Day 42

I am missing corn.

Maybe because it smelled like summer yesterday. Our porch thermometer showed 100F, not a comfortable thought in mid May in Maine. Many places in the world are registering record heat temperatures right now as well. Several of my friends texted me asking if I was happy and letting me know they were thinking of me. Oh they know how I love the heat. I don’t mind the kitchen work and the oven on. How could it not be a good day for cornbread?

But what a privilege it is to have this day to bask in the sun and have all kinds of summer corn dreams; to be able to take shelter and feel safe to open the windows. Hopefully soon my own corn seeds will go into the ground. This morning at church I had a connection with a friend who also played at her grandparent’s cornfields growing up. My game was to run as fast and as far as I could and hide in plain sight with corn plants as playmates. I held her leaves and danced with her stalks. I looked up and her tassel was touching the sky. Her ears of corn were like dolls with fancy hair smiling at me. 

Sourdough Cornbread

Mix dry ingredients:

1 ½ cups of cornmeal

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Mix wet ingredients:

½ cup of sourdough starter

1 egg

1 cup of milk

Melt 3 tablespoons of fat (I used butter today) in an 8×8 cast iron skillet or other high heat oven safe pan

Add wet ingredients to dry, mix well and pour into the greased cast iron skillet

Bake 450F for 20-25 minutes