I’ve found, in my eleven years living outside of Colorado, that many people don’t imagine Colorado as a place where much food can grow. People always sound surprised when I tell them that the hardiness zone for growing fruits and vegetables in Denver is approximately the same as that of Columbus, Ohio. And while it may be impossible to grow prolific gardens in the high mountain towns, there are many areas of the state known specifically for their produce.

In fact, many of the most anticipated foods of the summer are identified by the town in which they are grown. I’ve already mentioned Palisade peaches, and that area is also a significant producer of apples, plums, and cherries. Rocky Ford melons are some of the sweetest I’ve ever tasted. Olathe sweet corn is grown so prolifically that it appears in heaping mounds at even the most basic grocery stores, not just at boutique food shops and farmers markets. And, though it’s a town in New Mexico, we always look forward to the arrival each fall of Hatch green chiles.

Green chile is a bit of a sport in the Southwest. Most natives will argue that there is NOTHING that can’t be improved by these versatile foods, whether you like your chiles mild (like me) or screamin’ hot. The smell of roasting chiles tumbling around in giant metal barrels outside every grocery store still elicits strong memories of back-to-school evening errands with my parents and anticipation for the imminent changing leaves. Interestingly, I did not like green chiles at all as a kid. It’s only now, as an adult and returning Colorado resident, that I finally appreciate the obsession.

And so, I’m on a quest to learn how to cook with green chile beyond simply sprinkling it on my eggs, my pizza, my fajitas… though those are all excellent decisions. And this quest starts with something I’m supremely comfortable with: mac and cheese! For a Colorado-autumn twist on my go-to recipe, I paired my green chile with sweet corn, another fall favorite of mine.

I adapted this recipe from my go-to Classic Stovetop Mac & Cheese. It’s quick, not too fussy, and delightfully creamy. For this version, the cheeses are white cheddar and monterey jack as opposed to sharp orange cheddar. I also have become a major fan of orecchiette pasta (it means little ears!) for my mac.

As I said above, I’m a little cautious with my green chile (even a medium can leave my lips tingling if I eat too much) so I used mild, but if you like your spice, feel free to kick it up with a medium chile or two. The mild cheeses keep the chile in check, and the sweet corn compliments it nicely.

Let’s hear it for green chile!

Green Chile & Sweet Corn Mac

Serves 3-4

3-4 roasted green chiles (choose your temp!)
2 ears sweet corn, cut from the cobs
2 T unsalted butter
1/2 small white onion, about 1 cup diced
2 T all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 c milk
2 1/2 oz white cheddar cheese, grated
2 1/2 oz monterey jack cheese, grated
8 oz pasta

Remove skins and seeds from green chiles. Chop the chiles and the onion and set aside. Heat a large frying pan over fairly high heat. Also, bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

Once the frying pan is hot, add the corn and toss quickly for 3-4 minutes until the corn is lightly charred. Remove corn from the pan and set aside. If your water is boiling, add the pasta and cook to al denté.

Melt butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Once melted, add onions and sauté 4-5 minutes. Add flour and salt to the onions and mix well, allowing the roux to cook for about 3 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the milk, stirring the entire time, and continue stirring until mixture has thickened to a gravy-like consistency. Turn off heat and add cheeses and mix until cheese is smoothly melted.

Drain pasta and return to pot. Stir in cheese mixture, all but 1/2 c of corn, and green chiles. Once pasta is on plates, sprinkle remaining corn on top as a garnish.

And it’s not just for dinner! I’ve now become quite obsessed with using corn in breakfast. In this particular one, it joints a few other mid-summer veggies (also bacon) as a really, really good hash.

The corn, green onions, and bacon provide a nice crunch against tender new potatoes, and a soft-cooked egg truly make this a meal worth eating.

So pretty, so tasty, and so much excellent summer flavor!

Le sigh. I just want every morning to be a slow summer morning that starts with this.

Corn & Bacon Hash
Adapted, just a smidge, from Smitten Kitchen

6 slices of thick-cut bacon, diced
1 pound red potatoes, cut into small cubes
2 ears of corn, kernels cut from the corn
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Cook bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat until the fat is rendered. Once it is crisp, use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Leave the fat in the pan and add the potatoes.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Sprinkle potatoes with half of the salt and pepper. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes can easily be pierced with a fork and are golden-brown on the the outside.

Add the corn to the skillet and bump the heat up just a bit. Cook the potatoes and corn together for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the corn browns a bit.

