It’s that time of year. The sweet corn is ripe and ready, and time to feast. I’ve been enjoying the heck out of it, boiled and slathered, grilled, and my current fave, sauteed.
I have decided that the cooking method that will heat up the kitchen the least is to cut the kernels off the cob, then saute them. Unlike a big pot of boiling water, it doesn’t fill the kitchen with steam. You can just soften them a bit and cook the other veggies that go in the dish, and then turn off the burner in just a few minutes.
Don’t be swayed by gimmicks and widgets. The best tool for taking corn off the cob is a chefs knife. Just tear off the husks and remove the silk. Place the cob on your cutting board and slice the kernels off each side, turning it as you go.
Of course, I had some beautiful, young kale from my own garden, with tender, slim stems that went easily into the dish. Great Tomatoes, garlic, what else did I need?
I was visiting family recently, and I improvised a version of this dish, to rave reviews. A trip to the farmer’s market, a few strokes of the knife, and voila, a big bowl of summer goodness.
Of course, you could take it another direction, with chiles and cumin and cilantro for a South Western feel, or Basil and a shot of white wine vinegar for an Italian vibe.
Sauteed Corn, Tomatoes and Greens from the Garden
If you are a dairy lover, use butter for the saute. I had kale, but chard or collards would do, and spinach would work, just cook for a few minutes less. Yum.
Makes about 6 cups
6 ears corn on cob, whole
3 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon canola oil or coconut spread
4 ounces kale, leaves and stems chopped separately
2 small tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper
Put a large saute pan on the stove. Chop the onions and heat the oil for a minute, then add the onions. Stir over high heat until the onions start to soften, then lower the heat to medium low and stir for as long as you have time. The longer the better. Add kale stems.
While the onions cook, cut the corn off the cobs. When the onions are soft, add the corn to the pan and keep stirring. Raise heat to medium high.
Cook for about 3 minutes, until the corn turns a little darker shade, then add the kale, tomatoes and garlic, then keep stirring. When the kale is wilted, salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a large bowl. Cool or chill.
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