By Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD
Sometimes it seems as if you can’t get enough fresh, in-season corn on the cob! But, just in case you are craving a bit of corn diversity, consider a cold soup or a cold corn salad…or a fresh corn dessert.
To make about 4 servings of creamy cold corn soup, clean 4 large ears of fresh corn. Cut the kernels off each cob. Place corn kernels, about ½ cup of plain almond or coconut milk, 2 Tablespoons shredded fresh basil, 2 Tablespoons shredded fresh parsley (leaves only), 2 Tablespoons chopped scallions (white part only), 2 teaspoons lime juice, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder into a food processor or blender. For a thicker soup, add two or three ice cubes when blending. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, and then your soup is ready to consume!
A fast, cold, corn-gazpacho soup can be created by puréeing ripe avocados, fresh corn kernels, and chopped, very ripe, or canned tomatoes until creamy. Season with pepper, chopped fresh chilies (if you like the heat), and shredded fresh herbs from your garden. Allow to chill for about one hour before serving.
For a cold corn salad, serving about 4-6 people, cut kernels from four large ears of corn and combine, in a large bowl, with 1 cup chopped, seeded bell pepper (use several colors), ¼ cup chopped sweet onion, and, if desired, 2 teaspoons chopped, diced fresh chilis and set aside. In a small bowl, combine about ½ cup vegan mayo, ½ cup vegan silken tofu or plain vegan Greek-style yogurt, 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice, and a sprinkle of garlic and onion powder and mix well. Add to the corn mixture and combine. Chill for at least one hour prior to serving.
Create Cowboy Caviar by combining cooked black-eyed peas with fresh corn kernels, chopped onion, tomatoes, avocado, and bell peppers along with a dressing of lemon juice, vegetable oil, cumin, black pepper, and minced garlic. If you happen to find fresh black-eyed peas at the market, sample a few, uncooked, for their crunch and sweetness. You may want to use them uncooked for this hot weather salad.
If you have leftover “juice” from pickle jars, save it and add washed, sliced from the cob, corn kernels to it and refrigerate overnight. Your “pickled corn” will last several days in the refrigerator.
Side note: reserve corn cobs for later use, as they make a wonderful base for a summer-in-a-bowl vegetable broth. If you’re not going to use the cobs right away, they can be frozen until ready to cook. When using fresh cobs or thawed frozen cobs, scrape the cob with the back of a large spoon, to release the “corn milk.” The flavor is intense and adds thickness and creaminess to soups and sauces.
If you have extra, fresh corn-off-the-cob kernels, think about tossing them into salads and salsas or stir into dips, as well as adding to a cornbread or zucchini bread batter. Sweet corn ice cream can be Thai- or Korean-influenced, usually made with a base of cashew nuts or coconut milk. We’ll let you do your own web research for the technique, but the ingredients generally include either canned coconut milk or soaked cashews (or both), sweetened, condensed oat milk (optional), cut corn kernels, maple syrup, cornstarch, and vanilla extract and can be prepared without an ice cream maker.