It’s September, can you believe that!? Where oh where has this year gone, and more importantly, where has SUMMER gone? Living in quarantine has led to all the months post-February smooshing together into one giant month at this point. It feels like only yesterday that we were wearing our winter coats and trudging through the snow, and now, we’re taking the first steps to pack our summer attire away in favor of cardigans, chunky sweaters, and cozy scarves. Don’t get me wrong, fall is without a doubt my favorite season of them all, but I feel like I’ve only just gotten used to celebrating summer! Nonetheless, Labor Day is fast approaching, giving us all one last hurrah before it’s time to lean into the PSL (pumpkin spice latte) life for good.

092D90BD-714A-4333-AB39-24717BFE221B-94A1D3AC-B29A-418F-9855-BC78F319D6ED.JPG

1C4D48B7-5234-405A-8B88-B7EFFA0EC4F4-309FBFC5-D57C-4A2B-BED4-9782244B41E1.JPG

15C00DED-2175-4BB8-ADB3-665F15A5DA3C-A0750DB2-EEE4-425A-B0C3-296B372D3DA4.JPG

Corn is one of my favorite things about summer. It was a true staple in my diet growing up in the Midwest where you could find it everywhere. Pop it to make popcorn on the stovetop, bake it in breads, eat it fresh on the cob with a healthy slathering-on of local butter; there’s no wrong way to enjoy it. But no other way to prepare and eat corn brings me more joy than elote, a traditional Mexican grilled corn. It's smokey, tangy, salty, and slightly spicy all rolled into one.

What I think makes elote so popular, besides an incredibly short and easy preparation process, is how few ingredients it takes to completely maximize the corn’s flavor. In just 30-ish minutes you can take a plain ear of corn and transform it into a magical side dish smothered in cayenne pepper and lime-infused mayonnaise, with a heavy sprinkling of salty, crumbly, cheese on top. I’m telling you, it’s a crowd-pleaser every single time.

It must be noted that traditionally, elote would be topped with cotija, a special Mexican cow’s milk cheese, but since it can be fairly hard to come by in Southern New England, I’ve substituted it with feta cheese.

Looking for the perfect side dish for your end-of-summer, socially-distanced, Labor Day bash? This quick, easy, and insanely delicious elote recipe has you covered!

Elote

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

4 ears of corn in the husk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
1 cup grated feta cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the grill so that it reaches at least 450-500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fill a large bowl with cold water and soak the ears of corn for at least 10 minutes. When the grill is ready, drain the soaking ears of corn and grill on a rack closest to the coals, leaving at least 5 inches of space between each ear. Grill until the husks are charred, at least 10 minutes.

Remove the ears of corn from the grill, wait a moment or two for them to be cool enough to handle, then shuck each ear. Do not remove the leaves entirely as they can be used as a handle later on when they’re ready to be served. Fold the leaves all the way down, like you’re peeling a banana. Place the corn back on the rack and grill until kernels are browned in spots throughout. This should take about 10-15 minutes depending on how hot the grill is.

While the corn is grilling, whisk together the mayonnaise, cayenne pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon lime juice in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Place the grated feta cheese in a separate small bowl.

Once the corn is ready, take it off the grill and immediately brush a generous amount of the mayonnaise mixture on each, then sprinkle liberally with cheese.

Serve corn on the cob with the additional lime wedges while it’s still warm.

SOURCE: Adapted from the Epicurious Cookbook