All clear, or no? This morning, the news is full of alarm about the newest surge of COVID among the unvaccinated due to the delta variant. Those of us who have received shots will apparently be fine, but will a spooked economy be the undoing of what has turned into a pleasant summer? Can our restaurants and clubs withstand another slump because people feel funny about going out? Frankly, I hate to imagine it.
So, on that uncertain note, let’s look at what’s going on around town now. I’ve enjoyed a series of dinner dates with old friends, most of whom I hadn’t laid eyes on since before the lockdown, so I’ve been grazing all over the place. Glasshalfull in Carrboro had a nice soft opening party mid-month. It was a wonderful evening with good food, a room full of familiar faces and a delicious daiquiri. Lantern has resumed using real plates and glasses at their outdoor pop ups. A lot of old favorites like the Bento Box and Salt and Pepper Shrimp are back. I had my first visit to Osteria Georgi on Elliott Road. It’s pretty and lively. The staff and the food are top notch. I got to meet Chef Dan Jackson for the first time. I dashed into Acme one evening for an absolutely enormous tomato plate during their 20th annual tomato festival. I ate every bite of course. As reported last month, Imbibe is serving a limited in-house menu at their upstairs bar but now, live jazz has resumed on Mondays!
I think that I have mentioned before the summer custom from my childhood known as eating out of the garden. Of course, if you have a garden, you can do this all season – but, to me, this term refers specifically to a whole meal gleaned just outside of the kitchen door, probably in July. Since my yard doesn’t have any sun, my garden is the Carrboro Farmers Market. I’ve entered a spell of corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and onions and squash and onions at least once a week. And tomato sandwiches are an almost instant lunch with nothing to clean up except a plate and a knife. And finally, both Sam Suchoff at The Pig and Eliza MacLean at Cane Creek Farm are producing the most delectable serrano hams to drape over the fresh melon or figs found at nearby stalls.
Fingers crossed until next time.
Apropos to the season; Mississippi Fried Corn:
People in Mississippi look at you like you’re crazy if you say you’ve never heard of fried corn. The first time I had it was at Bully’s in Jackson. After that, I would have been crazy not to learn how to make it for sure. (In an aside, I’ll add that the said lunch at Bully’s was one of the finest restaurant meals I’ve ever had in my life. We had collards, ham hocks, fried corn and blackberry cobbler.)
Serves 6
- 12 large ears of corn
- 1 quart of milk
- 1 cup diced side meat
- 2 medium onions, diced small
- ½ tsp. black pepper
Shave the corn off of the cobs and reserve it. Put the cobs in a saucepan and cover with the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, Render the side meat over medium heat to both brown it and to extract its grease. Side meat has a low smoking point, so you need to keep an eye on it.
Remove the side meat to a plate. Use the grease to sauté the diced onions to soften but not brown them. Pour off anything that looks like excess grease and add the corn. Cook for about five minutes, and then begin adding the milk, a half a cup at a time. Stir with a wooden spoon as if you were making risotto. As the milk is absorbed, add more until you have used it all and the corn is creamy. It isn’t exactly fried. Stir in the pepper and the reserved side meat. Serve at once.
“Just The Bill, Please” is a regular column on Chapelboro.com penned by local culinary legend Bill Smith. Born and raised in New Bern, Bill Smith spent 25 years heading up the kitchen in Crook’s Corner — and over the years, he accumulated the accolades to match his incomparable takes on classic Southern food.
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