First seen on TikTok, corn ribs are this summer’s favorite food trend. Easy to make and fun to eat, corn ribs curl up when they cook to look like, well, ribs!

Not only are they cute as the dickens, they are also so much easier to eat than a full ear of corn and they are wonderful for a vegetarian or vegan barbecue.

 

Grill them or roast them in the oven or air fryer. Whichever way you make them, they are going to be a hit, I guarantee.

The hardest step is cutting the corn lengthwise into 4 strips. I’m a klutz in the kitchen, so I cut the cob in half first. A shorter ear is easier to manage.

Put a damp wash rag or paper towel under your cutting board so it doesn’t slip, use a heavy, sharp knife and please go slowly.

I like to get as much prep work done early in the day as I can to make cooking dinner easier. Once prepared, these corn ribs can wait to be cooked for a couple of hours up to 2 days in a zip top bag or other closed container in your refrigerator.

Corn Preparation

Step 1:

Cut the cob in half.

 

Step 2:

Hold the cob vertically by resting it on its freshly cut flat surface to minimize slippage. Take your time and cut all the way down the length of the cob. Rock the knife a little if needed but watch your fingers!

 

Step 3:

Repeat the process until you’ve got 8 corn ribs from each ear of corn.

Step 4:

Put the corn ribs in a big bowl, drizzle them with olive oil and give them a good rub.

Step 5:

Salt and pepper them or go with a generous sprinkling of barbecue seasoning.

Step 6:

Grill, roast, or air fry until they begin to curl up and brown, about 15 minutes.

Step 7:

Eat them just like they are, or drizzle with melted butter or barbecue mayo. Sprinkle with grated parmesan and cilantro for an out-of-this-world flavor.

Corn Ribs

• 2 ears of corn, cut into 8 ribs each
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• barbecue seasoning (optional)
• parmesan cheese (optional)
• cilantro (optional)

In a large bowl, cover the corn ribs with the olive oil, rubbing it in well. Season with salt and pepper or barbecue seasoning.

Barbecue Mayonnaise

• 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise

Stir barbecue sauce and mayonnaise until blended. Set aside until needed. (Make ahead of time and store in the refrigerator in a covered container if you are like me and like to get things done ahead of time.)

To Grill

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place the corn on the grill and turn it regularly until each side starts to char, about 15 minutes grill time, total.

To Oven Bake

Preheat oven to 375. Place corn ribs on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. They are done when they start to curl, and you see a few charred kernels.

To Air Fry

Lay them in a single layer in your air fryer and cook for 15 minutes at 375. Flip them over half way.

To serve:

Serve plain, or with a little melted butter or with barbecue mayonnaise. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and cilantro.

 

 

 

When the weather warms up and the flowers are blooming, my tastes turn to salads. Who doesn’t love a fresh spinach salad with strawberries, feta cheese, and toasted pecans? Or maybe goat cheese and blueberries with a lemon vinaigrette?

Spinach with berries or fruit and a tangy dressing make a beautiful salad for your backyard get together or a picnic in the park and I’ve made it easy for you with my Summer Spinach Salad Cheater’s Chart.

Start with a bowl of fresh spinach and add one or more items from each column and you’ve got yourself a crowd pleaser with minimal effort. Voila, salad success!

Add the dressing right before serving and enjoy.

 

If you don’t like or can’t get fresh spinach, substitute romaine, arugula, escarole or kale. To make it even easier, buy a pre-washed, bagged spring mix at your local market.

Peaches and nectarines go wonderfully. Slice or dice them but you don’t need to peel them.

I highly recommend that you toast the nuts. Toasting intensifies their flavors and makes them crunchier. Toast your nuts a day or two ahead if you like and store them in a sealed container.

To toast nuts add them to a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes or spread them out in an even layer on a sheet pan and place in a 350 oven for 6 to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them, they burn easily.

Sliced red onion is a wonderful addition to almost any spinach and fruit salad. Here’s the trick: soak the onion slices in a bowl of ice water for 15 minutes to take away their bite before adding them to your salad. Your breath will thank me.

Add other ingredients as they come into season: avocados, cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, green onions, seedless grapes, bell peppers, sliced apples or pears, cilantro, parsley, etc. See what’s ripe and ready at the farmers’ market or look around your pantry. Dried cranberries or mandarin oranges make a wonderful substitute for fresh fruit if you’re in a pinch.

How to Make Salad Dressing in a Jiffy

To make any of these dressings, add all ingredients to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake for 10 seconds. Could it be any easier? Add salt and pepper once you’ve given it a taste and you’re all set.

