the rest of the story

Yesterday morning after taking the boys to school, I stopped at the grocery store and bought 10 ears of corn and a big bunch of basil. I shucked the corn, and cut it off the cob. The fourth grade end-of-the-year picnic was happening that evening. Fried chicken, pasta salad and dessert were covered, so I decided to bring a vegetable. Corn, specifically. Kids and corn are like fish and water, and my family loves this particular dish.





Then the phone rang. Abbott was in the school office, sick. I went and picked him up; needless to say, we didn't attend the picnic.

I had enough corn to feed an army - I'd doubled the recipe - and a houseful of people in varying stages of the stomach flu. I did go ahead and cook it; some of us will eat it, a little at a time over the next few days. So it goes, sometimes.




Confetti Corn
slightly adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

5 ears corn, shucked
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 small orange bell pepper, 1/2-inch diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil, minced fresh chives, or other herbs of your choosing

To remove the kernels from the cob, stand one ear of corn vertically on a cutting board. Using a sawing motion, run a large knife between the cob and kernels. Repeat with the remaining ears of corn.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Stir in the bell pepper and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the butter to the skillet. After it melts, add the corn, salt, and pepper. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the corn is tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste, gently stir in the basil or other herbs, and serve hot.

Yield: 6 servings