Home Sweet Corn

by Noelani Anderson

For the first time in a few years I came home for thanksgiving. I took he first flight out of Honolulu on Wednesday morning, arriving in Hilo (Big Island) at 6:45 am.

noelani anderson / KA LAMAKUA

My mom picked me up and we went for a surf at Honoli'i, then did some last minute thanksgiving preparation shopping before making the one hour drive along the coast to Honoka'a, my hometown. And while we did do some shopping at Foodland, the star of our thanksgiving dinner was Big-Island grown sweet corn that we picked up on the side of the road on our way out of Hilo.


On the Big Island it is easy to tell what fruits and vegetables are in season by simply paying attention to the vendor signs on the side of the highway. Avocados, rambutans, lychee and oranges are just a few of the delicious fresh foods you will encounter if you keep your eyes peeled when driving home throughout the year, and in fall, 'tis the time of sweet corn.

As soon as we got to the house I husked the corn, ready to begin cooking for my favorite holiday. Each corm was rich with a spectrum of golds, yellows and whites, colors that only became more vibrant once the corms were steamed. I set aside a few to eat on the cobb (which I love Mexican style, with salt, lime and chile), and cooked the remainder of the bunch to use in a new recipe I created as a wheat free experiment for those people with gluten allergies (like myself).

The recipe I created was a unique alteration of a few recipes I had encountered online and in cookbooks while doing some thanksgiving research. I love fresh pumpkin and corn but I can't eat wheat, so I decided to whip up a dish that other's would love and I could also indulge in: Big Island Kabocha Cornbread.


Big Island Kabocha Cornbread

Makes one 9x13 inch pan (roughly 24 pieces)

2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups Barley or Brown Rice Flour
1 1/3 cup cornmeal
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup olive or canola oil
1 cup fresh japanese pumpkin, steamed and pureed
1 cup FRESH corn (cooked and taken off the cobb)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon freshly chopped jalepenos (optional)

Beat the eggs and sugar with the olive oil and pumpkin puree. In a seperate bowl whisk together
the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and baking soda, throwing in the pinch of salt. Add the buttermilk and flour mixture alternately to the wet ingredients, whisking completely.

Add fresh corn. Place the 9x13 pan (or two 9x9 pans) on the stove top, adding the tablespoon of olive oil and turning the burner on to medium heat. Once the oil is hot, immediately pour the batter into the pan and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (the hot oil will create crispy edges on your cornbread). If you enjoy spice add jalapenos for an extra kick of flavor!

Another experiment to play with if you have leftover cans of pumpkin is coconut-almond pumpkin pie. Follow the recipe on the back of the pumpkin can, but replace the can of evaporated milk with a can of coconut milk and sprinkle slivered almonds on the top of the pie before placing it in the oven. Cover the pie with tinfoil and allow it an extra ten minutes to cook.