By Michel McNeese
There comes a week every July when Johnston County begins to look a little different.
The tomatoes are still arriving by the basket, but now another summer favorite starts appearing everywhere. Pickup trucks pull onto grassy shoulders. Folding tables appear beneath shade trees. Handwritten signs pop up along roads leading through Clayton, Benson, Princeton, Four Oaks and Smithfield.
SWEET CORN.
I have a weakness for roadside stands. It is almost impossible for me to drive past one without slowing down to see what is in season. There is something reassuring about knowing the person selling the produce likely planted it, tended it, harvested it and is now sharing the fruits of that work with their neighbors.
And in July, sweet corn often steals the show.
Unlike sweet potatoes, which enjoy festivals and statewide recognition, sweet corn arrives quietly. Yet few foods are more connected to summer gatherings in Johnston County. It appears at church picnics, family reunions, fish fries, backyard cookouts and Fourth of July celebrations. For many families, shucking corn on the porch is a summer tradition.
What makes fresh sweet corn special is something most people never think about. The moment corn is harvested, its natural sugars begin converting into starch. That means the sweetest corn is often the corn picked that very morning. Every hour matters.
That is one reason locally grown corn tastes so different from corn that has traveled long distances before reaching the grocery store.
But the story of corn stretches much farther than Johnston County.
More than 9,000 years ago, Indigenous peoples in what is now Mexico transformed a wild grass called teosinte into one of the world’s most important food crops. Through generations of careful cultivation, they created the corn we know today. Long before European settlers arrived in North Carolina, Indigenous communities throughout the Americas were growing, trading and cooking with corn.
Today corn remains one of the most versatile ingredients in our kitchens. It becomes grits, cornbread, hushpuppies, chowders, casseroles and countless family recipes.
One of my favorite modern corn dishes also honors those deep roots.
Known as elote, Mexican street corn is traditionally grilled and coated with a mixture of creamy sauce, cheese, chili and lime. It is smoky, tangy, savory and just messy enough to make you smile. If you have never tried it, July is the perfect time to start, especially when Johnston County corn is at its peak.
Johnston County Mexican Street Corn
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 ears fresh sweet corn, husks removed
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese (or feta cheese)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
- Grill the corn, turning occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
- Brush the mixture generously over the warm corn.
- Sprinkle with the cheese and cilantro.
- Serve immediately with lime wedges.
A Final Thought
Summer has a way of moving faster than we expect.
Before long, the corn will be gone, the roadside stands will begin to thin out, and another season will take its place. But for a few short weeks, sweet corn reminds us why so many people love living in Johnston County. It connects us to local farmers, to centuries of agricultural history and to one another.
So the next time you see a handwritten sign beside the road advertising sweet corn, consider stopping.
You might just be taking home the sweetest taste of summer.
