Summer time is my favorite time of year to be a food writer. The possibilities are endless and even the rising food prices barely touch my farm fresh produce. Corn on the cob is one of my favorite summer time indulgences. It reminds me of everything good about childhood and back yard barbecues–yes, it’s hard to believe that food can sometimes elicit such an emotional response in us.
Over the years I have revamped my corn on the cob over and over again. Here are a few of my tips:
Add Sugar to the Water
This is a tip I learned from a friend who is a hotel chef. If you boil your corn on the cob, add a little sugar to the water before boiling. The sugar water mixture brings out all the sweetness and goodness in the corn. (No don’t worry–it doesn’t make it too sweet–just naturally sweet like corn should be.)
Grilling Corn on the Cob
There a couple of ways to grill corn on the cob with one school of thought to be to wrap the corn in foil. You can do this but my favorite way to grill corn on the cob is to open the husks and remove the silk. Then butter the corn, salt it, pepper it and wrap it back up in the husk (sans the silk) and grill it. (I highly recommend greasing the grill a little before putting the husks on.)
Give Your Corn a Creative Topping
Of course you can use butter. . .and some may say that this is the best way to top corn on the cob. But if you’re feeling more adventurous–try some of these other combos:
*Onion butter & bacon bits: Mix a package of Lipton Onion soup mix with ½ cup of melted butter. Pour over corn on the cob and top with crumbled bacon and bacon bits.
*Lemon-Pepper butter: Mix together one cup of butter, softened with 2 tablespoons of lemon pepper seasoning. Yum.
*Cilantro Spice Butter: Mix together 1 cup of melted butter with half a package of taco seasoning and 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro. This is a great idea for a southwestern grill.
No matter what you do–corn on the cob is a great dinner side!
Related Articles:
Grilled Steak and Corn on the Cob
Summer Picnic Food: Kicked Up Sandwiches and Chips
Outdoor Dining: Three Course Simple Meal
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Valorie Delp shares recipes and kitchen tips in the food blog, and also writes about politics and the occassional movie review. To read more articles by Valorie Delp, click here.