Fresh corn buttermilk biscuits

I like books about people who do things. This summer I have been reading the Little House on the Prairie series, and boy do they do things. Make their own clothes, their own food – even build their own houses. I have a list of books I have enjoyed that detail the work of women in the kitchen, baking bread, tending gardens, canning produce, collecting their own honey.

Perre Magness has studied food and cooking around the world, mostly by eating, but also through serious study. Coursework at Le Cordon Bleu London and intensive courses in Morocco, Thailand and France has broadened her own culinary skill and palate. The kitchen of choice is at home, cooking like most people, experimenting with unique but practical ideas.

Now let me be clear, for the most part, I don’t want to do these things. I can’t sew or build or grow. I have a new found canning obsession, but it’s for fun, not survival. I just like the idea of doing all these things. I like the imagery of our foremothers carefully tending their corn crop, gratefully harvesting its bounty, shucking all those silky ears and turning them into delicious meals. These are the women who can crank out biscuits and breads in mass quantities, by touch and feel and eye. Again, I am not one of these women, but this recipe harks to that literary longing in me. The combination of freshly shucked corn and old-fashioned buttermilk biscuits.

These biscuits have the loveliest buttery yellow color, with the gorgeous flecks of fresh corn shining through. Serve these warm with some fresh, rich butter with a summer dinner and your friends will swoon. The breakfast possibilities are endless. Serve one with a slice of fresh tomato for a burst of summer flavor. And a buttered biscuit with a slice of bacon is a real treat. I think Ma Ingalls would approve.

Fresh Corn Buttermilk Biscuits 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line an 8-by-11-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

Melt 1/3 cup of the butter and set aside to cool. Cut the kernels off two ears of corn and place in a blender. Puree until very smooth (you can add a drop of buttermilk to get things going if needed). Pour the puree into a 2-cup measuring jug. You should have about 1 cup puree. Add buttermilk to measure 2 cups of liquid. Return the liquid to the blender, add the melted butter and blend until smooth.