I grew up in the city, but I had the opportunity to spend a few weeks with my aunt and uncle in the country every summer.  There I got to run barefoot in grass still moist and fragrant from just being cut.  If it was obnoxiously hot (like this year) the sprinkler would be hauled out and it would start to make lazy circles in the grass.  That was my clue to toss on a bathing suit and hop around in the low streams of water like I had fleas.  God, what fun that was!

To get to their small cottage we would drive till the highway ended…then onto small, dusty country roads and finally a single lane gravel road where you had to pull into a driveway to pass another car.  Along the roads were fields…fields of soy beans, fields of grazing cows, and lots and lots of corn.  I was always concerned that it would be “knee high by the 4th of July”…and it always was.  Later, that corn made its way to farm stands set up along the side of the road.

Now in Chicago we have wonderful farmer’s markets to choose from that takes the place of those roadside attractions.  The one I haul my shopping cart to the most is on Division Street.  There I find that the country has made its way to me and that makes my weekend.

This week at one of my favorite stands set up by the folks at Nichols Farm was something that I want to share with you for a couple of reasons.  The first is that I don’t think that children always realize just what “food from the source” looks like when you buy it in a pouch and the second is that this is just plain fun…especially for the kids.

I walked over to the display of dried corn to find this sign.

And these little, yellow, dried cobs.  OK, I’m game.  I’ve never done this before, but I’m thinking that it will be fun and tasty, right?

So, how easy is this?  Put a corn cob into the brown paper bag…I folded the ends a few times.  Put it into the microwave for a few and out pops a treat for your Sunday supper for a fun appetizer.

I had to glam it up for us with some melted butter and truffle salt, but if you prefer, it’s great plain as well.

Corn on the Cob Popcorn Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 1 minute

Cook Time: 2 - 3 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Fun to make, especially for the kids!

Ingredients:

1 ear of popping corn
Salt to taste
Butter to taste

Directions:

Place the ear of corn into a medium sized brown paper bag.

Place in the microwave and cook for 2 minutes. If not completely popped, you can cook at 30 second increments till cooked. I cooked mine for about 2.

Have an adult take the bag out of the microwave and shake popped corn into a container. Sprinkle with butter and salt, or eat plain, if you prefer.

Enjoy!