Being a product of a Midwestern rearing and household, it should come as no surprise that corn and I go way back. During the summer months in Wisconsin, corn is everywhere.
The unstaffed and ubiquitous (yes, I had to make sure I was using that word right 😛 ) corn stands at gas stations, beckoning morally upstanding citizens to serve themselves and put their money in the tin.
The rows upon rows of green and gold along highways (it’s corn and not Green Bay Packer fans- an easy mistake).
Corn roasts.
Corn on the grill.
Corn on the cob.
Corn.
Am I obsessed? Maybe…but you should know that nothing, and I mean nothing, beats fresh corn on the cob on a balmy summer night.
Of course, I will say that I am no longer as doe-y eyed about corn as I used to be.
For instance, I know now the startling fact that of the billions of bushels of corn produced in the United States, only 9% is used for “domestic food uses” while almost half goes to animal feed. (Source) So chances are that those waving fields of green and gold I mentioned earlier are ending up as cow chow (which, subsequently, ends up in us. But that’s another story…) Yes, and then there’s the high fructose corn syrup and all the nasty, processed nonsense that goes with it.
But I don’t believe that any of those facts, while troublesome in their own right, should tarnish the wholesome reputation of the sweet corn of yore I always yearn for.
In fact, nutritionally speaking, corn is pretty awesome. A single cup contains 14% of your daily value of fiber and 5 grams of protein – which means it’s a great vegetable that gives you amazing bang for your buck and deserves its place in a balanced, whole foods diet.
Which brings me to this simple preparation of corn (and there are MANY more) that I have used the past few nights. The BF and I bought a ridiculous amount of corn at last weekend’s farmer’s market, so with every dinner goes another ear 🙂 Sauteeing is a great way to bring out the simple flavors of corn while also suffusing other vegs like tomatoes, green bell peppers, onions, and kale with their natural sweet juices. Add some chili powder and cumin to seal the deal and BAM, you’ve got yourself a delicious saute to serve over any grain. I served mine with both polenta and bulgur, as shown above.
Simple Summer Corn & Vegetable Saute (serves 2)
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked grain (let your mind reel with the possibilities here…)
1 ear fresh corn with kernals sliced off & into a bowl
1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 cup cooked/prepared beans (I used black beans above)
1/2 large onion, diced
handful of greens (I used kale) chopped roughly
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder (adjust to taste)
dash of red pepper flakes (for spice!)
Directions
1. While preparing your grain, combine all the other ingredients into a bowl.
2. Grease a large pan on the stove lightly with spray olive oil/coconut oil/etc…Heat the pan up and throw on the veg!
3. Saute on medium-high heat until the greens have attained their peak greenness and have wilted.
4. Dish out the cooked grain on each plate/bowl and then top off each with the saute mixture.
5. Nom away!
What is your favorite summer vegetable?
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