Late Summer A-Maze-ing Recipe

It's late summer and these last few days spent sitting lazily underneath a simmering Sun seem to take on a special sort of glow as our minds begin to turn towards the start of another Autumnal season. There is, however, always one reminder that summer has yet to banished in favor of frenetic energies all aimed at getting back in the swing. That reminder comes calling on an often buttered, salted, sweet and savory ear ... of corn.

In fact, it is at this time of year that we often see celebrations of this sweet treat in festivals and early harvest being feted around the globe. The Celts and Irish have their corn dolls and dances at Lughnasa earlier in August, while the Senacas and the Iroquois of upstate New York gathered to share the Green Corn Festival to honor Earth Mother's daughters who guarded the corn. And, although corn has been translated into many assorted names, almost all of them can be deciphered to mean 'our life.' America grew strong inside those stalks. And so we offer a beautiful recipe that makes the most of magical maize.

LATE SUMMER INDIAN PUDDING

Serves 8

  Ingredients

2 1/2 cups heated whole milk

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 cup cold whole milk

1/2 cup currants (or raisins)

Heat the milk in the top of a double boiler and slowly stir in the cornmeal.  Continue stirring over the boiling water until the mix thickens. In a small mixing bowl, combine the sugar and the baking soda and then stir into the cornmeal mixture. Stir the cold milk and the maple syrup into this mixture and continue to stir until thoroughly blended. Add the currants and pour all into a lightly greased casserole dish. Bake at 275 degrees for two hours. Serve warm and sprinkle with brown or powdered sugar.