Heat a small frying pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of butter and crack an egg into the skillet, taking care not to break the yolk. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes, then flip the egg to cook the other side. Cook for a minute more for an over-medium egg. Remove to a small plate and repeat with the second egg.

While the eggs finish cooking, add the drained bacon and the green onions to the corn and potatoes and mix well. Turn off the heat and season to taste with the remaining salt and pepper.

Serve a couple scoops of hash and top with one of the eggs.

We took a spectacular trip to Oregon the first couple weeks of July. We did the normal vacation things: saw beautiful sites, had outdoor adventures, met new people, and engorged ourselves on all the best food the state had to offer. One delicious meal after another, Oregon pulled out all the stops and left our bellies almost constantly full. On our last night in Portland, we ended up at Montage, a cozy little southern restaurant famous for its mac and cheese and the elaborate aluminum foil animals that enclosed their leftovers.

Their mac and cheese was really good. And the foil animals were amusing. But it was the appetizer that stuck with me: deep-fried gems of creamy corn that we ordered on a whim. I knew immediately I had to re-create them.

To be honest, I was a little unclear about what a croquette actually was. My experience at Montage, and a previous one at a restaurant in Durham, seemed to suggest that croquettes were deep-fried balls of, well, whatever one might want. Searches for recipes for “corn croquettes” led to surprisingly few results, but I eventually found a recipe with photos that somewhat resembled the ones we’d had in Oregon.

The filling for the croquettes is fairly simple: onion, fresh sweet corn (you can use canned, but straight from the cob is better) some milk and chicken stock, and some flour, butter and egg to stiffen up the liquids into creamy goodness.

The filling itself comes together fairly easily. The butter and onions sauté for a few minutes before flour is added to form a chunky roux. The milk and chicken stock will thicken up, and finally the corn and a few cranks of black pepper are added to the pan.

The egg is added to provide just a little bit more structure, and to thicken even further, I rested the filling in the fridge for a while. The trick with this recipe is to create a filling that is creamy and liquidy, but solid enough that you can roll it in panko crumbs and deep fry it. I was skeptical that such a feat was possible. The mixture formed a ball, mostly, but barely held itself together while I put the rest together. I was nervous that I would end up with a hot, oily, creamy disaster once they went in the fryer.

But lo and behold, success! The croquettes held together perfectly, and not a single one of them burst in the oil. Each one needed only a few seconds in the oil before it emerged crisp, golden-brown, and ready to be eaten.

And eat them you should. Brad and I scarfed down an entire batch in a matter of minutes. They’re great when they’re really hot, just a few minutes out of the oil, but they also hold their own as they cool down. I’ll wager they’d make a great splash at a party, too — aside from the messy fingers you’ll get making them. Totally worth it.

Sweet Corn Croquettes
Adapted from Cookpad

2 ears of fresh sweet corn
1/2 medium onion
2 T unsalted butter
2 T all-purpose flour
1/2 c milk
1/2 c chicken stock
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 egg
2 c panko crumbs
3 c vegetable oil

Shuck the corn and remove the silks. Cut the kernels off the cobs as close to the cobs as possible. Discard the cobs and set the corn aside. Finely dice the onion.

Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the onions have softened. Add the flour and stir well. The mixture will be quite clumpy. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, stirring frequently.

Slowly add the milk and chicken stock, whisking constantly until the flour clumps have smoothed out and the only texture that remains is from the onions. Add the corn and black pepper and stir. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until mixture has thickened almost to a paste: it should be thick enough that it very slowly slides back when wiped away from the pan with a spoon.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg, stirring well. Place in the refrigerator on a hot pad for 30-45 minutes to allow the mixture to cool.

Pour the panko crumbs in a small bowl and the oil into a medium pot (the oil should be at least 1.5 inches thick) fixed with a candy/deep fry thermometer. Carefully form balls (they may be somewhat runny) of the corn mixture and coat them completely with panko crumbs. When you are about half-done forming the croquettes, heat the pan containing the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches about 375°F.

Once all croquettes are formed, gently place 3-4 croquettes at a time in the oil, cooking for 10-30 seconds or until panko is a dark golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels.

Scarf up as soon as possible.

Perhaps associated with the first burst of warm-ish weather, I tend to also get an itch to vacation at this time of year. It might also be years of Spring Break indoctrination, but I suddenly yearn to pack my bags for some tropical adventure! Not that I actually did a lot of that growing up, but the once or twice that we did vacation somewhere warm over Spring Break were enough to permanently spark anticipation every February. Unfortunately, we have no imminent vacation plans for this spring. So! To ease my wanderlust, I’ve settled by making some charred corn salsa.

