Sweet Corn

Summer's Golden Treat

The season is fast approaching for local sweet corn. I could eat corn for three meals a day - yes, even for breakfast tucked into an omelet!

My favorite is the white kernelled Silver Queen variety, but that doesn't appear until later in the year. However, my love of sweet corn often leaves us with extra cooked ears. Although I could just reheat them in the microwave, it's nice to change things up a bit and have something other than the ubiquitous corn on the cob.

As a child growing up in the 1950s, I really loved canned Mexicorn - it was so much pricier than the regular canned corn and having it was an infrequent treat. The combo of onions, peppers and corn is absolutely delicious and very pretty as well. I often make my Fiesta Corn recipe at home.

In the second recipe, extra corn takes center stage along with fennel and some sundried tomatoes. But feel free to add your favorite flavors to the mix - spinach, arugula, cherry tomatoes, nuts, dried cranberries, cumin, cilantro - whatever you'd like! The recipe is perfect for a picnic.

Fiesta Corn

In a little olive oil, sauté one chopped onion and red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped. Cook until the vegetables are very soft.

Add corn sliced from 4 cooked ears. Heat to warm.

Season with a little bit of salt and pepper.

Corn Salad

In a little olive oil, sauté until soft but not browned:
1 large onion, sliced
2 fennel bulbs, sliced

Add corn sliced from 4 cooked ears
Heat gently to warm, adding more oil if necessary
Mix in 4 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

In a small jar combine:
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
Some freshly chopped herbs, such as parsley, chives, or chervil

In a bowl, combine the corn mixture and dressing, add salt and pepper to taste. This salad may be served warm, at room temperature, or even cold, making it the perfect summer accompaniment for any meal!