Grilled Summer Corn

Grilled Summer Corn

Corn hasn't always held star status in this house, but that all changed this summer. For a long time I eschewed corn on the cob because I despised its negative after-effects: you know, bits and pieces stuck between my teeth. Brad wouldn't touch it, along with green peas, because of the "shells," so he calls them. (We have texture issues in this house if you can't already tell.) But then we joined a CSA and had fresh corn every weekend for six weeks. And we started using our grill more often. And corn quickly became a welcome addition to our summer dinners.

There are several ways to spice up corn on the cob - my friend Jacqui likes hers with chili powder and lime - but we've been doing it this way: Slather with mayo. Sprinkle with coarse salt, freshly ground pepper, chili powder and grated Parmesan. Roll in foil then roast 5 to 10 minutes, then flip and roast 5 to 10 minutes more. When you take that first bite, letting those sweet kernels pop in your mouth, you taste pure summer. The heat of the pepper and chili powder is a great way to wake up your taste buds and maybe make you sweat a little. And the charred bits, with their slightly nutty flavor, are my favorite bites.

My dad showed up here a few weeks ago with a bushel of fresh corn, gritty with dirt and packed tightly in the shucks. It's now all frozen and waiting for winter nights when the cold just gets to be too much and we're dreaming of summer. I haven't tried it, but the grill works in January, too, right?

Grilled Summer Corn

You hardly need a recipe for roasting corn on the cob, but you might need some inspiration. Here are my muses. Oh! And yes, I know that using all that foil isn't exactly eco-friendly, and that bothers me, too. My guess is if you roll back the shucks, clean the silks then prepare your corn you could roast it right in its God-given packaging, too. And if you do and it works out let us all know!

* Parmesan-Roasted Corn on the Cob at Allrecipes.
* Elote, or Mexican Grilled Corn, by Food Blogga.
* Parmesan-Roasted Corn on the Cob at Yum Sugar.
* Grilled Corn-on-the-Cob at Simply Recipes.
* No frills Grilled Corn from Mark Bittman. (He's right. It's all about the char.)

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