AV O C A D O A N D H E R B S

Substitute a chopped avocado for the tomatoes. Use basil,

cilantro or mint. Use lime juice for acidity and top

with crumbled feta or cotija.

C O R N A N D T O M AT OUse just 5 cups water or stock.

Substitute 1 chopped sweet onion for scallions, and

chopped garlic for chilies. After stirring in the cornmeal,

add 2 chopped tomatoes with the potatoes; cook until

soft. (Skip the cream.) Garnish: Chopped parsley.

W I T H B A C O NRender chopped slab bacon

in olive oil until nearly crisp; remove with a slotted

spoon and pour o� excess fat. (You de� ne ‘‘excess.’’)

Add corn (skip the sa� ron and onion) and brown. Return

the bacon to the pan along with chopped scallions and

parsley. Forget the cheese; chopped tomatoes optional.

A R E PA SSubstitute butter for oil.

Use 1 cup cornmeal; skip the � our and baking powder.

Beat the egg with 1 cup milk and add 1 cup grated Cheddar;

use just ½ cup corn kernels. (Batter will be thinner.)

Cook like pancakes, until golden and � u� y. Garnish:

Cheddar and avocado.

S E A F O O D A N D TA R R A G O N

Include tomatoes or not; add bits of cooked, cooled

shrimp, lobster or scallops. Use (a little) fresh tarragon

instead of basil, along with lemon zest and

minced shallot. Garnish: Lemon wedges.

C O R N A N D C O C O N U T M I L K

Use 2 cups coconut milk and 4 cups water for the

stock. Substitute neutral oil for olive oil, and Thai basil for scallions; add chopped

lemon grass. Skip the cornmeal and cream. Add

fresh lime juice to taste. Garnish: More basil.

M E X I C A N � S T Y L ENo butter, no sa� ron. Sauté

chopped onion in neutral oil until soft; add cooked or

canned black beans with their liquid; cook for at least

5 minutes, then add corn to heat through. Fry an egg

and serve it on top with cilantro. Garnish:

Lime wedges.

C O R N A N D C R A B C A K E SUse olive oil; skip the cornmeal

and baking powder. Beat 1 egg; add 2 cups corn, ½ pound

crab meat, ¼ cup mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon Dijon; skip the

milk. Stir in enough bread crumbs (½ cup) to bind. Shape,

dredge in � our, brown on both sides, 8 minutes total.

Garnish: Lemon wedges.

T O M AT O E S A N D B A S I LCombine raw corn kernels with sliced cherry tomatoes or

chopped plum tomatoes and lots of basil in a large bowl. Add olive oil and lemon juice or good vinegar; toss. Garnish: More basil.

C O R N A N D G R E E N C H I L IPut 4 stripped cobs in 6 cups water; simmer 15 minutes;

remove. In a separate skillet, sauté chopped scallions in olive oil with seeded, chopped green chilies; add ¼ cup cornmeal and

cook, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add the scallion-and-chili mixture to broth with corn kernels and 2 chopped potatoes; cook

until soft. Optional: Crema or sour cream. Garnish: Scallions.

W I T H S A F F R O N Melt butter in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add corn

kernels along with chopped onion and a pinch of sa� ron. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until each kernel is deeply browned on

at least one surface. Turn o� heat. Garnish: Grated Parmesan.

C O R N C A K E SPut neutral oil in a skillet on medium heat. Combine ¾ cup

cornmeal, ½ cup � our and 2 teaspoons baking powder. Beat 1 egg with ¾ cup milk; pour into dry ingredients along with 2 cups

corn kernels. Add milk if needed. Drop spoonfuls into the oil; brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes total. Garnish: Parsley.

Eat August 26, 2012

54

WARM SALAD

FRIED CAKES

COLD SALAD

SOUP

54 PHOTOGRAPHS BY YUNHEE K IM FOR THE NEW YORK T IMES . FOOD ST YLIST: PAUL GR IMES . PROP ST YLIST: MEGAN HEDGPETH.

COMMENT Your thoughts (and recipes) are welcome at nytimes.com/magazine. Follow Mark Bittman on Twitter: @Bittman.

from the cob. Corn kernels are a revelation, assuming, of course, that the corn is good to begin with. And right now, it should be (and it should be just � ne raw, as it is in the � rst three of these ideas). So before corn costs $6 an ear next year, go for it.

For most of these recipes, use 4 to 6 ears of corn, which should work out to between 3 and 4 cups of kernels, depending on the size of the ears.

These 12 dishes are ideas — starting points. And as usual with these recipes, feel free to use what you have and what you like. When making corn-and-lobster salad, for example, remember that scallops, shrimp or crab is just as good as lobster; so is white� sh, for that matter. (And you can bear all of that in mind when producing corn crab cakes too.) For corncob stock (an appropriate, easy and delicious base for any dish that contains both corn and liquid), longer cooking time won’t hurt; nor will adding an onion (don’t bother to peel it) or a sprig of rosemary, tarragon or oregano.

In fact the only thing you can’t substitute for here is corn, but why would you?

All of these recipes serve four. Don’t forget salt and pepper.