MycoGnosis

This is the time of year you might find Ustilago maydisa, a biotrophic parasite fungus which takes over corn. Thanks to my friend and neighbor Justine for spotting some for me this year, which I will try to use on next year’s corn crop.  More on that in another post.

I’ve learned since writing this that smut actually thrives in dry weather, and it was indeed dry here this year. But the corn farmer at the gas station swore he had not seen a cob all year, so who knows. He also confessed that if he accidentally oversprayed with Atrazine “which sometimes

from the Fungal Pharmacy by Robert Rogers

happens at the ends of rows”, he was sure to get corn smut. I’m just not sure I’d want to eat it. Or his corn for that matter. Well I’ll be growing organic smutty corn myself next year.

Originally published with the title “This Smut Has Some Redeeming Qualities!” in the Toronto Star food section across from a picture of Nigella Lawson:

With this cool damp weather, our modest little vegetable garden is even more humble than it might have been. We tend it just the same though, what little morsels we can, a few beans, tomatoes, some huge cabbages. We are still pretty new to the game so there are always some surprises.

The corn has not been great, but I went looking for ripe ears the other day and discovered the dampness had fostered a real nasty growth on one big cob. Distended gray-blue kernels like ghostly babies’ fingers tangled in the silky hairs. When I touched it, a digit dropped off revealing the blackness within. Scary!

It was a fungus called “corn smut” (Ustilago maydis), probably the bane of many corn farmers in weather like this. After I regained my composure, and while I was trying to gross out the kids with the mutant cob, my lovely wife reminded me that this was probably the very same fungus we had enjoyed in fine restaurants in Mexico. There it is treasured as a delicacy known by its ancient Aztec name “Huitlacoche”(it sounds a bit like “wit la coach, eh”). You can buy it in cans at Mexican specialty shops.
A quick google of the Web confirmed this and gave the additional fact that the Aztec name translates as “raven’s excrement”. Too much information perhaps, but all of a sudden “corn smut” didn’t seem like such a bad name after all and it almost sounds like fun compared to the French “goitre du mais”.

Of course I had resolved to eat it! Now, if you are grossed out at this point you probably haven’t put a lot of thought into what your regular mushrooms grow on.

Online recipes suggested sauté-ing with onions, garlic and chilies to fill tortillas or tamales (corn dumplings). These “Mexican truffles” have a rich subtle mushroom-y flavour and this was my first chance to taste them fresh, I thought more than a taco was in order!

I was inspired by the optimism of the rampant squashes that are making the best of a bad situation and escaping from our composter. The result was the tasty appetizer below. It was a bit labour intensive but I felt like I was turning lead into gold.
Oro del Filosofo
(Stuffed Squash Flower Fritters with Huitalcoche and Goat Cheese)

(serves 4)

-1/2 red. Onion, chopped fine
-3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
-Several sprigs of fresh oregano
-1 small fresh hot pepper
(If your pepper is not hot enough supplement with whatever you’ve got, I used a dried, smoked pepper, soaked overnight in vinegar and oil, and then chopped)
-Approx. 1.5-2 c. huitlacoche (gently cut from cob and separated gently from silk and corn)
-1 egg
-(2 Tbsp.) of soft goat cheese (or cream cheese or other soft cheese)
-1/2 c. cornstarch
-1 t. baking powder
-1/2 c. flour (non-wheat if desired)
-3 t. milk (non-dairy, if desired)
-Salt, to taste
-4 large fresh squash blossoms stems attached (picked the morning of serving, when open. Store loosely in a large covered bowl in the fridge until needed)
Sufficient oil to float the stuffed blossomss

Chop onions and garlic and sauté until translucent.

Toss in peppers and oregano, as well as coarsely chopped huitlacoche (some other fungus like oyster mushroom would also work).

Let mixture cool.

In morning, pick squash blossoms.

Stir goat cheese in with huitlacoche mixture.

Carefully spoon mixture into squash blossoms.

Fold tips of blossoms over into a pear shaped package.

Scramble egg with milk.

Mix cornstarch, baking powder, salt and flour in shaking bag.

Gently roll stuffed squash blossoms in egg mixture, and then fluff them gently in flour mixture. Set on drying rack (like a cookie rack).
Let sit for 10 minutes, then repeat;
Keep cool until ready to serve, gently turning. Dust with flour again if egg soaks through.

Just before serving make sure oil is good and hot
Deep-fry one at a time until golden-brown, turning regularly.

Dry on rack or paper towel for 5-7 minutes, serve hot.