Skillet Corn

I was at the market recently and saw all this fresh beautiful looking corn just calling my name.  So, being obedient to talking vegetables, I walk over and see what’s up.  What was up…the fresh corn was on sale for like ‘8 ears for a dollar.’

Are u kidding me?  Isn’t it a little earlier in the season for corn?

I don’t now where the stuff came from or what farmer was robbed for this corn, but I sure enough bought a cart full of corn.  Well family, it’s corn for the next month!  The corn was fresh, firm, slightly sweet and juicy…and downright delicious.  For the rest of the week I’ll share some of the corn inspired recipes that my wife and I have conjured up.

The corn bonanza begins with one of my favorite fresh corn dishes…Skillet Corn.  The recipe and cooking is pretty basic and the result is 100% mmm, mmm good!

There it is {insert aawwww music}…fresh ears of corn.  Time to shuck and prep.  We will be using 9 ears of corn for this recipe.

Putting the corn in a water bath is a little trick to help get the remaining pesky silks off the corn.  In a downward motion, firmly rub your hand over the corn under the water to loosen the remaining corn silks.  Doing this under the water keeps the silks from clinging to your hands.

Time to separate the kernels.  You’ll need a mixing bowl, a pairing or small knife and a spoon.  Hold the ear of corn vertically in the mixing bowl with one hand.  With your other hand carefully glide your knife down the length of the ear to remove the kernels.  You’ll have to repeat this motion about 8 times to get around the whole cob.

After the kernels are removed, we need to remove all the missed goodness & milk in the nooks and crannies.  Using your spoon (just a regular eating spoon will do fine), scrap the length of the corn cob.  There will be some juice flying around, so hold the cob as close to the bowl as possible, lest you desire the rustic look of a corn milk splattered kitchen.

Here’s how your ravaged cob should look…nothing  left but memories for Mr. Cob.

You will be left with a cornucopia of corn…kernels, milk and bits.  Let’s prep the veggies and cook this corn medley.

The Complimentary Veggies:

• 1 red chili pepper
• 1/4 red bell pepper
• 1 plum tomato
• 1/2 red onion
• 8 cloves of garlic

As you see I like the red bouquet for this recipe.  The sweetness of the red bell, the mildness of the red onion and the spiciness of the red chili all compliment the corn and each other very well.

Add a stick of vegetable margarine, diced peppers and diced onion into a cast iron skillet and saute on medium high heat for about 5 minutes.

Add your chopped garlic and saute another 3 minutes.  Now it’s time for the star of the show.

Reduce your flame to medium and add all of that corn scrumptousness.  Add one teaspoon of sea salt and cook for ten minutes, stirringly occasionally.

Dice your tomato and add to the corn.  Turn off the heat and mix in.  The tomatoes add a nice fresh and cool crispness to the Skillet Corn.  Now it’s time to serve and eat.

There you have…Skillet Corn.

Now that’s good eatin’!

Nahum St. Martin