Corn is delicious eaten right off the cob, especially when it’s fresh from the farm or farm stand. Sometimes, though, you might want to dress it up a bit, especially when hosting a special gathering… or when you need to stretch two ears of corn to feed four people. For those occasions, or simply when you want a change, we asked our friends at Sur La Table to provide three corn recipes that are easy, impressive, and most important, delicious.
Barbecued Corn and Tomato Salad with Oregano Vinaigrette
Makes four servings
Ingredients
4 tablespoons champagne or white-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons finely minced red onion
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large ears of corn, shucked
2 large, very ripe plum tomatoes, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1 or 2 serrano peppers, trimmed, seeded, and minced
Instruction
To prepare the oregano vinaigrette, combine vinegar, honey, and red onion in a medium mixing bowl. While whisking vigorously, drizzle in ½ cup olive oil by drops to form an emulsion. Stir in chopped oregano. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
You could omit grilling the corn and the tomato, but this step enhances the natural sweetness of both foods.
To prepare the corn, heat a large pot of generously salted water over high heat until boiling. Add corn and cook until crisp-tender, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the corn and set it aside.
Meanwhile, prepare a moderate charcoal fire, preheat a gas grill to medium, or heat a large grill pan over medium heat. Brush grill grates or grill pan with a thin coating of olive oil. Place corn on grill and cook just until grill marks are visible on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Using tongs, transfer corn to a plate; maintain grill temperature.
While the corn cools, brush the cut sides of the tomatoes with some of the remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place tomatoes, cut side down, on the grill and cook, flipping once, until charred, about 6-8 minutes total. Transfer tomatoes to a cutting board.
Once the corn is cool to the touch, remove the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife or a corn stripper. Place kernels in a salad bowl and add serranos to taste. Cut the tomatoes into ¾-inch pieces and place in the bowl with the corn. Drizzle vegetables with oregano vinaigrette and toss well to coat. Serve immediately.
Our choice of serving bowl: Something white like Juliska’s Berry & Thread Serving Bowl will show off the colors of the vegetables beautifully.
This side dish can accompany anything from burgers to Thanksgiving turkey.
Sautéed Corn with Smoky Lime Butter
Makes four servings
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 poblano peppers, diced
1 shallot, diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 pound raw corn kernels
1 lime, zested and cut in half
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pats
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
To a large sauté pan set over medium heat, add vegetable oil. Swirl pan to coat. Add peppers, shallot, and garlic, and sauté until tender, stirring often.
Increase heat to high and add corn. Cook mixture, tossing every 30 seconds, until corn begins to brown.
Lower heat to medium-high. Add lime zest, smoked paprika, and butter, and stir to combine until the butter melts. Squeeze in juice from half of lime. Add cilantro, taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Our choice of serving bowl: For a casual or outdoor meal, try the Retreat Pottery Bamboo Serving Bowl; it looks like stoneware but is shatterproof, scratch resistant, and eco-friendly. For a somewhat more formal occasion, we love Iittala’s folkloric Taika Serving Bowl, which is oven safe, microwave safe, dishwasher safe, and delightful.
Charred-Corn Succotash
Makes four servings
Ingredients
3 ears of corn, husked
1 small sweet onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch rings
1 medium garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup shelled edamame beans, thawed if frozen
¼ cup basil leaves, torn
1 cup baby arugula leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Place corn on grill and cook, turning as needed until evenly grill-marked and tender. Repeat this step with the onion. Transfer corn to a cutting board and remove the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife or a corn stripper. Finely chop the grilled onion. Place grilled corn and onion into a medium mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and fold to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Our choice of serving bowl: What better way to serve a vegetable dish than on a dish that looks like a vegetable—in this case, Bordallo Pinheiro’s Cabbage Salad Bowl.
You can make the succotash ahead of time except for adding the arugula and basil; save that step until just before serving. Photo by Robert Krčmar/Unsplash.
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