheese known as Queso Fresca). For more Mexican flavor, add some chopped jalapeño pepper and cilantro to the batter. Crack open a Dos Equis and enjoy. For breakfast, use whole milk and sugar in the mix. HG likes these pancakes with thick cut bacon and plenty of maple syrup. Happily, pure maple syrup is very modestly priced on Prince Edward Island. There are daily deliveries from nearby Quebec.

Bittersweet sadness. Summer is ending here on Prince Edward Island. In too few days HG/BSK will return to the Land of Enchantment. As the wistful song has it: “The days dwindle down to a precious few.” In the meantime, HG/BSK are eating plenty of incomparable sweet corn from the Deb and Gary and Blum’s trucks in Montague. Yes, it will be many months before HG/BSK and family have another sweet corn orgy. Sweet corn has been particularly good this season. HG/BSK have had much corn on the cob; corn chowder (both clam and cod); corn griddle cakes; peppers and onions with corn kernels; a succotash with yellow beans. A surprise was corn tempura prepared by the magical Japanese chef, HG/BSK’s daughter-in-law Exquisite Maiko. That hit all the taste buttons: crispy, sweet, salty, savory. Garrison Keillor wrote: “People have tried and they have tried but sex is not better than sweet corn.” In HG’s opinion, Keillor overstates, But, then, the sage of “Prairie Home Companion” has not had the benefit of 51 years of marital bliss with BSK.

It’s corn harvest time on Prince Edward Island and HG and BSK are shucking and nibbling. So fresh and sweet is this corn that no butter is needed. Just a sprinkle of kosher salt. BSK, the official corn cook, always makes sure we have some extra ears for morning time corn pancakes.

HG, official pancake cook, mixes flour, two beaten eggs, a bit of vegetable oil, a teaspoon of baking powder and the shucked kernels. HG fries the pancakes in grape seed oil and serves them with Canadian maple syrup. Makes breakfast a meal to remember.

And, here’s a sweet dessert idea. Butter tarts (only available in Canada, for some obscure reason) resemble mini pecan pies (but better crust and less sweet). The perfect end to dinner is a butter tart topped with vanilla ice cream.