Three-minute Corn on the Cob
Three-minute Corn on the Cob
(and crying at the dry cleaners)
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Hi friends and Happy Friday!
If you’d rather listen than read, the audio is posted at the top.
Today we are talking about the easiest way to make corn on the cob. No husking and no boiling water required.
But first, my dry cleaner story.
Did you know that most formal dresses come pre-hemmed at 5’9”? Before my daughter’s wedding, I took my mother-of-the-bride dress to our local dry cleaners because several inches had to come off.
After picking up the dress and bringing it home, I tried it on one more time. It was still way way way too long! So back to the cleaners I went.
The problem: they didn’t think they had made a mistake.
Another problem: I didn’t think I should be charged again.
Eventually, we came to an agreement and the dress would be ready in a few days. In explaining to the seamstress that my husband would pick up the dress instead of me because I would be in New York taking care of my mom, I found myself in tears.
Yes, I cried at the dry cleaners. My only daughter was getting married. My mom just had major surgery and would not be at the wedding. All the emotions had caught up to me.
The seamstress was just as surprised as I was at my sudden teary-ness. From either kindness or pity, she took $10 off the bill.
The end of the story is the visit with my mom was great, my dress was finally the right length, and my daughter’s wedding was wonderful.
Okay, now let’s talk about corn on the cob!
Summer Corn
You and I like to eat fruits and vegetables when they are in season because they are 1) cheaper, 2) more nutritious, and 3) taste so much better. We’ve chatted about this before.
So what’s in season in Southern California now that summer is here?
Fruits: apricots, berries (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries), cherries, citrus (lemons, grapefruits), guava, mangoes, melons (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon), and stone fruits (peaches, plums).
Vegetables: avocadoes, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, green onions, peppers, summer squash (pattypan, zucchini), and tomatoes.
Corn is especially good this year. It’s plump, sweet, and so so cheap. One local grocery store had them for 10 cents an ear.
For many years, I prepared corn on the cob in one of two ways.
Husks off, silks removed, and plunged into a pot of boiling water on the stovetop for five-ish minutes.
Husks still on but silks removed and laid on a hot outdoor grill for ten-ish minutes.
Recently, I discovered that fresh corn on the cob can be cooked in another way. Without taking off the husks or silks. And in just three minutes!
How? Read on.
Recipes
Three-minute Corn on the Cob
This recipe is great if you are making one, two, or three ears of corn. When you are preparing more than that, boiling or grilling is probably quicker.
Ingredients:
1 to 3 ears fresh corn on the cob, un-shucked
Garnish: butter and salt
Directions:
Leave the corn as is, husks and silks still on.
Place one ear in the microwave and nuke for three minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the ear from the microwave and place on a cutting board. Repeat with the remaining ears.
When ready to serve, cut two inches off the bottom stem end. Grab the top of the ear and slip off the husk. The silks will come off with the husk in one clean piece. Ta da!
I boiled three ears and microwaved three ears just to see if how they were different. They came out nearly identical. Delicious.
Why did I need so much corn? I was also making this: Summer Salad with Tomato, Corn, and Farro.
Tell Me
Have you had summer corn yet? I’d love to know how you prepare it.
Starting next week, we will talk about fresh salads that use summer produce. My mouth is watering already! See you next Friday.
Ahhh, I’ve had a couple of those times where the culmination of all the major events, and holding it in, comes out in a place like the dry cleaners. So glad it all worked out! 💕