A sweet summer tradition
Corn on the cob is one of the season’s greatest pleasures; these recipes reinvent this classic vegetable
When friends ask about my favorite foods, my answer changes with the season. In August, the answer is corn, and I enjoy it as often as possible in any form.
One of summer’s greatest pleasures is grilled corn. As it turns out, there are two ways to grill corn: in and out of the husk.
To cook corn in the husk, first do your best to extract the silk from whole ears, taking care to keep the husk intact. After a soak in cool water, the ears can be roasted over a gas or charcoal grill, turning often until the husks are beautifully charred, about 30 minutes. The interior will taste of smoke and sweetness. Be
sure to roast at least two per guest — nobody will eat just one.
Grilling shucked ears adds char directly to the kernels and takes a mere 15 minutes on the grill. This is my preferred method when sprinkling the kernels over salads or adding them to sautés and stir-fries.
But the joys of corn don’t have to be limited to late summer. You can make frozen corn (grilled or raw) to enjoy after the season ends by freezing corn kernels in a shallow layer on a baking sheet until the corn is solid. Then spoon it into freezer bags or containers and freeze for up to four months. An average-size ear of corn yields about 1 cup of corn kernels, so plan your freezing accordingly.
It’s important to know how to cut the kernels off the cob safely. First, stand the cob up in a large bowl, holding it at the top with one hand. Starting at the top, use a sharp knife to cut the kernels from the cob, working your way down. Turn the cob and repeat the cutting until the cob is clean.
What to do with all that corn? You can cook it in a skillet — corn and bacon pair as perfectly as peanut butter and jelly. Add ripe tomatoes and lots of basil for a skillet full of goodness. Serve it over lettuce leaves as a side dish to grilled fish, chicken or skewered shrimp. You can also stir in sautéed chunks of tofu or feta to turn this into a main dish.
In another classic combo, I love corn and lima beans in a summery succotash. Here, the corn gets grilled along with sweet onion and tender napa cabbage. Shelled edamame makes a more contemporary version of the old-time dish, but we don’t pass up lima beans when we can find baby limas in the freezer case. Crumbled fresh cheese or a drizzle of heavy cream enriches the dish.
Sweet corn ice cream always brings back memories of a family vacation in Mexico. We ordered it sprinkled with hot chile and lime. The surprising sweet and salty combination makes this one of the things every foodie should have on their summer bucket list.