Corny on Main

Last week, I told you I was in full tomato mode. Which is true. But it’s not the whole story.

My other summer love is fresh sweet corn, which I find so irresistible that I drag home far more than I can carry when I leave the market. I’ll probably end up in physical therapy, but I have to have my corn.

Tomatoes and corn are excellent partners, and I make a lot of salads that incorporate both. But sometimes you just want that corn — on the cob, in pancakes, in pasta, in soup and in all manner of desserts. I’m infatuated with sweet corn ice cream. I scramble corn kernels with eggs for a pleasingly monochromatic meal.

This week, I’ve picked five corn recipes for you. And to everyone who wrote in last week to tell me I forgot to include BLTs in the newsletter: I promise, I didn’t forget BLTs. I would never. The BLT is the queen of sandwiches, and my sandwich of choice. But sometimes you don’t have bacon at home, or you don’t feel like frying anything, or you don’t want (or eat) meat, or it’s too hot a day and you just want to slather the mayo on the bread, layer on the tomatoes and sprinkle it all with a shower of salt. At any rate, I won’t make this mistake again.

Now tell me how you feel about corn, and how you’re cooking it. I’m [email protected], and it’s good to hear from you.

1. Grilled Chicken With Tomatoes and Corn

You know how you’re supposed to let meat rest for several minutes when it comes off the grill? (If you didn’t know that, now you do.) I usually put it on a cutting board, but now I’ll let it sit on top of a bed of raw sweet corn and sliced tomatoes, à la Ali Slagle, so the drippings from the meat can flavor everything else on the plate. Here, the meat is chili-rubbed chicken thighs, juicy and delicious.

View this recipe.

2. Savory Corn Fritters

I love corn cakes and fritters, especially when the kernels are left intact (not puréed), which is what Vallery Lomas does here. You could serve these as a side, but I’d eat them as a main, maybe topped with eggs and definitely with sour cream or plain yogurt. Watch the heat on the stove — too high, and your kernels will explode right out of the pan.

3. Creamy Corn Pasta With Basil

This is a canonical New York Times Cooking recipe, and I can’t not share it with you here, even though it requires a blender and I really try to avoid that for you on weeknights. It’s by Melissa Clark, and it’s beloved for a reason.

View this recipe.

4. Cod and Corn With Old-Bay Butter

Recipes like this one let you eat like you’re at the beach, even when you’re nowhere near the beach. Kay Chun’s smart, one-pot seafood dinner uses fish, corn and Old Bay to take you there.