Twist on Grilled Corn-Toppings

“I am the pool of gold
When sunset burns and dies
You are my deepening skies;
Give me your stars to hold” 

         Sara Teasdale

August 8, 1884-January 20, 1933

Sara Teasdale was an American lyric poet. She was born Sara Trevor Teasdale in St. Louis, Missouri, and used the name Sara Teasdale Filsinger after her marriage in 1914.

Sara Teasdale received public admiration for her well-crafted lyrical poetry which centered on a woman's changing perspectives on beauty, love, and death. Many of Teasdale's poems chart developments in her own life, from her experiences as a sheltered young woman in St. Louis, to those as a successful yet increasingly uneasy writer in New York City, to a depressed and disillusioned person who would commit suicide in 1933. Although many later critics would not consider Teasdale a major poet, she was popular in her lifetime with both the public and critics. She won the first Columbia Poetry Prize in 1918, a prize that would later be renamed the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.

Did You Never Know?

Did you never know, long ago, how much you loved me --
That your love would never lessen and never go?
You were young then, proud and fresh-hearted,
You were too young to know.

Fate is a wind, and red leaves fly before it
Far apart, far away in the gusty time of year --
Seldom we meet now, but when I hear you speaking,
I know your secret, my dear, my dear.

"There Will Come Soft Rains" is a 12-line poem by Sara Teasdale in her collection Flame and Shadow, published in 1920. The poem imagines nature reclaiming a battlefield after the fighting is finished. The poem also alludes to the idea of human extinction by war (lines 10 and 12), which was not a commonplace idea until the invention of nuclear weapons, 25 years later. The poem reads:

There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;

And frogs in the pools, singing at night,
And wild plum trees in tremulous white,

Robins will wear their feathery fire,
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;

And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.

Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree,
If mankind perished utterly;

And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn,
Would scarcely know that we were gone.

__________________________________________________

Twist on Grilled Corn on the Cob

Cook's notes:With many corn days still ahead in the summer think about expanding your repertoire with different ways to serve corn on the cob other than butter, salt and pepper.
For grilled corn, soak unpeeled ears in water for 30-45 minutes, then grill over medium heat for 20 minutes, turning occasionally. The process is simple but doesn't leave too much room for creativity – however you can stretch your culinary imagination by the toppings you serve alongside your steaming ears of corn or brushed on during grilling time.
Consider new taste sensations with the recipes below. 
Ground Cayenne and Lime: Sprinkle hot corn with cayenne pepper (sparingly or to taste), and serve with lime wedges for squeezing. Add salt, if desired. 

Sour Cream and Chives:For each ear of corn, combine 1 tablespoon sour cream, 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh chives, and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Spread on warm ears just before serving.

Grated Parmesan: Brush hot corn with extra-virgin olive oil (or melted butter, if you prefer) and sprinkle each ear with 1 to 2 TB. grated Parmesan. Also try other hard cheeses, such as aged Gouda, Pecorino, or aged goat cheese. Add salt, if desired.

Vinaigrette and Herbs: Brush hot ears with vinaigrette and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, chervil, or oregano (use more or less according to taste). Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Peppery Corn: Melt 2 TB. butter. Add 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/4 tsp. ground cumin and cook for 1 minute. brush on hot corn.

Mexican Grilled Corn: Street vendors across Mexico sell this style of roasted or grilled corn--topped with mayonnaise, chili powder and Cotija cheese (similar to Parmesan cheese). You can serve the unadorned corn on a platter with small bowls of the sauce, cheese and lime on the side so everyone can make their own. 

A low-fat version

2 TB. low-fat mayonnaise

2 TB. non-fat yogurt

1/2 tsp. chili powder

4 TB. Cotija cheese or Parmesan cheese

Pesto and Parmesan: Brush pesto over hot cooked corn. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.   

Tuscan Blend: Mix 2 TB. dried Italian herbs with 1 stick of softened butter. Spread on hot corn.

Spicy Asian Glaze:Mix 1/4 cup hoisin sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 2 TB reduced sodium soy sauce, and 2 TB. lime juice. Brush glaze on corn (husks removed) and grill.