Now obviously, fresh sweet corn on the cob and peppers are not exactly in season in the midwest. I fully admit that. But what better way to pretend it is summer than to dine on some wonderfully summery vegetables?

This salsa is pretty quick to make. Once the ingredients are prepped, the only cooking involved is a little charring of the peppers and corn. In theory, you could even go without this step and mix it all together raw, but I love the smokiness that comes from a little bit of pan-charring.

The onions and cilantro, though, should remain raw. They’ll provide a delightful bite and lovely color.

When it’s done, I like to chill this salsa for a couple hours before eating it, but you could also eat it while the corn and peppers are still warm. And this isn’t just for chip dipping: it makes a delightful filling for quesadillas, breakfast burritos, and omelettes, and it makes a wonderfully spicy salad when mixed with some chopped romaine.

Here’s to the return of warm weather!

Charred Corn Salsa
Inspired by Chipotle

2 tsp canola oil
1 poblano pepper, seeded and minced
2 cans (or two ears) sweet corn, drained
1/2 red onion, diced
1 T finely chopped cilantro
dash lemon or lime juice
1/4 tsp cumin
pinch or two sea salt

Prepare all ingredients that require chopping or mincing. If using ears of corn, cut the kernels off the cob raw and discard cobs.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add minced poblano pepper and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the peppers begin to char a bit, stirring once or twice. Add corn and sauté for another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. For the last 3 minutes, turn the heat up to medium high to allow the corn to char, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and transfer corn mixture to a mixing bowl.

Add onion, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, and salt. Mix well and taste, adding more salt or cumin as necessary.

Chill for 1-2 hours before serving. Delicious in quesadillas, breakfast burritos, omelettes, or simply on chips! Stores for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container.

For most of my life, I’ve eaten corn one of two ways: from a can or on the cob. (And I’m talking about kernels of corn here, not the corn syrup, corn meal, corn starch, and other corn products that certainly make up most of the “corn” in the average American diet.) In the summer, there was no greater thrill than Dad bringing home a bag full of fresh Colorado sweet corn, and I still look forward to the arrival of corn on the cob every time the season rolls around.

But it’s really only in the last few years that I’ve started appreciating fresh corn as an ingredient, as something more than just a cob of kernels slathered with butter. Fresh corn has flavor and texture that give everything from pizza to fajitas a little something extra.

In this dish, corn is not just an ingredient, it’s the star of the show. With two of my other favorite veggies to support it.

A fresh zucchini, half an onion, and two ears of corn. Plus a little seasoning, and that’s all there is to it. And don’t be scared of the corn on the cob, just slice it off with a nice, sharp knife.

None of these veggies take a long time to cook, but all of them are improved with a little bit of searing. Tossed in a frying pan or cast iron skillet for a few minutes is just enough to do the trick.

The result is a warm, crunchy dish that makes a great side and even a great main course. I like taking the leftovers for lunch, which is a great way to get a whole bunch of vegetable action without having to eat a cold salad.

So quick! Before the last weeks of summer and the last ears of sweet corn disappear to make room for the fall harvest, get thee to a farmers market!

Skillet Corn with Zucchini & Onions

2 ears of corn
1 medium zucchini
1 medium white or yellow onion
1 T oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp seasoned salt

Shuck the ears of corn and remove as many silks as possible. Use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cobs. Slice the zucchini in half length-wise, then slice into long strips, then chop into small pieces. Dice the onion.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium. Once it’s hot, add the corn, onions, zucchini, black pepper, and seasoned salt to the pan and mix well. Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for about 10 more minutes, turning and stirring occasionally but allowing the mixture to char a bit.

Carefully pour the mixture into a serving bowl. This dish is excellent when served immediately, but it also reheats wonderfully for leftovers.

With another wedding cake baked and spring semester in my rear-view mirror, I finally feel like summer has begun. No, summer isn‘t quite the same as it used to be; the three-month vistas of free time I enjoyed from age 5-22 no longer lie ahead. I’ve been nostalgic for those childhood summers lately: sleeping in, spending the day flitting about town with mom, attempting badminton on the lawn with my sister, eating dinner off the grill in the cool Colorado evenings. Bliss!

