by Laura B. Weiss

“Go ahead, take a bite,” said farmer Joe Barsczewski, handing me an ear of just-picked corn.

“You mean eat it right now, without cooking it?” I asked Joe, who’s been farming 22 acres of land on the outskirts of the North Fork, Long Island town of Greenport for the last 14 years. I was dubious even though the perfectly aligned yellow kernels appeared sparklingly fresh.

But raw?

Joe, who also grows potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes and other summer crops, emptied a bushel of ears onto the stand, eying me as I took a tentative bite. Though I expected the kernels’ texture to be leathery and tough, the perky yellow globes were unexpectedly crunchy and moist—and so full of flavor they exploded in my mouth with a jolt of sugary bliss. Even that Hallowe’en perennial, candy corn, couldn’t compete with this bit of vegetable heaven.

It's January, and if you’re like me, you’re dreaming of fresh corn from the farm. On the North Fork of Long Island, an area that is two hours from New York City and dotted with farms and vineyards, Joe is just one of more than a dozen farmers who offer up impeccably fresh corn and other vegetables.