RECIPES

Roast Corn with Parmesan Butter and Herbs

Ingredients

Water
Corn, in husk
1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dry herbs such as basil, oregano, parsley, tarragon and/or thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

• Soak the corn, with the husk, in water to cover, 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Rub the butter mixture onto each ear of corn and pull the husks up around the ears of corn to cover. Wrap each ear of corn in aluminum foil and place in a baking pan. Roast 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
• Note: If you prefer, you can wrap the ears of corn in foil and grill them 10 minutes, then unwrap them and continue to grill them an additional 5 minutes.

 

 

KNOW YOUR PRODUCE  

Rainier Cherries

Rainier cherries are large, sweet cherries developed by researchers at Washington State University. These cherries are highly prized in the Pacific Northwest.

These cherries were bred in 1952 by crossing the well-known Bing variety with the Van cultivar. The result was an unusually large golden to orange cherry with sweet yellow flesh. The researchers who developed the Rainier cherry named it after Mount Rainier, a landmark in Washington State, and a number of cherry orchards began producing the crop commercially.

Several things distinguish the Rainier cherry from other cherry varieties. The first is the unusual and distinctive color. Rainiers also have a tender texture which is almost creamy, and their sweetness is much higher than that of ordinary cherries.

The window of opportunity for obtaining Rainier cherries is small; they come into season in late June, and vanish by mid-July. Because these cherries are very flavorful, they are usually eaten fresh out of hand or included in simple fruit salads. As a general rule, they are too sweet for pie making, although they can be used in jams and preserves.