After the sun set, summer nights in our house usually involved a movie. And where there are movies, there sure as Sam was gonna be some popcorn.

Admittedly, most of the popcorn I remember eating at home was microwave popcorn, though there was also brief stint where Kelli and I found an air popper almost as entertaining to watch as whatever movie was selected for the night. I do remember, quite vividly, one attempt to pop corn on the stove and the ensuing clouds of smoke that followed when it cooked too fast and burned to a crisp. Perhaps scarred by this event, up until recently I had mentally relegated popcorn popping to the arts of yesteryear, one that I was unlikely to ever master. But then, after seeing some friends pop corn at a party — quite casually and deliciously and with no clouds of smoke, I might add — I bravely bought a bag of cheap yellow kernels and decided to give it a shot.

OMG.

Revelation. Perfection. Obsession. Sublime happiness.

It turns out making popcorn is really easy. And really fast. I’m really not sure now what happened that fateful night as a child when I developed a fear of popcorn-making, but I am now here to say that if any of you have similar fears, give them up! Tonight! You can make freshly-popped popcorn with just a few kitchen tools that you already have.

Here’s how:

1. You’ll need a large pot with a lid, measuring cups, some popcorn kernels, and canola oil. The sea salt is not necessarily required, but I’ll be using it later.

2. Measure out the quantity of popcorn you’d like to make. A little goes a long way… 1/4 cup of kernels will yield about 5 cups of popcorn. If you’re making popcorn for more than one of two people, use 1/2 cup of kernels. Add the kernels and 2 tablespoons of canola oil to the pot and tilt the pot back and forth to coat the kernels.

3. Place the pot on the stove over medium heat, making sure the lid is nearby. As the pot heats up, shake the pot back and forth over the burner every 15-20 seconds. The oil will begin to sizzle lightly around the edges of the kernels. Once the first couple of kernels pop, quickly place the lid on the pot and continue to shake back and forth across the burner until about the popping frequency reduces to one every two seconds or so.

4. Remove the popcorn from the heat and continue to shake for a few seconds before removing the lid so that no rogue kernels pop out in your face. Pour the popcorn into a large bowl.

5. Now it’s time to season and flavor these puffy little kernels! They are tasty on their own, but the possibilities for flavoring popcorn are endless. I wanted three different flavors, so I separated mine into three separate mixing bowls.

6. Season your popcorn, using a light hand, and sampling along the way to ensure you don’t over-salt. Here are a few of my favorite combinations:

Melted Butter & Sea Salt
Sea Salt & White Truffle Oil (just a dash! A little goes a long way!)
Garlic Powder & Rosemary

Et voila! In less than ten minutes, you can have fresh, homemade popcorn, seasoned exactly the way you want it. A bag of popcorn kernels costs just a couple of dollars and can yield WEEKS worth of single servings. You know what I’m getting at.

Now I just need to figure out a way to smuggle THIS into the movie theatre… I don’t think they’ll notice, do you?

What are your favorite popcorn seasonings and flavors

Let me begin by saying that I realize the title of this post doesn’t make sense. Colorado is home to neither capes nor cod. I know.

I also know that I cooked this meal in North Carolina and cooked this meal using East Coast cod.

In addition, I have no idea what chowder from Cape Cod actual tastes like. No idea what the recipe is. So despite the fact that both my mom and grandma have been making “Cape Cod Chowder” (as is written in my grandma’s hand on a splattered recipe card) to ward off the chill of January in Colorado for my entire life, I couldn’t really call it that for fear of the wrath of proper Cape Cod residents with their own opinions on what is or is not Cape Cod Chowder.

It’s rather dizzying.

But I adore this soup. I look forward, each winter, to the stick-to-your-bones warmth provided by this hearty meal composed of relatively simple ingredients.

As most good soups do, this one starts with an onion, chopped up and sautéed in a bit of butter. The onion is followed by a pile of potatoes, some seasoning, and water.

After the potatoes have simmered and softened for a few minutes, a filet of fresh cod is added to the pot to steam atop the hot potatoes and onions before adding corn and evaporated milk.

Now for full disclosure, I must confess: I don’t particularly care for fish. In fact the first few times I flexed my post-adolescent cooking muscles in my tiny apartment kitchen, I defiantly excluded the cod from this chowder and added extra potatoes. However, in an effort to try to eat more fish and to give you a recipe with some semblance of balance, I gave it a shot again. Do I still guiltily prefer this soup without cod You bet. But I feel like I’m doing a good thing for my body by keeping it in the recipe.

