Summer Corn Salad with Baby Tomatoes and Cilantro

If you love cilantro and,  Ay,  dios mío no self respecting Mexican cook does not.  this is a dish that shines with the addition of the chopped fresh green. If, on the other hand, you are unlucky enough to be part of that population that carries the gene that gives them issues with cilantro, then you could substitute the same amount of chopped fresh Italian parsley. For more on this sad state of affairs check this out http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html

Now back to the salad.


Take  2 ears fresh corn, husked. Scrape the kernels off into a bowl.
Add 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, stemmed and halved (if you can mix the yellow and red varieties, so much the better)
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Serve over freshly washed salad greens



Gently mix everything together and place on top of fresh salad greens.

Serves 4.

Green Corn Ice Cream

• 4 ears  of fresh corn, shucked and cut off the cob
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup sugar (white sugar please for color)
• 9 large egg yolks
• small pinch of salt to bring out the flavor

Green corn is another name for young, "new corn". This dish can be made with that wonderful butter and sugar corn or white corn that is still available fresh in the farmer's markets for another few weeks.  Select four tender ears of fresh corn and scrape off the kernels into a large pot. Don't throw away the cobs which have a lot of flavor but break them up and add them to pot.  Bring together 2 cups of whole milk, 2 cups of heavy cream and a scant half-cup of sugar (reserving 1/4 for later). Bring to a boil and discard the cobs.  Using a blender puree the corn kernels, cream, milk and sugar mixture. 
Put mixture back into the pot on a low simmer for a few minutes. In another bowl wisk  together 9 egg yolks. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.  Gently add about a cup of the corn/cream/milk mixture to the egg yolks tempering the mixture so it does not curdle. Combine both mixtures in the pot and cook over medium low hear for about ten minutes until it coats a spoon. You have made a yummy corn custard.

Elotes Off the Cob:

Elotes Off the Cob: Roasted Corn with Parmesan Cheese and Lime

Overwhelmed by your summer bounty of sweet corn. Try this wonderful twist by making Corn (Elotes) off the cob building upon the unique flavor of corn that is roasted in the oven. 

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place four ears of corn in their husks directly on the oven rack and roast for 30 minutes or until corn is soft.
• Cool slightly and cut corn off the cob.
• In a large bowl, toss corn with about 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, and 1 tablespoon sour cream.   Incorporate the juice juice of two limes and three to four Tbs. of freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese into the mixture
  
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle Mexican chile pepper (I favor Pica Pica available in Mexican grocery stores) on the top.

Serve warm.