Last Monday, my friend invited me over for dinner, and — fresh off his vacation on the East Coast — served a fantastic corn chowder. As someone who rarely thinks of or eats soup, I was reminded how wonderful that soup is, brimming with candy-like sweet corn balanced with […]
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Last Monday, my friend invited me over for dinner, and — fresh off his vacation on the East Coast — served a fantastic corn chowder. As someone who rarely thinks of or eats soup, I was reminded how wonderful that soup is, brimming with candy-like sweet corn balanced with just the right amount of comforting potatoes and salty-smoky bacon. And thankfully, he gifted me with a quart of the leftovers, which I ate for every meal afterward to keep that summery feeling alive.
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Since that meal, though, I’ve been on a corn kick, as I’m wont to do in times when a particular produce, such as sweet corn, is in season and perfect at the markets. My go-to recipe for lunch lately has been my Korean Corn Grilled Cheese, which takes the Korean BBQ side dish staple and stuffs it between two slices of sourdough. Corn, cheese, bread; it’s all you need (in life and in this recipe).
Another favorite is Genevieve Ko’s Buffalo Corn With Bacon and Eggs, which simply seasons the aforementioned title ingredients with a little Frank’s RedHot sauce and a sprinkling of scallions. There’s no better breakfast right now than this.
For lunch, I love Paola Briseño-González’s Shrimp, Mushrooms and Zucchini with Poblano Labneh Sauce and Corn Salad. The salad is very simple — just corn, mint and lime juice — but it pairs so well with so many things right now. If you don’t have the shrimp, mushrooms and zucchini, literally substitute with any other cooked protein and veggies, and they’ll taste great with that corn.
And after I make Briseño-González’s dish, I’ll take any leftover cooked shrimp and corn and use it to make Bregedel Jagung (Indonesian Corn Cakes). You bind the corn and shrimp with some eggs and flour and add a few more aromatics before frying up crispy-edged pancakes that are so delicious, I often lose count of how many I’m eating.
And if I’m craving something sweet, I love to make these Corn-Cherry Scones, except I also toss in about 1/2 cup corn kernels for extra crunch and burst of fresh corn flavor. I often substitute fresh blueberries for the same amount of dried cherries too. They’re a wonderful sweet bite that keeps the fleeting feeling of a carefree summer at the front of my mind when I need it most.
Korean Corn Grilled Cheese
The beauty of this dish is in tasting the sweet corn mixing with the super stretchy cheese. If you want, you can just use all low-moisture mozzarella, but adding fontina or provolone offers a little more flavor without overpowering the sweetness of the corn.
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Cook time: 40 minutes.
Buffalo Corn With Bacon And Eggs
Here, Buffalo hot sauce brings out the sweetness in corn that’s been seared in savory bacon fat. Splash extra sauce on the fried eggs to swirl into the runny yolks with each bite.
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Cook time: 20 minutes.
Shrimp, Mushrooms And Zucchini With Poblano Labneh Sauce And Corn Salad
Fire-blistered poblano chiles flavor the creamy sauce for simple poached shrimp and seared vegetables. The corn — boiled first to plump its kernels — is mixed with mint and lime juice to add an acidic crunch to the dish.
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Cook time: 1 hour.
Bregedel Jagung (Indonesian Corn Cakes)
These corn cakes make a terrific appetizer, two or three to a serving, or offered on a platter at a buffet. Although best straight off the griddle, they can be kept at room temperature, the way much food is eaten in Indonesia.
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Cook time: 35 minutes.
Corn-Cherry Scones
These light, sweet scones get their satisfyingly chewy texture from cornmeal. Feel free to add in fresh corn, as well, and substitute golden raisins, chopped dried figs or dates, or even a few fresh blueberries into the mix if you don’t have dried cherries.
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Cook time: 40 minutes.
