Weekend Cooking...Corn Fritters

As you may know, or I may have mentioned before, New Jersey is called the Garden State. Yes, I know, if your total knowledge of NJ is Newark Airport or the Turnpike, you may not understand that. But get away from the highways, especially down in the southern half and central part of the state, and you may see why. Where did the nickname come from?

Well, according to Netstate.com...
"This nickname seems to have originated at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia on Jersey Day, August 24, 1876. Alfred M. Heston states in his 1926 work, Jersey Waggon Jaunts, that "The Garden State" was used by Abraham Browning, of Camden. "In his address Mr. Browning compared New Jersey to an immense barrel, filled with good things to eat and open at both ends, with Pennsylvanians grabbing from one end and the New Yorkers from the other. He called New Jersey the Garden State, and the name has clung to it ever since.
In later years, the explanation has evolved to reference New Jersey truck farms that provide floral and agricultural produce to cities in the area instead of an "immense barrel." These farms have catered, particularly, to the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas."

Our soil down here is sandy and rather acidic, which is actually a great medium for many crops. No tomato in the world beats a fresh Jersey tomato. None. Do not even try.
We produce excellent peaches and, even with our tiny size, we are the third largest producer of cranberries in the nation. It was in NJ that blueberries were first grown as a domestic crop and today we are the second largest producers of the tasty, vitamin rich fruit today..but when I think of summer and NJ crops, I think first of corn, lovely, sweet Jersey corn.

Now corn does not need much to be perfect. Drop in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Remove and slather with a bit of butter, salt..and my personal favorite...fresh black pepper.

But if you would like to try something a little more elaborate, I will share with you a favorite corn recipe my mother used to make, Corn Fritters. Now, we always had then with maple syrup, a wonderful side dish to something like ham. But you can twist the recipe a bit, adding some very finely minced onion, maybe a bit jalapeno pepper and make a savoy fritter, lovely served maybe with a fruit salsa. Of course, you can also add chopped clams and make clam corn fritters...but that is a whole different dish.
So, with no further ado...

Corn Fritters

3 cups oil for frying
3/4 cup sifted flour
1/2 cup corn meal
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
1 tbsp melted butter
1 cup corn

Heat oil to 365 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet in separate bowl then add to dry. Lastly add corn.
Drop by spoonful into oil and fry several minutes until golden brown.
Drain on a paper towel and serve.

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This is my contribution this to this week's Weekend Cooking.
"Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend."
Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.

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