My brother Jim Conforti and wife Donna’s live in a farmhouse built in 1916 in Towanda, Pa. His backyard, with its heirloom apple orchard and mountain view, is breathtaking. So beautiful are the grounds and so cooperative was the weather, that the food for today’s recipes, for corn relish and whoopie pie, was enjoyed outdoors during my recent visit. We also took some rhubarb and strawberries pies out back, and next week, I’ll show you what the pies looked like and how to make them.

Whether the season for sweet corn has begun in your area or not, with summer not starting until June 20, there’s still many weeks ahead for enjoying corn and so much more, no matter where you live. And while it may be premature for corn in Pennsylvania, not so is it too early there for whoopie pie, where the pie/cookie/ cake – sandwiched around a marshmallow-y cream filling – is always in season. Identified by some as a creation of the Pennsylvania Dutch or Amish, and by others as having had its beginnings in New England, whoopie pie makes life just a little sweeter be it fall or winter, spring or summer.

Summer may not be here quite yet, but when it arrives, with corn relish and whoopie pie, we’ll be off to an early – and sweet – start.