Sweet corn and smoky bacon are just meant to be paired together, which is why I love to start a pot of corn chowder with the fat left behind after cooking bacon. I add in a little zucchini and jalapeno if inclined, but almost always include basil. Thyme would work nicely as well.
The result is an excellent side dish for encapsulating the fleeting tastes of summer, though I’ve had a whole bowl as my entire dinner, too.
Hope to see you at one of our market pick-ups!
Corn and Bacon Sauté
Ingredients
- 1/4 lb bacon
- 5 ears corn, husked
- 1/2 onion
- 1 small zucchini
- 2 tablespoons minced basil leaves
- Kosher salt
- 1 small jalapeno (optional)
Instructions
- Chop the bacon into small dice. In a pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp, watching closely to avoid burning. When crisp, use a slotted spoon to remove from the pan and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Slice the kernels off the corn cobs. A good way to do this is to invert a small bowl inside a larger bowl and stand the cob on the small bowl. As you slice, the kernels will fall into the large bowl. Then, chop the onion and zucchini into small dice. If using the jalapeno, remove the seeds and chop them as well.
- Return the pan with the bacon grease to the heat and add the corn, onion, zucchini, and optional jalapeno. Cook 8-10 minutes until the pan is dry and vegetables tender.