Summer has officially arrived when ears of corn are piled high at your local market. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been able to eat just one ear of corn. The summer before my orthodontist gave me braces, I ate corn on the cob like a girl on a mission. My Aunt Ruth made an amazing dinner one night and boasted that the farmers’ market had fresh corn so she bought “too many ears for just us”. As it turned out, she bought just enough. My father and I each ate at least six ears at each sitting, much to my aunt’s delight. To this day, I associate corn with the sound of a screen door slamming shut and the feel of plastic-covered furniture. As much as I love buttery corn on the cob, it can be a bit messy. With that in mind, I am suggesting three ways to enjoy corn without the mess. The sweetness of corn is ideal for a variety of dishes, from breads and puddings to chowders and casseroles. Mary’s Corn Pudding is my grandmother’s own recipe that tastes the same when I make it today as it did when she made it fifty years ago. The only drawback seems to be that every time I make it, my dad shows up at the stove with a spoon! For a refreshing side dish, try Tomato & Corn Salad. It is tangy and cool, which is ideal for a summer meal. When in a plastic container, it travels well so it can also be invited along on picnics or fishing trips. With hundreds of corn soup and chowder recipes in cookbooks worldwide, it is often nice to return to the basics. This column’s Corn Chowder is simple and comforting. It goes well with a glass of iced tea and a BLT sandwich, a recipe that will be featured in an upcoming column. Just because the best corn is available in summer and early fall doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy these dishes year-round. Each recipe includes the corresponding amount of canned corn as a substitute for kernels fresh from the ear. Continue reading →