Here are the ingredient lists:

Basic Vinaigrette

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons vinegar (balsamic, white wine, red wine, etc.)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Poppy Seed Dressing

⅓ cup white sugar
½ cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1 teaspoon grated onion
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
salt and pepper to taste

Lemon vinaigrette

½ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon Juice
salt and pepper to taste

Oil and Vinegar

This is a super easy basic dressing. 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Whisk together, add salt and pepper and that’s it. Use whatever oil or vinegar you like. Here’s one of my favorite combinations.

¾ cup sunflower seed oil
¼ cup white or white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Add chopped garlic or fresh or dried chopped herbs, like cilantro, tarragon, thyme, parsley or oregano. A smidge of Dijon mustard or honey will keep this dressing emulsified.

Creamy yogurt

1 cup plain yogurt, Greek works well
1 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Honey Balsamic Dressing

¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine balsamic vinegar and honey in a bowl, then slowly whisk in the olive oil until the mixture emulsifies. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing

This dressing is the same as the Honey Balsamic described above. Add 1 tablespoon poppy seeds and a ½ teaspoon of Dijon mustard.

Jam Vinaigrette

3/4 cup jam, strawberry or blackberry work well
1/4 cup canola Oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

The calendar says we’re still in spring for another month, but it’s full-on summer to me. Shorts, flip flops, and corn on the cob. There is nothing like a golden cob of corn with that sweet pop of flavor to bring me right back to a summer state of mind.

When I was a kid, we used to spend big chunks of June and July on my grandparents’ farm in Iowa. My grandpa would set up a propane burner at the edge of the sweet corn patch and heat up a huge pot of water. He would wait until it was boiling before picking the best ears. All of us cousins would peel that corn as quickly as we could so that it was cooked as fresh as possible.

Eating outside on the lawn next to their farmhouse, it didn’t matter that butter dripped down our chins and onto our already dirty t-shirts. Grandpa would turn on the garden hose and we’d all jump around the sprinkler until we were clean(ish) and happy.

I overdid it a little at the market this week and bought way too much corn, but it looked so delicious I couldn’t help myself. Soon I’ll write about the best ways to grill corn on the cob, but today I’ve got an overabundance of leftovers and I’m going to write about Summer Corn Chowder instead.

Chowder in the summer might sound kind of strange, but it works. It’s a one-pot meal that doesn’t require an oven, so it won’t heat up your kitchen. Once this soup is made and simmering, cleanup is quick. It is also a very flexible recipe. Add cooked and shredded chicken or crab, or even leftover bratwursts. Top it with fresh garden tomatoes, herbs or croutons. Any vegetable that is ready from your garden or that look especially delicious at the farmer’s market can be added. Use your imagination!

This recipe lends itself to many variations. I almost always add crisp, crumbled bacon on top. The smokiness of the bacon highlights the sweetness of the corn. For added richness, sprinkle shredded cheddar or jack cheese on top.

If I’m feeling especially spicy, I will mince up a jalapeno pepper and sauté it with the onion and bell pepper. Or perhaps substitute an Anaheim pepper for the bell pepper.

 

I like to use leftover grilled corn for this recipe, but it works well with fresh corn. If neither are available, go ahead and use canned or frozen corn. It won’t be the same, but it will get you close.

To cut the kernels off the cob without making a huge mess, I set a big bowl down into my kitchen sink with a wet dishrag underneath the bowl to keep it from slipping. I set the corn into the bowl with its pointy end up and use a sharp knife to cut the corn off of the cob. I angle the pointy end of the corn slightly towards me so that if the knife slips it won’t do me any damage. If the cob is a little slippy in the bowl, set a wet paper towel under it, it’ll keep it in place. If you are new to this technique, start slow, you’ll get the hang of it!

I like to keep this recipe simple. In the summer, I don’t want to be in the kitchen any more time than necessary. I’d rather spend be playing frisbee or lounging in my hammock with a good book.

This recipe lets the flavor of the corn really come through. The lime juice and white wine give it a lift and the milk gives it a creaminess without making it the heavier kind of chowder you might like in the winter. I hope you enjoy it.

Summer Corn Chowder

• 6 ears of corn, grilled
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• ¼ cup white wine
• 3 or 4 russet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and diced
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 ½ cups milk (I use whole, but any kind will work)
• chives or cilantro for garnish (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

 

Remove the kernels from the ears of corn.

In a large, heavy pot melt butter over medium heat. Add the corn, onion and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to become translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the lemon juice and white wine and deglaze the pan.

Add the potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and let it cook for 20 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.

Remove from the heat and stir in the milk. Add salt and pepper until it’s just right.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with a sprinkling of chives or cilantro.

Enjoy!