This meal can be done, start to finish, in less than an hour. It makes fabulous leftovers and freezes pretty well, so a large batch can last you for quite some time. And if you’re like me, you can leave the fish out. If you like fish, you can add more.

And even if you live on Cape Cod, you can still make this and protect your chowder heritage. Because this is Colorado Cape Cod Chowder from a North Carolina food blogger.

Make sense?

Colorado Cape Cod Chowder
Adapted slightly from a family recipe

3 T unsalted butter
1 large onion, diced (should yield about 2 cups)
2 lbs potatoes, peeled cut into 1″ cubes
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
2 bay leaves
2 c water
12 oz fresh or frozen cod, cut into 1″ cubes
two 15-oz cans corn with liquid
one 12-0z can evaporated milk (I used 2%, but you can use regular as well)

Dice onion and peel potatoes. Melt butter over medium heat in a large pot. Add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes until onions are soft. While the onions are cooking, cut potatoes into one-inch cubes. After the onions have softened, add potatoes, salt, pepper, basil, bay leaves, and water to the pot and stir well. Cover the pot and increase heat to medium-high. Cook for about 15 minutes.

While the potatoes cook, cut the cod into one-inch cubes. After 15 minutes, you should be able to easily stab the potatoes with fork, but they should not be totally soft. Place cod on top of the potatoes, not stirring, and re-cover the pot. Cook for an additional 10 minutes until the cod flakes easily with a fork. Add the corn and evaporated milk and stir well. Cover and bring just to boiling.

Remove from heat and remove lid. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

I try to post recipes on this site that are seasonally appropriate for my locale. There are a few oddballs, but for the most part, strawberry dishes hit in the spring, tomatoes are featured in the summer, and pumpkin treats fill the fall.

You might be wondering, then, why I’m giving you this pizza that (at least to me) screams “Summer!!” as we leave the last vestiges of autumn behind and move full-steam into the winter holiday season.

In truth, I feel a bit seasonally confused. I spent the last week in Florida with my family visiting magical places, seeing magical sights, and enjoying 70-degree weather surrounded by palm trees while Christmas carols blared from speakers across the parks.

So in celebration of this confusion, I give you this! Barbecue, Bacon, and Toasted Corn Flatbread Pizza. It’s a shout out to the last summer produce, the last summer cookout, that many of us celebrated months ago. I used the tail end of the summer’s corn to make this pizza, but you can also easily use a can of corn that has been drained.

Also, this pizza crust is my go-to recipe for quick, easy pizza crust. My favorite crust is still this one, using from the whey leftover from making fresh mozzarella, but I frankly can’t make my own cheese every time I want a pizza crust. This crust is quick to make, doesn’t require much time to raise, and tastes fantastic. I use it primarily to fashion thin crust pizza, but you could also roll it thicker to produce a thicker crust.

I love using barbecue sauce as a base for pizza. The smokiness of the sauce pairs wonderfully with the bacon, and the onions and corn provide a delightful crunch in every bite. I also abandon traditional mozzarella for this pizza and use a bright orange cheddar. This is not a super-cheesy pizza, mind you. A little bit goes a long way here.

If you can’t make a trip to balmy, beautiful Disney World to trick yourself into a summery mood, give this pizza a shot. It’s warm, smoky, and it’s a great way to feel the warmth of summer in the cold winter months that stretch ahead.

Barbecue, Bacon, and Toasted Corn Flatbread Pizza

Makes two 10-inch flatbreads or one 14-inch thick-crust pizza

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 T instant dry yeast
2 T sugar
1 tsp salt
1 c warm water

2/3 c barbecue sauce
8 oz bacon, chopped into 1/2″ pieces
1 1/2 c red onion, sliced into rings, quartered, and separated
2 ears fresh corn or 1 can corn, drained
1 1/2 c cheddar cheese

If you’re using a pizza stone, place it on a center rack in a cold oven. Preheat oven to 425°F. Sift together flour, yeast, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Add water and mix with a fork until a dough is formed. You may have to abandon the fork and switch to using your hands before a dough is fully formed. Dough should be slightly sticky. Knead lightly on a floured surface for about five minutes. Form dough into a ball and cover with a damp cloth while you prepare the rest of your pizza ingredients.

Grate cheese, chop onions, and cut the corn kernels from the cob. Set aside. Cook your chopped bacon until fat has rendered, then set it aside on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease, leaving about one tablespoon of grease in the pan. Return pan to the heat and add corn kernels. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until torn is lightly toasted. Remove from pan and set aside.

