Cornbread from Scratch, and I Mean Scratch!

Today's subject is in response to a friend of mine who enjoys growing his own food so much, he doesn't just garden but plants crops in his backyard, including corn. He asked me if it would be possible to make cornbread out of some of the corn he anticipates harvesting this year. Here is what my research indicates:

First, you must dry the corn kernels. Next, grind the corn into a fine meal with a corn mill such as this one (the reviews for this particular brand weren't glowing, but you get the idea). Also, I found a video on Youtube demonstrating how to grind corn kernels here.

Once you've got your cornmeal ground, you can use it in any cornbread recipe. My husband claims he never liked cornbread until we got married, because it was always dense and dry. The recipe I use is great - it comes out light, fluffy and moist every time! You can use store bought cornmeal if you aren't putting in your crops anytime soon. :-) Slather with a little butter and it's fantastic with beans, chili, soup, etc.

Basic Corn Bread

1 1/2 c. yellow or white cornmeal
1 1/2 c. flour
6 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. milk (or plain rice or soy milk)
2 large eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400F. Oil an 8x1182-inch baking dish. Set aside. Combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Mix together with a whisk, until blended. Whisk together the soy milk, eggs and oil in a small bowl. Pour the egg mixture into the cornmeal mixture, and stir with a large spoon until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Serves 6.