Why this rescipe works we love fresh corn on the cob during its all-too brief season, and we’re always on the search for new corn inspiration to jazz up this summer favorite. In this side dish, a variety of fresh garden herbs and a light touch with the cooking are the keys. To capture all of the fresh corn’s natural sweetness, we “milked” the cob by scraping it with the back of a knife. We then briefly sautéed the corn to bring out its summery flavors, and combined it with zucchini (another summertime must-have vegetable), a variety of soft herbs, and the corn “milk.”
SERVES: 4
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 5 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs (about 5 cups), cobs reserved
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 zucchini, chopped fine
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- 1½ teaspoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Working over bowl, run back of knife down each corn cob to scrape away milk, reserving milk. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add zucchini and cook until softened and browned at edges, about 3 minutes.
- Add corn kernels and cook until deep yellow and softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Off heat, stir in corn milk, basil, chives, parsley, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
VARIATIONS:
GARDEN-FRESH CORN WITH SAUSAGE AND SAGE:
- Omit garlic. Substitute 5 ounces crumbled breakfast sausage for zucchini. Substitute 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme for basil, chives, and parsley. Add 1 finely chopped red bell pepper to skillet after cooking breakfast sausage in step 1, and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in 2 tablespoons maple syrup with herbs before serving.
GARDEN-FRESH SOUTHWESTERN CORN:
- Omit garlic. Substitute 1 finely chopped red onion for zucchini. Substitute 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro for basil, chives, and parsley. Substitute 2 teaspoons lime juice for lemon juice. Add 1 finely chopped red bell pepper to skillet after cooking red onion in step 1, and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Stir 1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce in with cilantro before serving.
