You Don’t Have to Cook Your Sweet Summer Corn

When you’re ready to prepare your corn, follow these steps to remove the husks and silk.

1. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the tip and base from the cob (just above where the husks connect to the corn stalk). 

2. Starting from the base of the cob, peel the husks away from the corn.

3. Rub the ears with a clean dish towel to remove the silk.

The most common method of cutting corn off the cob involves standing the corn up vertically, which causes the kernels to scatter. Here’s an alternative that keeps the kernels more contained. (This works well with both raw and cooked corn on the cob.)

1. Stand corn up vertically and remove a single strip by slicing downward. Place corn horizontally on cut side.

2. Use narrower front third of chef ’s knife to slice downward along cob and remove kernels. With less distance to fall, kernels don’t scatter as far.

Though I never say no to boiled or grilled corn on the cob slathered in butter, when it’s hot out, I’d rather stay cool and toss raw kernels straight into a refreshing salad or slaw. A stroll through the farmers’ market to see what’s growing alongside that sweet summer corn has inspired some of my favorite salads. Think blueberries, basil, tomatoes, and peppers. Tossed together with some baby arugula, butter lettuce, and a homemade vinaigrette, a salad of local seasonal produce will have you rethinking turning on the oven, stove, or grill at all. 

As for the corn itself, those crisp-tender morsels add juicy pops of sweetness and bursts of delightful texture, not to mention bright color. And while they’re great in just about any salad, they’re an especially smart addition to this panzanella-inspired Summer Cornbread and Tomato Salad, where cornbread croutons stand in for Italian bread and everything gets tossed together with peak-season tomatoes, sweet basil, and a creamy jalapeño-lime dressing.

It’s easy-breezy summer comfort food that’s not only vibrant and fresh-tasting but also irresistibly satisfying.