Corn. Maize. Whatever you call it, this delicious grain has been cultivated by Mesoamericans since prehistoric times. Corn is believed by historians to have first been cultivated in Mexico, but it is not known precisely when.
Corn means different things in different countries. In England, 'corn' can refer to wheat, while in Ireland, it can refer to oats (other posts for other times). Corn may have been introduced to Europe by that d-bag Columbus, or it could have been another d-bag European explorer/conquistador. Either way, corn as we typically think of it is indigenous to North and Central America. When the Bible says 'corn', it means wheat or barley, most likely.
It is/was the staple of many an indigenous diet, along with beans and squash (The Three Sisters) here in North America.
Corn is ruled by the Sun and the element of Fire. Corn energy is Corn Mother energy to me - fertility, love, protection. Spirituality is included in the list of corn's energies.
Cornmeal can be used in spiritual practices to represent the four elements. It can be given as an offering. Blue is considered the most sacred. It also represent west. Yellow represents north; white is for east; red is for the south.
Lammas and Mabon are excellent times to utilize corn. Stalks can be used for decoration. Dishes featuring corn are appropriate for the sabbat meal.
One of my favorite corn recipes is the cornbread we've made in my family for years.
Nar's Family Cornbread:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar (or less if you prefer)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 cup butter milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp melted butter or shortening
2 tsp. salt
Whisk together sugar, buttermilk, egg, and butter or shortening. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder in another bowl. Add to wet ingredients.
This recipe is perfect for a cast-iron skillet if you have one. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Grease the skillet with shortening. Pour in the batter and bake for 22-25 minutes.
References:
Cunningham, S. (2003). Cunningham's encyclopedia of Wicca in the kitchen (3rd ed.). St. Paul, Minn.: Llewellyn Publications.
Gibson, L., & Benson, G. (2002). Origin, History, and Uses of Corn (Zea mays). Retrieved September 17, 2015.
Showing posts with label corn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label corn. Show all posts
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Friday, September 18, 2009
More Recipes for Mabon
Corn Chowder for Mabon
There are several ways you can spice up this delicious chowder. You can give it some southwestern flair by adding chorizo instead of bacon, and seasoning it with cumin and chile. Or you can keep it traditional, with bacon and even potatoes.
Version 1
2 T oil or butter
1 T flour
1 large onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed (small)
4 cups stock
6 slices bacon, cut into small chunks
3 cups corn kernels, fresh, canned or frozen
1/2 cup cream
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil or butter in a soup pot. Add the bacon and fry for 2-3 minutes before adding onion and celery. Cook the onion and celery for a few minutes. Add the garlic and stir, cooking 2-3 minutes more. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine, cooking another 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the corn and potato. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the potato is tender, 15-20 minutes. At this point you can puree a ladleful or two of the soup and return it to the pot. Stir in the cream and check the seasoning. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.
Southwest Corn Chowder
2 T oil or butter
1 T flour
1 chorizo, casing removed
1 large onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small chile, deseeded
1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons (t) ground cumin
1/4 - 1/2 t ground chipotle powder
4 cups stock
3 cups corn kernels
salt and pepper
1/2 cup cream
chopped fresh cilantro
Heat the oil or butter in a soup pot. Cook the chorizo, crumbling with a wooden spoon. Remove the cooked sausage and reserve. Drain all but about 2 T of oil. Cook the onions and chile for 5 minutes, then add the garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes, then stir in the flour. Add the spices, salt and pepper, and stock. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add the corn and simmer the soup for 10-15 minutes. Again, you may choose to puree a cup or cup and a half of the soup before stirring in the cream. After stirring in the cream, add the reserved chorizo. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
As with the black bean soup, you may also garnish with sliced green onions. You can also sprinkle on some grated Monterrey Jack, and/or some chopped canned green chiles. Yumyumyum!
Note: If you make the meatball soup, black bean soup, or this version of corn chowder at home, please let me know! By making these recipes at home you are helping me tweak and perfect them for the cookbook and I would be most grateful. If something needs adjusted, let me know what you did at home. I'll continue to develop and test things here as well.
There are several ways you can spice up this delicious chowder. You can give it some southwestern flair by adding chorizo instead of bacon, and seasoning it with cumin and chile. Or you can keep it traditional, with bacon and even potatoes.
Version 1
2 T oil or butter
1 T flour
1 large onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed (small)
4 cups stock
6 slices bacon, cut into small chunks
3 cups corn kernels, fresh, canned or frozen
1/2 cup cream
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil or butter in a soup pot. Add the bacon and fry for 2-3 minutes before adding onion and celery. Cook the onion and celery for a few minutes. Add the garlic and stir, cooking 2-3 minutes more. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine, cooking another 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the corn and potato. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the potato is tender, 15-20 minutes. At this point you can puree a ladleful or two of the soup and return it to the pot. Stir in the cream and check the seasoning. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.
