I haven’t been shy about chowing down on fresh Maryland corn this summer. Although I’ve been enjoying corn on the cob, I keep reminding myself that there are a lot of other ways to enjoy an ear of corn. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino agrees, if you can scrape those kernels off the cob, there’s a lot you can do.
For instance, there’s corn pudding, a centuries old staple of Maryland summers. Although a lot of recipes say you can use canned corn or creamed corn, we say nonsense. Just boil up three or four ears of corn, let them cool down, then carefully scrape off the kernels. You’ll need about 2 cups. We’re going to be preparing a custard for this dish: eggs, heavy cream, a pinch of salt, a little sugar, a little flour and corn meal. Mix it all up in a bowl and pour in your corn. Top it off with a stick of melted butter. Then pour the bowl into a buttered baking dish and pop it into a pre-heated 350° oven. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until it is golden brown on top. Easy and oh, so good.
Corn chowder is going to be a perfect dish for those coming evenings when things start to cool off. Start with vegetable or chicken broth, blended with some half and half. Then you toss in your Maryland-grown ingredients: corn off the cob, cubed white potatoes, chunks of red pepper, and diced onion. Season with Old Bay and a touch of cayenne, and just let it simmer on the stove.
Borrowing an idea from Italy, we recommend whipping up a bread salad with corn, tomatoes and peaches. They call it “Panzanella”, and it’s a good way to use up some stale crusty bread. Cut the bread into cubes, then assemble your grilled corn kernels, cut up cherry tomatoes, peach wedges, onion and chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper and toss it with a simple oil and vinegar dressing. Serve it lightly chilled for added refreshment.
One delightful dish involving corn is corn fritters. Essentially these are smallish pancakes loaded with corn kernels. It involves making batter with flour, sugar, eggs and cream with a touch of salt and baking powder. You’ll need the kernels of three ears to pull this off. Just mix up the batter, and then pan fry in batches of two or three the same way you’d do pancakes.
You can go savory, and top them off with sour cream and chives, or you can go sweet with maple syrup and preserves. A year-round favorite.
Finally, let’s take a crack at stuffed bell peppers. I think we’d like to specify red peppers, solely for the color. Cut ‘em in half, scoop out the seeds, and pre-bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile make the stuffing. This will be a mixture of grilled corn off the cob, black beans, diced red onions, cooked rice, cilantro and lots of lime juice. Stuff the peppers and top off with a sprinkle of grated cheese. Arrange them on a baking tray and give them a good 12 minutes in a 425° oven.