Cut dough in half and, working with one half at a time, roll the dough out on a floured surface until dough is about 1/4″ thick. Each half of the dough should yield a rectangular flatbread about 12″x8″. Sprinkle corn meal on a cutting board without any grooves and gently lay the flatbread on the board. Spread half of the barbecue sauce onto the crust, leaving an edge of about 1/2″ all the way around. Sprinkle on half of the bacon, onion, corn, and cheddar.

Open the oven and pull out the rack with the pizza stone. Carefully slide the pizza from the cutting board to the stone using a flat spatula. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is browned around the edges. While first pizza is baking, roll out the remaining dough for the second pizza and repeat the topping process.

Remove pizza to a cutting board and slice into 8-10 pieces, depending on your preference. Bake the second pizza for 10-15 minutes.

Raise your hand if you like the following:

a) pancakes
b) cornbread
c) corn on the cob
d) bacon
e) breakfast

If you raised your hand for none of these things, I question your culinary sanity. If you raised your hand for all of these things, THIS, my friend, is a recipe for you.

Here’s how this happened. I had corn on the cob and bacon in my fridge. I recently saw a recipe for a breakfast hash featuring them, and wanted to make it immediately. Buuuuuuut I wondered: could I make it a little cake instead Like a latke Or wait! Even better… a pancake Or what about a cornbread?

Then it became clear: a cornbread-y pancake (the latke idea was cast aside for another day) studded with corn kernels and bits of bacon Couldn’t possibly be all bad.

Using my parents’ trusty pancake recipe, I swapped out white flour for corn meal, white sugar for brown, and of course added copious amounts of kernels cut from the cob and some positively miraculous bacon. The cakes would have had quite a bit more had I not nibbled at it generously while taking photos. Probably should have just cooked an extra piece for nibble protection.

Then, just like pancakes, the batter cooks gently in a frying pan (or on a griddle if you have one… I don’t) before being carefully flipped to the other side.

Do you know the rule for flipping pancakes Wait until the air bubbles on the top of the pancakes have all burst. And use low heat! Slow and steady is the path to a non-blackened pancake.

Then it’s breakfast! The consistency and warmth of cornbread in a pancake is delightful. You can eat them plain or could toss an egg on top for some extra protein. Or, in true pancake style, butter and maple syrup. And we all can agree, I think, that when those little bits of bacon do finally meet a drop of maple syrup, all is well with the world.

Sweet Corn & Bacon Pancakes
Adapted drastically from our family pancake recipe

Note: The pictures above only show about 1/4 pound of bacon. Uponcooking  the pancakes, I determined they would be improved with a larger quantity (what doesn’t improve with more bacon?), hence the increased quantity listed below. You can use your own preferences and add more or less of either the corn or the bacon.

2 ears sweet corn
1/2 pound bacon
1 c corn meal
1/2 c all purpose flour
2 T white sugar
2 T dark brown sugar, packed
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 c milk
3 T canola oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2-3 tablespoons additional oil for cooking pancakes

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Gently place shucked ears of corn in the water and boil for 5-7 minutes, then remove to a colander to cool. Meanwhile, slice up bacon into 1/2″ pieces and place in a small frying pan. Once bacon is in the pan, heat pan to medium and cook bacon until fat is rendered. Remove bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up extra grease.

Once corn has cooled, cut the kernels from the cob. I find the easiest way is to stand the cob on it’s end and slice from the top, cutting as close to the cob as possible. Continue all the way around the cob until the flesh of the kernels has been removed.

In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except the “additional oil” and mix well. Stir in the corn kernels and bacon.

Heat a large frying pan over medium-low heat with 1 T of oil. Once oil begins to glisten, make sure it is spread evenly throughout the pan. Ladle the batter onto the pan in small circles, using about 1/3 c of batter for each pancake. Allow to cook undisturbed until all air bubbles that have appeared on the surfaces of the pancake have burst. Carefully use a spatula to flip the pancakes to allow the other side to cook. Cook second side until golden brown, then remove from pan to a serving plate. Continue until all batter has been used, adding more oil to the pan as necessary to keep the surface slick. While you are cooking, cover the serving plate with aluminum foil or another plate to keep the finished pancakes warm.

Serve plain or with butter and maple syrup. Pancakes will keep several days in the refrigerator, or you can bag them into sandwich bags and freeze them.