Southwest Corn Chowder
2 T oil or butter
1 T flour
1 chorizo, casing removed
1 large onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small chile, deseeded
1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons (t) ground cumin
1/4 - 1/2 t ground chipotle powder
4 cups stock
3 cups corn kernels
salt and pepper
1/2 cup cream
chopped fresh cilantro
Heat the oil or butter in a soup pot. Cook the chorizo, crumbling with a wooden spoon. Remove the cooked sausage and reserve. Drain all but about 2 T of oil. Cook the onions and chile for 5 minutes, then add the garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes, then stir in the flour. Add the spices, salt and pepper, and stock. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add the corn and simmer the soup for 10-15 minutes. Again, you may choose to puree a cup or cup and a half of the soup before stirring in the cream. After stirring in the cream, add the reserved chorizo. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
As with the black bean soup, you may also garnish with sliced green onions. You can also sprinkle on some grated Monterrey Jack, and/or some chopped canned green chiles. Yumyumyum!
Note: If you make the meatball soup, black bean soup, or this version of corn chowder at home, please let me know! By making these recipes at home you are helping me tweak and perfect them for the cookbook and I would be most grateful. If something needs adjusted, let me know what you did at home. I'll continue to develop and test things here as well.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Breads and Grains - Celebrating the First Harvest
As Lughnasadh is almost upon us, I thought it would be nice to devote an entry or two to some of the foods associated with the first harvest in the Northern Hemisphere. Different areas produce different foods, but these days we have access to a large variety of foods, no matter where we are. We also have access to those foods throughout most of the year, but I prefer to focus on seasonal produce. Local eating is also an important practice, but it isn’t always easy.
During Lughnasadh, or Lammas, as well as Mabon, we celebrate the harvest of grains and the foods that can be made from various grains. Beer and bread are two products that are made from different grains, making them ideal for honoring the gods of the harvest. Other traditional foods include berries and crab apples.
Bread has long been viewed as the “staff of life” and has been made in one form or another for thousands of years. Bread is a divine substance and is often given as an offering during ritual. Some religious practices also use bread as a physical representation of the Divine.
The breaking of bread is more than nourishment; it is a symbol of togetherness, binding together those who eat it.
Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen gives us some information on a few of the grains with which we are most familiar.
Barley
Planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Energies: Fertility, money, sex
Barley was an important grain to the ancient Egyptians. It was used as a medium of exchange and was even placed in tombs. According to one Egyptian legend, barley grew out of men, whereas wheat grew out of women.
Sumerians made several types of barley beer. In Indian, barley was sacred to Indra, known as “He who ripens barley”. This grain played an important part in rituals related to childbirth, marriage, and death.
Babylonians also brewed beer with barley. Greeks planted it around temples to Demeter to ask for fertility, and in China, barley is a symbol of the sexual potency of males.
Buckwheat
Planet: Jupiter
Element: Earth
Energies: Money
Buckwheat noodles, or soba, are eaten in Japan on the Japanese New Year for prosperity. Buckwheat pancakes are common in some parts of the United States. In my home state of West Virginia, the Buckwheat Festival is held every autumn. Eat buckwheat pancakes with a touch of maple syrup to attract abundance (in fertility, money, or life).
Corn
Planet: Sun
Element: Fire
Energies: Protection, spirituality
An entire entry could be devoted to corn. Corn has been a fundamental part of the religious practices of North and Central America for thousands of years. The Quiche Mayas of Guatemala even believed the first humans were made of corn. Miguel Angel Asturias, a Guatemalan author, even titled one of his works "Hombres de Maiz" (Men of Corn).
The Corn Mother was a widely worshiped deity in the pre-Columbian Americas. Corn is a sacred gift of the Mother Goddess. It is a symbol of life, fertility, and rebirth. To the Zuni, different colors of corn were related to the four directions. Some people still use whole dried or ground corn in various colors to represent the directions.
Yellow - north
White - east
Red - south
Blue - west
Corn bread would be an appropriate food for Lughnasadh, as would tamales, corn chowder, or corn pudding. Place ears of corn on your altar. Blue corn is used to induce spirituality. Scatter corn meal around your ritual sites or use it to mark your circle.
Note: "Corn" outside the U.S. is used to mean any grain except for maize.
Rye
Planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Energies: Love
Rye bread made with caraway seeds (and properly charged with your intent) can increase your ability to give and receive love
Wheat
Planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Energies: various
Wheat is the second-most commonly used grain for human consumption. Rice is number one. Egyptians, Sumerians, Babylonians, Hittites, Greeks, and Romans all worshiped harvest deities that were associated with wheat (sometimes seen as "corn").
Wheat-based foods are eaten to bring prosperity and money into your life. Different breads are used for different purposes. Below are a few, courtesy of Scott Cunningham.
