Sweet Corn Perfection: Spilled Milk #131

The easiest end-of-summer pasta recipe you'll ever find. Plus: A lightning-fast way to shuck and cook your corn.

Couple of things to point out here … in Long Island, New Jersey, parts of New England, Rhode Island and, yes, even a few other states, the saltwater fog of some July and early August nights that comes off the ocean creates some of the best-tasting corn in the world. I spent 31 years eating it every summer. For the last 31 I have eaten the late-August sweet white corn of Minnesota, and I can’t lie: It’s better. Let the arguing begin.

But if we can set aside our petty squabbles for a second, let’s revel in the joy of the vegetable itself.

I have lots of great corn recipes on www.andrewzimmern.com, including corn pastas, fritters, succotash and salads. I had one last night with corn, arugula, grilled peaches and feta that floored me. And of course a hundred ears I ate this season steamed/boiled and buttered were pretty damn near perfect too. One thing I tried this year for the first time — and I love it — is microwaving corn. The leaves and silk literally slip right off, and the kernels cook perfectly.

Three minutes for an ear, six minutes for three or four ears. When they are too hot to grip with a bare hand, they are done. They are zipper-skin ears at that point, and they’re easy to process or eat. It’s a neat tip. Have a look: