Fresh Creamed Corn

While this dish is absolutely at its best in the summer when you can make it with freshly cut from the cob corn, it's pretty darn good with frozen corn too. When you make it with the fresh corn, be sure not to cook it much after adding the cream; the best part is its fresh, crispy texture. I don't usually have fresh red bell peppers on hand, so when they are plentiful from the garden or on sale at the market, I simply cut them up and freeze them loosely tossed on a parchment lined sheet. Once they're frozen, I break them apart and transfer them to a zip top bag. It's by far the best way to keep peppers on hand.

If you really want to make a creamed corn that wows your socks off, add a teaspoon of cumin before serving. I'm not sure what it is about the combination of cumin and corn, but it is for sure a match made in heaven. The picture shown here is the cumin variety, which causes the sauce to have a slightly darker color. When you don't add the cumin, the cream has a nice pinkish hue from the red peppers; very pretty!

Fresh Creamed Corn
Yield: 2 cups

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 TBS butter
1/4 cup diced onion or shallot
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp salt
dash pepper
1/3 cup light cream (like half-and-half)

Saute onion in butter in a sauce pan until translucent. Add pepper, saute 1 minute.

If using freshly cut corn from the cob: Add fresh corn and remainder of ingredients. Stir thoroughly. Cook only until heated through, 2-3 minutes.

If using frozen corn from a bag: Add frozen corn and remaining ingredients to pan. Stir to mix. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 6-10 minutes.