Twisted breads - protection
Egg breads - fertility
Sprouted breads - increasing psychic awareness
Garlic bread - protection
Sweetened breads are often used for spring festivals. In Mexico, Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead) is eaten on November 2. For Lughnasadh this year, why not try your hand at baking your own bread? There are thousands of recipes online, many of them very simple, and the rewards outweigh any labor involved.
I prefer making my bread by hand for several reasons. One, I don't have a bread maker or a mixer. Two, I like to get my hands into the dough and feel the texture of the flour and really put my own energies into the food. I absolutely love the kneading process required to make most breads.
The following chant is one I'm sure many of you know, and I think it is a very good one to sing when kneading bread:
Hoof and horn, hoof and horn
All that dies shall be reborn
Corn and grain, corn and grain
All that falls shall rise again
This year, if you can, bake a loaf or two of bread. Offer some to Lugh or another deity, and break bread with the people you care about. Light a candle, give thanks, and pass around the loaf.
During Lughnasadh, or Lammas, as well as Mabon, we celebrate the harvest of grains and the foods that can be made from various grains. Beer and bread are two products that are made from different grains, making them ideal for honoring the gods of the harvest. Other traditional foods include berries and crab apples.
Bread has long been viewed as the “staff of life” and has been made in one form or another for thousands of years. Bread is a divine substance and is often given as an offering during ritual. Some religious practices also use bread as a physical representation of the Divine.
The breaking of bread is more than nourishment; it is a symbol of togetherness, binding together those who eat it.
Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen gives us some information on a few of the grains with which we are most familiar.
Barley
Planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Energies: Fertility, money, sex
Barley was an important grain to the ancient Egyptians. It was used as a medium of exchange and was even placed in tombs. According to one Egyptian legend, barley grew out of men, whereas wheat grew out of women.
Sumerians made several types of barley beer. In Indian, barley was sacred to Indra, known as “He who ripens barley”. This grain played an important part in rituals related to childbirth, marriage, and death.
Babylonians also brewed beer with barley. Greeks planted it around temples to Demeter to ask for fertility, and in China, barley is a symbol of the sexual potency of males.
Buckwheat
Planet: Jupiter
Element: Earth
Energies: Money
Buckwheat noodles, or soba, are eaten in Japan on the Japanese New Year for prosperity. Buckwheat pancakes are common in some parts of the United States. In my home state of West Virginia, the Buckwheat Festival is held every autumn. Eat buckwheat pancakes with a touch of maple syrup to attract abundance (in fertility, money, or life).
Corn
Planet: Sun
Element: Fire
Energies: Protection, spirituality
An entire entry could be devoted to corn. Corn has been a fundamental part of the religious practices of North and Central America for thousands of years. The Quiche Mayas of Guatemala even believed the first humans were made of corn. Miguel Angel Asturias, a Guatemalan author, even titled one of his works "Hombres de Maiz" (Men of Corn).
The Corn Mother was a widely worshiped deity in the pre-Columbian Americas. Corn is a sacred gift of the Mother Goddess. It is a symbol of life, fertility, and rebirth. To the Zuni, different colors of corn were related to the four directions. Some people still use whole dried or ground corn in various colors to represent the directions.
Yellow - north
White - east
Red - south
Blue - west
Corn bread would be an appropriate food for Lughnasadh, as would tamales, corn chowder, or corn pudding. Place ears of corn on your altar. Blue corn is used to induce spirituality. Scatter corn meal around your ritual sites or use it to mark your circle.
Note: "Corn" outside the U.S. is used to mean any grain except for maize.
Rye
Planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Energies: Love
Rye bread made with caraway seeds (and properly charged with your intent) can increase your ability to give and receive love
Wheat
Planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Energies: various
Wheat is the second-most commonly used grain for human consumption. Rice is number one. Egyptians, Sumerians, Babylonians, Hittites, Greeks, and Romans all worshiped harvest deities that were associated with wheat (sometimes seen as "corn").
Wheat-based foods are eaten to bring prosperity and money into your life. Different breads are used for different purposes. Below are a few, courtesy of Scott Cunningham.
Twisted breads - protection
Egg breads - fertility
Sprouted breads - increasing psychic awareness
Garlic bread - protection
Sweetened breads are often used for spring festivals. In Mexico, Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead) is eaten on November 2. For Lughnasadh this year, why not try your hand at baking your own bread? There are thousands of recipes online, many of them very simple, and the rewards outweigh any labor involved.
I prefer making my bread by hand for several reasons. One, I don't have a bread maker or a mixer. Two, I like to get my hands into the dough and feel the texture of the flour and really put my own energies into the food. I absolutely love the kneading process required to make most breads.
The following chant is one I'm sure many of you know, and I think it is a very good one to sing when kneading bread:
Hoof and horn, hoof and horn
All that dies shall be reborn
Corn and grain, corn and grain
All that falls shall rise again
This year, if you can, bake a loaf or two of bread. Offer some to Lugh or another deity, and break bread with the people you care about. Light a candle, give thanks, and pass around the loaf.
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