How Sweet It Is

MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

Sweet corn season is here and, unfortunately, it never lasts long. This always anticipated late-summer jewel tastes great on its own — aided, perhaps by a shake of salt and a pat of butter — but it also shines in soups, salads, side dishes and more.

FRESH CORN OMELET WITH SMOKED MOZZARELLA AND BASIL

Serves 1.

1 ear sweet corn, grilled or raw, kernels sliced off cob

2 eggs

2 to 3 fresh basil leaves, slivered

1 ounce grated smoked mozzarella

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon butter

If using ungrilled corn, put kernels in a small skillet with a few tablespoons water over medium heat and simmer until tender and heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.

For omelet: In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with 1 tablespoon water. Stir in corn, basil and cheese, and season with a couple pinches of salt and some pepper. Wipe out pan.

Over medium heat, melt butter. When it foams, pour in egg mixture and give it a couple of quick stirs around pan. Cover pan with the plate you plan to eat from (it will warm it), reduce heat to low and cook eggs until pale gold on bottom.

Slide omelet onto plate, invert pan over it, grasp whole unit and flip it over. Slide omelet back into pan and cook second side until it just sets, about 1 minute. Tip omelet into plate, add sliced tomato and serve.

Note: “This combination of elements makes terrific scrambled eggs, too,” writes author Deborah Madison. “Grilled corn as well as fresh is excellent here, so keep that in mind if you happen to be grilling.” If using fresh rather than smoked mozzarella, dice cheese and let it rest on paper towels to release water, otherwise eggs will be watery. Madison suggests serving with toast and just-sliced tomatoes garnished with sea salt, olive oil and a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories 454, fat 29 g, sodium 355 mg, saturated fat 14 g, carbohydrates 28 g, calcium 266 mg, protein 24 g, cholesterol 470 mg and dietary fiber 4 g.

From “Vegetarian Suppers” by Deborah Madison (Broadway Books, $27.50)

DOUBLE-CORN POLENTA

Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish.

3 to 4 ears sweet corn, husks and silk removed

2 ripe tomatoes

1‚Ñ4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup medium-grind cornmeal

2‚Ñ3 cup loosely packed mixed freshly chopped herbs, such as parsley, thyme, chives and basil

2‚Ñ3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

4 large fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Place corn in a large pot, cover with water and cook over high heat. When water comes to a boil, remove from heat, drain and cool. When cool, cut kernels from ear, reserving kernels.

Core and roughly chop tomatoes. In a small bowl, toss them with olive oil, season with salt to taste and reserve.

In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups water and cream over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add butter, salt to taste and stir to melt butter.

Whisking constantly, add cornmeal in a slow, steady stream. Continue to whisk until all lumps disappear. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until polenta is thick and creamy, about 20 minutes. Fold in corn, herbs and Parmesan.

Spoon into a heated serving bowl and top with tomatoes and any accumulated juice. Tear basil leaves into small pieces, sprinkle leaves over tomatoes and serve immediately.

Nutrition information per serving of 8: calories 333, fat 22 g, odium 170 mg, saturated fat 10 g, carbohydrates 28 g, calcium 150 mg, protein 7 g, cholesterol 47 mg and dietary fiber 3 g.

From “The 150 Best American Recipes” by Fran McCullough and Molly Stevens (Houghton Mifflin, $30).

MICHAEL ROBERTS’ CORN RISOTTO

Serves 4.

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, divided

3 cup (about 6 ears) fresh corn kernels

1 green onion, peeled and minced

1 cup chicken stock, divided

1 cup heavy cream

1‚Ñ2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

12 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1‚Ñ2 cup freshly shelled peas

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add corn and green onion and saute for about 1 minute.

Add 1‚Ñ2 cup chicken stock, increase heat to medium high and reduce liquid quickly until mixture thickens. Add cream and stir occasionally, reducing liquid again until thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Transfer mixture to a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse once or twice (the kernels should be broken but not pureed smooth). Transfer mixture to an ovenproof baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and keep warm in oven.

In a medium skillet over high heat, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Add mushrooms and saut for 1 minute. Add peas and remaining 1‚Ñ2 cup chicken stock, reduce heat to medium and reduce liquid until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Fold mushroom mixture into corn, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Note: The late Michael Roberts was the influential chef at the former Trumps in West Hollywood, Calif., and later at Twin Palms in Pasadena, Calif., which he owned with actor/director Kevin Costner.

Nutrition information per serving: calories 580, fat 46 g, sodium 433 mg, saturated fat 29 g, carbohydrates 35 g, calcium 230 mg, protein 12 g, cholesterol 140 mg and dietary fiber 5 g.

VELVETY CHILLED CORN SOUP

Serves 6.

6 ears sweet corn, husks and silks removed

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided

3 shallots, chopped

1 onion, chopped

6 tablespoons creme franche or sour cream

1‚Ñ4 cup minced English cucumber

2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives

Using a cleaver or heavy large knife, cut each ear of corn crosswise in half. Place corn in a heavy large pot. Add 5 cups chicken broth, shallots and onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until corn is very tender, about 25 minutes. Using tongs, transfer corn to a large bowl to cool; reserve broth.

When cool, cut kernels off cobs. Return 4 cups corn kernels to broth. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until very smooth. Strain soup through a fine sieve set over a large bowl, pressing on solids with back of spoon; discard solids. Mix in enough additional chicken broth to thin soup to consistency of heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Refrigerate uncovered until cold, about 4 hours (can be prepared up to 1 day in advance; cover and keep refrigerated).

When ready to serve, ladle soup into six bowls. Top each with a dollop of creme franche (or sour cream). Sprinkle with cucumber and chives and serve.

Nutrition information per serving: calories 175, fat 5 g, sodium 81 mg, saturated fat 2 g, carbohydrates 29 g, calcium 37 mg, protein 9 g, cholesterol 9 mg, dietary fiber 3 g.

From “The Bon Appetit Cookbook” by Barbara Fairchild (Wiley, $34.95).

CORN AND CHERRY TOMATO SALAD WITH MANCHEGO CHEESE

Serves 6.

6 ears sweet corn, husks and silks removed

1 1‚Ñ2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

3‚Ñ4 cup finely chopped red onion

1‚Ñ4 cup freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

6 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup (about 5 ounces) crumbled aged Manchego cheese

Place corn in a large pot, cover with water and cook over high heat. When water comes to a boil, remove corn from heat, drain and cool. When cool, cut kernels from ear, reserving kernels.

In a medium serving bowl, combine 3 cups cooked (and cooled) corn, tomatoes, onion and parsley. Add olive oil and lemon juice and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, crumble cheese on top and serve.

Note: If unable to find the softer type of aged Manchego cheese that crumbles, substitute the more common type that has a Cheddar-like consistency and grate it instead.

Nutrition information per serving: calories 295, fat 21 g, sodium 53 mg, saturated fat 6 g, carbohydrates 21 g, calcium 205 mg, protein 9 g, cholesterol 22 mg, dietary fiber 3 g.

Adapted from “At Home With Magnolia” by Allysa Torey (Wiley, $29.95).