In the summertime, Quebec is brimming with local fruits and vegetables. Whether you are in the city or in the suburbs, you can most likely find road-side kiosks and farmers’ markets minutes away from where you live jam-packed with strawberries, raspberries, asparagus, and one of our favourites: corn! All of it coming from our region’s fields, farms and orchards–can you believe it?

If you adapt your menu to take advantage of the harvest schedule, it allows you to eat locally and, as a result, encourage your local economy and reduce your environmental footprint by cutting out the often long-distance voyage of your food. Plus, there’s nothing like the taste of fresh, naturally-grown produce!

Rosalie, the mastermind behind the food and lifestyle blog, larosadesvents.com, couldn’t agree more! And since the end of July marks the beginning of the corn season in Québec, this week (with her help) we’re offering a recipe that will take you on a culinary voyage: Mexican Street-Style Corn! This savoury snack is popular in Mexico and is so very simple to do! You grill your corn with the husk still on, remove the husk and then roll each ear of corn in the topping. For an especially authentic experience, you can use the cheese called cotija. The version we have for you today is a twist on the traditional Mexican street corn recipe, but will inspire you to take your corn on the cob game to a whole new level!

It gets even better: this recipe can be made not only on the BBQ, but on the stove top too! So all of you city dwellers without BBQs can breathe a sigh of relief, delicious Mexican-style street corn is still within reach! All you need is a cast iron grill pan with ridges and you’ll be well on your way to make this crunchy, mouthwatering corn right in the confines of your very own kitchen! Rosalie used our Remy Olivier Cast Iron Grill Pan and loved it! The square shape, lid, and ridges of this heavy duty cookware ensure even cooking and satisfying grill marks from top to bottom. It’s the perfect way to grill corn indoors!

So get ready to bite into a crunchy dish bursting with flavours!

Helping you make the most of in-season produce, every season!

Too many passions, dreams, and interests; this is the best way to describe Rosalie’s personality. She created her blog to share the endless ideas and spirit through her favourite medium: writing. Travelling, feminism, good healthy vegetarian food… these are just some of her countless interests! Far from thinking she knows it all, Rosalie hopes that her writing, sometimes with a touch of humour here and there, can bring goodness to readers.

Visit her blog or follow her on Facebook and Instagram for more!

The Classic Ways

If you’re making a big batch of corn, boiling your corn is the easiest and quickest way. First, shuck the husk and silk from the corn then bring water to boil water in a stockpot. Leave it for 5-8 minutes depending on how fresh the corn is. If you’re only making a few ears of corns, simply microwave them. Keeping them in their husks, microwave two at a time for 4-6 minutes on high. Before shucking them, wait a few minutes until they cool down then enjoy!

Grill Em:

You’ve probably made sweet corn in a pot and the microwave before, but what about the grill? If it’s nice out, take advantage of the weather and bring out the grill to make smoky flavored corn. It’s a few extra minutes, but it is definitely worth it!

There are two ways to grill corn that will bring you different results. The first is to leave the corn in the husk or remove the husk and rewrap it in aluminum foil. Grill it directly on hot coal or on top of a grate that’s set over coals, make sure to turn occasionally and cook for about 15 minutes.  This method will bring you a less charred/ grilled taste but will be juicier. It’s also harder to see whether or not the corn is ready.  The second method is to place the ‘naked’ corn directly on the grill for 10 minutes. If you want a grilled and also sweeter flavor, this method is preferred however, it will be less juicy.

Spice it up:

You have such a limited time with corn and because butter and corn go so well together, we never thought to explore other flavoring possibilities. Instead of butter, sprinkle smoked paprika after or even rub barbecue sauce while they are grilling. But our favorite is treating sweet corn like it’s a baked potato. Once the corn is cooked, drizzle sour cream, sprinkle diced green onions and cheddar cheese, you can even crumble some cooked bacon, or anything else that you love on a baked potato. Make sure to not over-do the toppings or else you will forget what you’re eating; put just enough to enhance the experience but still be able to taste the sweet corn.

If you love sweet corn but hate eating it off the cob, our corn stripper is for you. You can eat fresh corn on the cob without the hassle. You can bring the corn to the table in our Amanda II rectangular plate and place the corn on your guest’s individual corn dishes.

Do you have any other tips for cooking or favorite toppings for sweet corn? Let us know in the comments below!