Before it was labeled a foodie trend, my family ate seasonally because that was how everyone ate. The summer months in particular were marked with the arrival of our favorite local foods.
In June, we relished sticky sweet strawberries. We trekked out to the farms near Carnation or Snohomish and filled wide cardboard boxes with bright red fruit still hot from the sun. My mom turned them into jam for toast and peanut butter sandwiches in the year to come. Later in the summer we picked and preserved blackberries in the same manner.
Watermelons arrived in August. In the days before seedless watermelon, the fruit was brighter pink and much sweeter. The massive oblong melons had to be served icy cold or my dad wouldn’t eat them. We spent a lot of time in August rearranging the refrigerator to accommodate a chilling melon. My sister and I used to slice off two inch slabs just barely smaller around than our Corelle dinner plates. We balanced the plates on our crossed legs while sitting on the couch watching The Price is Right. We practiced scooping perfectly rounded bites of melon with our cereal spoons while coaching the contestants on how to bid for each showcase.
Unlike early and late summer with their juicy fruits, July was a savory month. In July we savored fresh corn on the cob. When our summer road trips shared the highway with trucks heaped high with bright green ears I knew we would be sinking our teeth into those crisp kernels by dinnertime. Wispy corn silk strands trailed in the air behind the bouncing trailers. Every so often an entire ear would shake loose and bounce onto the road. The careless loss of an ear of corn was a sign of the abundance of the season.
Like so many teens and pre-teens, I spent three years with braces. Corn-on-the-cob was among the list of off-limits foods. For three summers, I couldn’t sink my teeth into a butter-soaked ear of corn. Abstaining from this treat threw the rhythm of my year out of sync.
To help me enjoy corn, my mom found a tool for stripping the kernels from the cob. A serrated metal cuff fastened to the inside of narrow tongs. You slid the tapered end of the corn into the cuff, took firm hold of the tongs with one hand and the ear of corn with the other, then twisted until the cob was stripped of its kernels. The device worked well enough that my sister and I both used it through our time in braces.
My kids were very small when I handed them their first ears of corn. I watched excitedly, anticipating an immediate love for one of my favorite summer foods. Imagine my disappointment when I realized neither offspring shares my love of sinking their baby teeth into a tender ear of fresh corn.
Luckily the boys are happy to eat corn off the cob. I also discovered a nice sharp chef’s knife is even better at separating kernels from the cob than Mom’s gadget — although, I have a feeling she knew that but didn’t trust us to safely wield the combo of sharp knife and slippery ear of corn. Cutting the corn off the cob for the kids inspired me to think of other ways to serve peak of the season corn.
It is not often I get a chance to include bacon in my world of eating for weight loss. When I do use it, bacon generally appears as a seasoning rather than a substantial ingredient. A small bit of bacon gives a nice smoky flavor and crispy texture to simple recipes like salads and soups. For this skillet corn recipe, bacon is just the right salty balance to the starchy sweet corn. This side dish takes a bit of extra prep to cut the kernels from the cobs (which is admittedly a messy task) but the cooking is quick and the combination of flavors is wonderfully comforting. I know you will agree it is worth the small effort. If, however, you don’t agree or fresh corn is out of season, you can use frozen — which is picked fresh so it counts.
Skillet corn with bacon
4 ears of corn, shucked and kernels removed
4 strips (about ¼ pound) smoked bacon, diced into ¼ inch strips
2 teaspoons reserved bacon fat
1 ½ cups diced white onion
½ teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon chili flakes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Cook the bacon in a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat until it is crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Then carefully remove the bacon fat from the pan to a heat safe container for disposal, reserving just enough fat to coat the bottom of the pan – about 2 teaspoons.
Reduce the heat to medium then add the onions to the hot pan. Sauté the onions until they soften and the edges begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the corn, salt, and chili flakes, stir carefully as the pan will be quite full. Stir occasionally and cook un-covered until the corn is tender, about 8 to 12 minutes.
When the corn is cooked add the butter, stirring until it is melted, then mix in the bacon. Serve hot.
Prep: 20 minutes; cook: 25 minutes
Yield: 8 servings (approximately ½ cup each)
Approximate nutrition: 110 calories, 4g fat, 228mg sodium, 17g carbohydrate, 2.6g fiber, 2.5g sugar, 4g protein.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
