Sweet corn a sign that summer is here

Now is the time I look forward to all summer long — sweet corn season.

Many of us wait for it as a true sign of summer. HoneyTree Farms sweet corn, a local favorite from Brownsdale, has now arrived at Austin Hy-Vee. This sweet corn is always great-tasting and works well for any recipe you might have in mind.

While we normally think of corn as that summertime favorite, it actually has a bushel of nutritional benefits. Besides the taste, you can feel good about how corn will help your body in two important ways. Corn is a leading source of antioxidants that help promote eye health and is a great source of fiber to promote digestive health. Eye health-supporting antioxidants, including lutein and zeaxanthin, are plentiful in sweet corn and may help prevent macular degeneration — a leading cause of blindness in people older than 65.

And corn is a great source of both insoluble and soluble fiber, at almost 5 grams per cup of corn (each ear of corn has 1⁄2 to 1⁄4 cup of corn depending on ear size). Insoluble fiber is a nutrient that helps clean our digestive tracts, while soluble fiber helps sponge up excess cholesterol and carry it out of the body. Both types of fiber are essential to health.

One way to enjoy this seasonal vegetable is grilling. Here are two ways you can give it a try:

1. Peel back the husks and remove the silk, then bring the husk back over the cob. Soak the corn ears in their husks in cold water for a few hours before grilling — this moisture will let the corn steam as it grills, making it juicier. To grill, wrap each ear of corn tightly in aluminum foil, place on a prepared preheated medium-hot grill, and cook for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until corn is tender. Serve hot off the grill.

2. Rub husked ears with a little butter and wrap in foil. Grill corn on the rack of a covered grill over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes or until kernels are tender, turning and rearranging several times.

Try enhancing your corn with a flavored butter or margarine, spiced up with herbs and seasonings. When using butter or margarine sparingly, you can add a little extra flavor without overdoing the calories and saturated fat. You could also use the flavored butters on other grilled vegetables. Here are some ways to flavor butter:

•Try swirling in some sweet maple syrup and finely shredded orange peel.

•Blend in freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

•Toss in a handful of your favorite herbs.

•Stir in a spoonful of pesto.

Enjoy the third way to grill your corn.

Broccoli-Bacon salad

Serves 6 (1 cup each)

Grilled Corn-On-The-Cob with Basil Butter

Serves 4. Source: | Hy-Vee Test Kitchen.

 All you need

•1⁄4 cup Hy-Vee unsalted butter, at room temperature

•2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

•1⁄8 tsp Hy-Vee salt

•1⁄8 tsp Hy-Vee black pepper

•4 ears corn-on-cob, husks and silk removed

All you do

1. Stir butter, basil, salt and black pepper until combined; set aside.

2. Wrap each ear of corn individually in aluminum foil.

Grill over medium-heat about 20 minutes or until kernels are tender, turning occasionally.

3. Remove corn from grill; unwrap corn and serve with basil butter.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories: 190 Carbohydrate: 18g Cholesterol: 30mg Dietary Fiber: 2g Fat: 14g Protein: 4g Saturated Fat: 7g Sodium: 75mg Sugar: 5g Trans fats: 0g