Corn! (enough said...)

Corn!  Quite simply, food perfection.  OK, I know it's not exactly at the top of the "What-we-eat-to-be-healthy list.  But I'll admit this only to you, shhhh...I'm in love.

There have been a few summer nights when my honey has been out at a meeting or event. And I'm on my own for dinner.  Alone, but not lonely.  I head straight to the organic-ish grocery and buy 1/2 dozen ears of...drumroll..."corn."  Our grocer, gratefully, has a large barrel for shucking next to the ears, lined up and stacked with precision.  None askew.  Now that's convenient because shedding the silk is messy business.

I am a purist.  No slathery goop on my corn.  I like it steamed gently for 5-10 minutes in a salty bath. That's it.  Unfettered and unbuttered.  I devour it with a side of a simple salad of farm-fresh tomatoes and cucumbers.  So you're probably rightly wondering why a food blogger would jam the airspace with this jarringly simplistic post.  It came from a heavenly, inspiring meal with friends, and a perfectly beautiful bowl of chilled corn soup.  My wonderful friends, Linda and Tyler, generously shared the recipe they used.  So I'm sharing it with you.  They served the most amazingly sublime dinner following this magical first course.  Later that evening, in a thank-you text, I said:  "You had me at corn soup!"  So here it is, from "Once upon a Chef:"

Summer Corn Soup with Fresh Herbs - serves 4

Ingredients:
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 heaping cup chopped shallots
6 cups low sodium chicken broth - best quality
6 ears fresh corn (yellow)
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste if needed
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil (for garnish)
1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (for garnish)

Instructions:
1.  Remove the husks and silks from the corn.  Set one ear of corn aside.  Use a knife to cut the kernels off the remaining 5 cobs.  Then break the scraped cobs in half.  Set aside.
2.  Melt the butter in a large pot over medium low heat.  Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until they are soft and translucent, 8-10 minutes.  Add the chicken stock, whole ear of corn, salt and pepper to the pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.  Remove the whole ear of corn and set aside too cool.  Cook the soup for 10 minutes more, then remove the broken cobs from the pot and discard.
3.  Off the heat and use a hand-held immersion blender to puree the soup until very smooth.  It will take a few minutes.
4.  Place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl and pass the soup through, using the back of a ladle to push the soup through in circular motions.  Discard the fibers and bits of kernels in the sieve.  Return the strained soup to a cleaned pot.  It should have a creamy consistency. If it's too thick, thin it with water or chicken stock.  If it's too thin, cook over medium heat until thickened.
5.  Use a knife to cut the kernels off the cooled whole cob, then add the kernels to the soup along with the herbs.  Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper (if needed you can add a bit of sugar to bring out the corn's natural sweetness).  Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with tiny sprigs of fresh thyme and basil.  Serve hot or cold.

Here's another summer corn favorite recipe:

Fresh Corn Salad - serves 4-6 - Ina Garten

Ingredients:
5 ears of corn (shucked)
1/2 cup small diced red onion (1 small onion)
3 tbsp good olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

Instructions:
1.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone.  Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color.  When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob.
2.  Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil.  Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.

Or just go unadorned, unaccessorized, and unbuttered.  Enjoy a cob of summer's bounty.