Summer in the City Food – Roasted Corn on the Cob

Summer food is often evocative of family vacations you took as a kid or traditional outdoor eats like burgers and hot days.

For me, it’s about vibrant flavours and colours and awakening my palate after a long, long winter of root vegetables and slow cooked meats.

So when I was down at the Beach boardwalk to meet my friend Diana last week, she reminded me of the corn on the cob that is roasted on the street then rubbed with fresh lime and chili powder. I always get some from a Caribbean stand down at Harbourfront when various food festivals are going on and I also get it when I head to Little India to restock my pantry. I love the way the mix of citrus and spice enlivens your palate. It really is a taste sensation.

Ever since last week, I’ve had a mad craving for it, but I wanted something pretty basic so I could make it quickly and not have to heat up the house too much (In this weather, our place holds onto it for days after I’ve cooked).

I went online to find a recipe and this Spicy Stir-Fried Corn and Peppers was close, but I still wanted something simpler.

So I went on the basis of the recipe and pared it down to:

Corn with Chili & Lime

4 ears of corn, kernels removed and cooked for 5 mins  (or 1 can or 1 1/2 cups of frozen)

2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon tamari

1/2 tablespoon of chili powder (or more if you like)

1 scallion, thinly sliced

6 grape tomatoes, halved

cilantro, salt and pepper to taste

In a pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil (I used a green non-stick pan, so I skipped this step).  Add corn and chili powder. Cook for 1 minute. Mix tamari and fresh lime juice. Cook for another minute. Take off the heat and add scallions and tomatoes. Toss and serve. Garnish with cilantro and add salt and pepper to taste.

Next time, I’m going to add the kaffir lime leaf that the other recipe used and also play around with different variations.

I’ve got the rest of the summer to figure out the perfect combination. In the meantime, I think I’ll head out and do some “research” and see how other folks in the city are preparing it.

Stay tuned.

In the meantime, tell me how you do it.