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Grilled Corn with Basil Butter


One of my favorite things about summer is all the fresh produce that is available.  Growing up, my grandparents had a large vegetable garden.  Every time we would visit them during the summer, Grandma would send us on our way with a trunk full of fresh veggies.  My mom would then hurry home to par-boil and freeze everything we couldn't possibly eat and then she would spend the rest of the week cooking and serving us lots and lots of vegetables!  OK, so I didn't fully appreciate all those veggies then, but the older and wiser me has come to truly savor this fresh-from-the-garden taste.

Today we were able to enjoy the fresh picked produce we bought during our trip to The Farmer's Market!  Ella's pick?  Sweet Corn!


In my opinion, a child's education just isn't complete without mastering the skill of shucking corn.  When I was growing up, weekends were spent at the family cabin.  Every Friday, our family would pack up for our drive "Up North".  If we left early enough in the day, we knew what our last stop would be:  Corn Corner.  Corn Corner was a farm at the last official turn before we reached the cabin.  It raised the sweetest corn known to mankind.  We paid one dollar for a dozen ears.  As the oldest (and only) daughter, my official job was to shuck the two or three dozen ears of corn we would purchase on the way.    If I was lucky, I would recruit my cousin next door.



Growing up, we never ventured from boiled corn with butter and salt, but on this day I thought it would be fun to try something different:  Grilled Corn with Basil Butter.  Basil Butter is easily made in a food processor.  (Less easily made in a blender - i.e. below!)

Simply combine two sticks of regular, salted butter and 1/2 cup torn basil leaves.


Pulse until it looks like this.


Place the basil butter on parchment paper .......


.... and roll up like Tootsie Roll.  Place the Basil Butter in the freezer until it is ready to be used. 


Corn, it turns out, is easily cooked on the grill.  And since I'm always looking for ways to pawn off all the cooking to my husband during the summer months, (i.e. if it can go on the grill, he can cook it), this was a great discovery!   Cooking time runs about 20 minutes.  When it looks bright yellow like boiled corn, it's done.



The smoky, grilled flavor of the corn along with the fresh herbed basil butter was a delicious (and easy!) combination.


Grilled Corn with Basil Butter

Grill corn on medium heat for 20 minutes, turning throughout

Basil Butter

Place 2 sticks of butter and 1/2 cup of fresh basil in a food processor.  Pulse until well combined.  Place in parchment and roll into a cylinder.  Twist ends and freeze until ready to use.