This summer and fall, we plan to be in the country's heartland, where there’s no shortage of fresh corn to eat! I’m perfectly content to eat corn on the cob slicked with soft butter and sprinkled with sea salt. But that can get old, especially if you’re buying 6-12 ears at a time for just two people to eat! ????

One of my favorite ways to eat fresh corn off the cob is by making an elote-style salad. Elote, if you didn’t know, is Mexican street corn. While Americans have hotdog carts, those south of the border have street corn. Typically, this corn is grilled, slathered in a mayonnaise sauce, then rolled in cheese and chili powder. If you thought eating corn on the cob was messy, you haven’t had elote! I love taking these same ingredients to make a salad. It’s a perfect side dish for any grilled meat.

How to cook corn in your RV:

You can cook the corn for this recipe any way you want, whether that is grilled in the husk, husked and grilled directly over the coals, boiled in a pot or steamed in the microwave. There are so many ways to cook corn. I typically go the route that seems easiest to me. I husk the corn outside to keep the mess out of our coach. Place the corn in a pot and add water to cover the corn. I add a spoonful of sugar to ensure the corn is sweet (or at least that’s what my mom told me). Bring the water to a boil, turn the stove off and drain the water or remove the corn after 5 minutes.

How to cut corn off the cob:

Once the corn has been husked and cooked, the next step is cutting the corn off the cob. This chore is less messy by taking a large bowl and placing a smaller bowl upside down inside the other bowl. From there, you can balance the corn on the bottom of the small bowl. Use a serrated knife to cut the corn off the cob. The larger bowl will collect the cut corn for you.

Pro tip: place a damp paper towel or cloth under the large bowl to prevent it from slipping while you cut the corn.

The Recipe:

Equipment Needed: large bowl, small bowl, serrated knife, measuring spoon,

Serves 2 but can be increased or decreased as you prefer.

Ingredients:

2 cups of Cooked Fresh Corn Kernels (about 2.5 ears)

2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon Sour Cream

½ Lime, juiced

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cotija Cheese (you can substitute crumbled feta or grated parmesan)

Hot Smoked Paprika (substitute Chile Powder with a pinch of Cayenne Pepper)

Cilantro (optional)

Mix mayonnaise, sour cream and lime juice in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold in corn. Top with cheese, paprika or chile powder, and cilantro. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until serving for up to 3 days. 

Serving Ideas:

This recipe is super forgiving! If you don’t have sour cream, add more mayonnaise and a little extra lime juice. If you prefer to skip the fat in mayonnaise, try substituting Greek yogurt and using less lime juice. If you don’t like cilantro and you have fresh dill or fresh basil, use that instead! You can serve this with any type of grilled meat, but I particularly like it with grilled chicken breasts or grilled pork chops seasoned with a sweet and spicy rub.

Wine Pairing Suggestion:

Because the corn is so sweet, your best bet for a perfect wine pairing will be with a wine that is on the sweeter side. That’s not to say the wine must be sweet with sugar but with fruit sweetness. Chardonnay tends to be a sweeter grape varietal and will match well with this dish. If you are serving grilled meat on the side, look for a Chardonnay that has a kiss of oak to play off the char on the meat. The more oak in the wine, the bigger the wine will be. Since the goal is to match the weight of the wine with the weight of the food, a kiss of oak is great for chicken breasts, a little more oak for chicken thighs, a little more oak for pork chops, etc.