I really think now is the perfect time to really appreciate seasonal produce…especially with all these fresh produce piling up in your local grocery store! It’s the end of May now, a particularly exciting time for me because each time I visit my supermarket, I find new and fresh produce on sale…makes this cheap Asian girl very very happy!
I visited Whole Foods this morning in search of inspiration for this week’s BSI. I wanted something that was versatile so that it would be open to myriads of different creative ideas, one that is seasonal and tasty, one that wouldn’t be a problem for those on a vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free diet. Oh, and it had to be cheap, of course.
I have to admit, my eyes always automatically zooms to any sign that has the “On Sale!” tag on it. My brain has been inherently trained to magically sense the sale items, and my body mechanically starts moving towards that area. It’s a gift, and a curse. Anyway, one particular ingredient that stood out to me.
What’s golden, crunchy, sweet, and delicious, yet horribly neglected, misunderstood, and thrust into the middle of many controversies?
You guessed it. CORN! Yup, this week’s BSI ingredient is CORN.
Here are a few facts on corn:
Corn is the third most important food crop of the world measured by production volume.
In the U.S., corn production measures more than 2 times that of any other crop.
Peak season for corn production is May through September.
Sugar content in corn starts converting into starch as soon as it is picked, so it is always better to consume fresh corn.
It is a good source of many nutrients including thiamin (vitamin B1), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus and manganese.
It is rich in phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, iron and selenium, with small amounts of potassium.
Supports cardiovascular and lung health.
It is good for skin care, boosting nervous system, digestion, and maintaining low cholesterol levels.
And here are the rules:
And to start this off, here are how I used corn for my lunch today:
Corny and Cheesy Bacon Pizza
Base: Corn and cottage cheese blended together with a splash of milk and black pepper
Toppings: Sliced red onion, turkey bacon, green onions, Four-cheese blend, and Parmesan cheese
Corn as a pizza base? Sounds weird, but trust me, it works. Loved the naturally sweet and cheesy base!
The bacon on top works really well with the corn, too.
Visually appealing, too, with the rainbow of colors.
Next up, Mexican-style Corn and Sausage Pizza
Base: TJ’s Habanero-lime salsa and cottage cheese mixed together
Toppings: Corn, Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, Andouille sausage, Four-cheese blend, and Parmesan cheese
Now this time, I used corn on top of pizza. You don’t see this much in America, but it’s a very popular pizza topping in Asia!
Papa Johns and Pizza Hut needs to get some corn onto their pizza, now. It is such an amazingly sweet and crunchy and juicy addition.
And the natural sweetness of the corn works so well with the spicy sausage, and the spicy-sour base of the salsa and cottage cheese.
All right, stop drooling, and don’t feel intimidated by my fantastic corny pizzas (Hee). I’m not gonna be submitting them to my own BSI! And I’m certain and excited that you guys will come up with something much better! So, get your culinary juices flowing!
Because…there are great prizes to be won as well! I picked this up at Korea on my way back to USA. I was saving them for a giveaway, but decided to use them as prizes for BSI instead.
Cute, adorable socks…
And another cute hand-stitched case! (Perfect for cell phones, or cards, coins, etc.)
Be cool…submit a BSI recipe, and you can prance around in cute socks like me!
P.S. Please tune in again tomorrow for another AWESOME announcement…you don’t wanna miss it!!!