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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Century-old practice of writing graffiti in Mount Ashland lichen has to stop, forest officials warn ... Emergency Services, Sept. 13 ... Central Point woman who died in house fire identified ... Century-old practice of writing graffiti in Mount Ashland lichen has to stop, forest officials warn ... Emergency Services, Sept. 13 ... Central Point woman who died in house fire identified ... Jazz up corn on the cob Comment By Gretchen McKay Pittsburgh Post-Gazette MailTribune.com By Gretchen McKay Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Posted Aug. 3, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Gretchen McKay Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Posted Aug. 3, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Lots of sweet butter and a sprinkle or two of salt. Maybe some freshly ground black pepper, if a shaker’s within easy reach on the picnic table. That’s how so many of us enjoy fresh-picked corn on the cob. It’s hard to go wrong with tradition, but simple isn’t necessarily better when it comes to summer’s hallmark vegetable. It’s just … simpler. Sweet and tender, corn on the cob lends itself to any number of toppings. Mexican-style corn, topped with spicy sriracha- or chipotle-flavored mayonnaise and crumbly cotija cheese, is particularly hot right now, showing up in any number of this season’s grilling cookbooks. But that’s just the start. It turns out corn can be made even tastier when you brush it with a tangy basil vinaigrette and dust it with salty Parmigiano-Reggiano, or slather it with a homemade herb butter. And how about wrapping it in thick slices of bacon before you throw it on the grill? While it’s cooking, brush it with a peppery chipotle-honey glaze. Talk about savory treats that will get kids and veggie-adverse grownups to eat their vegetables. The traditional method of cooking corn on the cob, after it is husked and the silky threads pulled away from the kernels, is to boil it: Drop the corn into a large pot filled with boiling salted water, cover, let the water return to a boil, and then turn off the heat and keep the pot covered. After about five minutes, remove what you’ll eat during a first round; remaining corn can be kept warm in the water for another 10 minutes or so. But it also can be broiled (four to six inches from the heat, for 10 to 15 minutes), roasted in the oven (at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes), or cooked on the grill. Grilling adds a hint of smoke and char to the vegetable. Throw the naked cobs over a hot fire and grill them, turning occasionally, until the kernels are tender and charred, about 10 minutes total. Or wrap ears in aluminum foil, with or without butter or oil inside, and cook over a hot grate or directly on hot coals, until done, about 15 to 20 minutes. My favorite way to grill corn is in the husk. Soak the unshucked ears in water to cover for 15 to 20 minutes, remove corn from water and shake off excess. Place corn on the hot grill grates (heat should be medium-high), close cover and grill for 20 minutes, turning every five minutes or so until the corn is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Pull the husks back before serving (the silks will come right off). The husks will get black, but no worries! The corn inside will stay moist. Fresh corn will keep for a day or so in the refrigerator, unshucked in a bag. But really, who can wait that long for the quintessential taste of summer? BASIL-PARMESAN CORN For basil vinaigrette: 1 small shallot, roughly chopped 2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves, stems removed (about 4 ounces) 1 clove garlic ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes ½ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper For corn: 8 ears fresh corn Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Blend all the ingredients for the basil vinaigrette for 1 minute, until very smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately, or refrigerate the vinaigrette for up to 3 days. Prepare corn: Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill to high heat. Pull the husk down and keep it on to use for holding the corn later. Grill the corn over high heat until it starts to char. Remove from grill. Using a pastry brush, brush some of the basil vinaigrette onto the corn and then heavily sprinkle with the grated cheese. Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings. — Adapted from whatsgabycooking.com MEXICAN-STYLE GRILLED STREET CORN 8 ears corn, husked For sriracha aioli: ½ cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons sriracha, or more to taste Juice ½ lime Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste For toppings: Crumbled cotija cheese Red pepper flakes Chopped scallions Chopped fresh cilantro Lime wedges, for squeezing Prepare corn: Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill to high heat. Pull the husk down and keep it on to use for holding the corn later. Brush grill grate and coat with oil. Make aioli: Combine mayonnaise, sriracha, and lime juice in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside. Put corn on grate and cook, turning every 5 minutes or so, until it starts to char. Remove from grill. Drizzle corn with sriracha aioli, then sprinkle with crumbled cotija cheese, red pepper flakes, chopped scallions and chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. Serves 8. — Jack McKay, Gretchen McKay’s son GRILLED CORN WITH HERB BUTTER 8 ears corn 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley ¼ cup chopped fresh chervil ¼ cup chopped fresh tarragon ¼ cup chopped fresh chives 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped ½ teaspoon anchovy paste (optional) ½ teaspoon sea salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Prepare butter: In bowl, using a fork, stir together butter, herbs, garlic, anchovy paste, salt and pepper. Transfer to a sheet of plastic wrap and using a rubber spatula and the plastic wrap, shape the butter into a log about 1½ inches in diameter. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes, before using, or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Prepare corn: Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high. If you plan to grill the corn naked (out of the husk), peel back the husk and remove the silks. Keep the peeled-back husk on the cob, using it as a handle. Lube the corn with a little oil or butter. If you slip some foil under the husks during grilling, you will prevent them from burning. If you prefer to grill the corn in the husk, simply toss the ears of corn over a medium-high fire — husk, silks and all. Place corn on hot grill and cook. For unhusked corn, grill corn 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Serve corn with herbed butter. Makes 8 servings. — Adapted from “Williams-Sonoma Grill School” by Andrew Schloss and David Joachim (Weldon Owen, June 2016, $29.95) BACON-WRAPPED CORN WITH CHIPOTLE GLAZE 4 corn ears, husked 4 bacon slices ¼ cup canned chipotle peppers ¼ cup honey ¼ cup butter, melted Going from one end to the other, wrap bacon around each ear and secure with toothpicks. Set aside. In a food processor or blender, pulse chipotle peppers until smooth. In a bowl, combine pureed peppers, honey and butter. Spray grates of grill with cooking spray and set over medium-hot coals. Liberally brush bacon-wrapped corn with chipotle-honey glaze and arrange on grill. Grill corn, turning every 2 to 3 minutes and basting regularly with glaze, for about 20 to 25 minutes or until corn is cooked and bacon is crisp. Serves 4. — onionringsandthings.com By Gretchen McKay Pittsburgh Post-Gazette MailTribune.com By Gretchen McKay Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Posted Aug. 3, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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