Summer Entertaining: Easiest Grilled Corn (ever!)

Whoop Whoop! It's just about corn season!! Fresh picked corn is probably already in stores and farmer's markets in some areas of the country and I just cannot wait to bite into that first piece of corn from the grill. Some of my friends think it is hard to grill good corn- that it gets dried out, etc. I've got a super easy way to grill corn for a crowd that is perfect every time. Here's how:

MARTIE'S PERFECTLY EASY GRILLED CORN

2 dozen ears of fresh corn in the husk (you don't have to remove the inner silks)

tub or bucket

Styrofoam ice chest

Grill

Long handled tongs

Directions

Check the ears for any evidence of bugs, etc. Snip the silks off of the tip of each ear. I usually don't slice the bottom off so people have something to hold on to... but you can cut them level if you are using plastic corn holders.

Submerge the ears in cool water and let them soak for 30 minutes.

While the corn is soaking, fire up your grill. You want medium heat and indirect - which means move the coals to the outer edge of the grill if you are using charcoal. Make sure the grill rack is not down too low. You want indirect heat so the husks don't burn. A bit of charring is good but if the heat is too high or the grill is too low over the coals, you'll burn up the husks before the corn cooks inside.

Once the coals are ready, drain the water.

Place the corn on the center of the grill- stay away from the outer edge where there could be hot spots.

Cover the grill and leave it alone for 12 minutes. (you may need to adjust the time if you have a larger quantity of corn)

Open and turn the ears to char the other side. Close the grill and let cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove the corn and immediately put it in the Styrofoam ice chest and put the top on it as fast as you can. Put something heavy on top of the chest to keep the lid down tight.

Allow the corn to continue to steam in the chest until serving time- at least 15 minutes. I usually do this an hour or more before the party and it is perfect to serve when guests arrive. The ice chest keeps the corn steaming hot!

To serve: Open the chest and allow guests to serve themselves. Simply peel back the husks and the silks fall off with it. So easy, so fast, and soooo good!

Serve with my wonderful HERB BUTTER and a little kosher salt.

Note: Make sure to have a box or something handy to collect all of the husks. And plan for at least two ears per guest... maybe three!

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Summer's Best Condiment: Herb Butter

I mentioned using herb butter in the last post--- but it was such a hit at our Father's Day feast that I was encouraged to give it headliner status and rightly so. This do-it-all condiment is the perfect accessory for fresh summer veggies like corn, squash and zucchini. We used it for our steak--- a large slice melted down over the top of the steak during the final minutes of cooking gave the steak a rich, buttery flavor. We also used it on our baked potatoes--- these were rubbed with olive oil and Kosher salt before baking so the skins were crispy and the inside fluffy and tender. The herb butter made these simple dishes so much better.

Here's how to make Herb Butter:

Select your favorite herb or combination of herbs. I used chives and basil, finely chopped. Rosemary is wonderful, thyme is lemony and fresh. Cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice is also really refreshing. Pick your favorite flavor combo but use fresh herbs for best results.

For a party or large crowd, you'll need to double or triple.

You can mix this up and serve it chilled in a bowl as shown in the photo above or you can mold it for an elegant look. To mold the herb butter: tear off a piece of plastic wrap and use it to line a small container or bowl. You can use a shape to add some fun--- a star for example for a 4th of July BBQ would look great on your table. Allow a stick of butter to come to room temp. Mix in finely chopped fresh herbs to taste--- I used a tablespoon each of chives and basil. Spoon the mixture into your mold or bowl. Fold plastic wrap over the top and refrigerate until serving time. If you're going to serve this with corn-on-the-cob, let it sit out a while to make spreading easier.

Try this on fish, shrimp, any potatoes and just about any vegetable. It is absolutely the best condiment for fresh summer food! Yum!