How Corney Can it Get?

 

How appropriate is it that a sweet corn grower's last name is Corney? :) Read on to find out!

This year full-time country woman Denise Corney's brother, Terry, planted his usual acre of sweet corn. Despite the epic drought that we are experiencing this year, Corney Corn is thriving. So much so that Denise feels like she has corn growing out of her ears.

Several times this past week I've helped Denise with her corn stand. Our friends and owner of Galion's KFC on St. Rt. 598 north of Galion has graciously allowed Denise to set up shop in front of the restaurant. Denise also sets up at NorthSide Farmers' Market in Heise Park on Thursdays (4 -6:30 p.m.)

And, this is what is wonderful about living rural: not only do our friends allow us to sell produce in front of their business (on a busy highway, which really helps move product), but part of my payment from Denise was in sweet corn. One night I cooked and froze eight dozen ears after a hot day of selling. It sounds like a lot, and I guess it is, but it really did not take that long.

Here's how I did it. First I shucked the corn and put the naked ears in a large plastic storage tub. Next I got out my large stainless steel stock pot that has a colander basket that fits inside and put about 3 quarts of water in it and got it boiling. When this stock pot came with my set of cookware, I thought, Holy Smokes! Who eats this much spaghetti? It seemed like it would cook more than even the largest Italian family could devour in one meal, and I should know because my best friend comes from a super-sized Italian family. But, know what? I love this stock pot. Not only for steaming food like corn on the cob, but also because it serves as a water bath canner when I make jam. :)

I let a batch of corn steam for about 10 minutes. As soon as I took it out, I added another batch to steam while I cut the first batch from the cob. All I used was a sharp, thin-bladed knife. No fancy-dancy corn cutter is needed unless you really love kitchen gadgets that only accomplish one task. Then I say, go for it!

Because the smallest freezer bags I could find were quart sized, and that there is no way that the two of us could eat a quart of corn, I put enough corn for a meal in sandwich bags (about a pint). Then I put two bags in a freezer bag for the best protection.

As soon as each batch came out of the steamer, I put in another, which gave this process great momentum. All-in-all it took about 3 hours, from shucking to processing to cleaning up the kitchen.

Was it worth it? You betcha! Now I have our winter's worth of sweet corn in the freezer, just waiting to be put in tasty winter fare.

Writing this post today made me think of the song Jubilation T. Cornpone, from the play Li'l Abner. Why? Well, just take a gander at what was left of those 96 ears of corn! You can listen to the song here.



Marcheta *Jublilated

Country Woman Profile: Denise Corney

Denise photographing me photographing her....LOL!

 Denise Corney is a woman of many talents. Artist, Designer, Caregiver, Gardener, Candy Maker, Market Vendor, Photographer, Set Painter, and Baker are the main hats that she wears. Isn't that amazing?


Trudy Kempf is today's guest blogger. This is the article that she wrote about Denise Corney for Galion Historical Society's newsletter. Trudy's article also was published in the Galion Inquirer. Thank you, Trudy, for sharing your writing skills with the readers of OCJ :)

Trudy says " It was such an honor for me to interview Denise; highlighting someone who is so talented and truly humble. I am glad to see her spotlight continuing to get attention." What a great tribute to her (and my) friend!

Although Denise now lives in town, she continues her farm-girl roots by helping her brother Terry, who farms the family land. Denise can be found at area farmers markets selling  homemade candy and "Corney Corn"...which includes several varieties of sweet corn raised by Terry.

Marcheta *awestruck

Volunteer Spotlight

January 2013

If you have toured Brownella Cottage, at some point you may have pondered who is responsible for keeping the beautiful stately home clean. Denise Corney, the January Volunteer Spotlight recipient is also the woman who carefully dusts, vacuums and otherwise keeps the home immaculate. Born in Marion, Ohio Denise, the fourth of six children; grew up on the Corney family farm located on Route 100.

After graduating from Colonel Crawford High School, Denise worked for 25 years starting as a merchandiser with Roundy’s; a health and beauty aids retailer and became a sales representative servicing 25 grocery stores in the Ohio and Pennsylvania region. When the company closed the Ohio division, it moved operations from Van Wert to Wisconsin leaving Denise without a job and contemplating a career change. For a little over 5 years she worked as a health care professional with Magnolia Terrace caring for the residents while also taking over the cleaning responsibilities for Brownella Cottage. Currently Denise continues to care for Bishop Brown’s home and has started her 3^rd year with Hydranamics, a division of Carter Machine, Co.

Decorating Brownella Cottage for Christmas was a natural progression for Denise since she not only knows every nook and cranny of the beautiful home; she also has a deep love for the structure. Denise was one of a small group of very talented women, who for the last two years have given their time and creativity to transforming Brownella Cottage for the Christmas season. It’s not uncommon to see Denise showing great care in nurturing the flower beds around the home as well. In preparation of the August membership drive and open house, Denise shared her love of gardening through helping to plant an herb garden on the grounds. Her eye for detail and her understated style speaks not only to her creative talent but also to her personality. She may appear to be quiet and unassuming but she is very attune to her environment and takes in the most subtle of moments.

Although Denise is a transplant to Galion, she has made her mark within the community with her skill at expressing herself through her art. She has wonderful memories from the many years she was active with the Galion Community Theater building and painting sets. Creating realistic looking props from cardboard was a challenge she enjoyed and was so skilled at that she gained the reputation for being the ‘cardboard queen.’

Denise is a doer and isn’t one to sit idle. Her preference is to be outdoors and if at all possible; with her hands working the earth. She is a farmer at heart and has a wealth of knowledge that flows from her so naturally that it leaves you spellbound even when she is describing the physical size and shape differences between an unhusked ear of bi-color corn and an unhusked ear of yellow corn. When she is unable to be out in the sunshine, she can be found gaining knowledge on any number of topics of interest through reading, visiting with elderly friends, or working on one of her many creative outlets. Whether she is creating furniture out of various scraps of wood and ornate metal cornice pieces, painting beautiful images or snapping photographs; Denise exudes a level of artistry that makes you wonder how her eyes view the world. However, if any one piece of her artwork expresses what she sees, it may be the serenity captured in the mural of the risen Christ on the basement wall of Peace Lutheran Church. It is obvious that Denise not only sees beauty in our world but she also creates beauty for others to enjoy.

Thank you, Denise!

The Galion Historical Society

recognizes, appreciates, and thanks you for your volunteer efforts!