Fresh Corn Polenta FTW

Every week, Caroline Wright creates simple, civilized recipes for Food52 that feed four — for under $20, in under 20 minutes.

Today: Summer’s best supper, ready in less than 20 minutes.

Fresh Corn Polenta with Avocado and Tomato Salad
Fresh Corn Polenta with Avocado and Tomato Salad

Summer corn is truly a sign of the season, so much so that I refuse to eat it at other times of the year — it just isn’t right. Eating corn is almost always a messy and memorable event reserved for big meals in backyards or on porches.

This dish translates the best parts of the season into a weeknight dinner: Turn a bit of grated corn into comfort food with a little time on the stove, then top it with a simple tomato and avocado salad. It’s a meal that only summer can offer.

Fresh Corn Polenta with Avocado and Tomato Salad

Serves 4

8 ears corn, husked
2 tablespoons butter
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 small avocados
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil

  1. Cut the corn kernels from the cobs — you should get about 8 cups. Reserve 1 cup, then place the other 7 cups in a blender and purée until smooth.

  2. Combine the puréed corn with the remaining cup of reserved kernels in a medium saucepan with butter. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer polenta over medium heat until it’s thick and the corn kernels are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

  3. While the polenta cooks, toss together tomatoes and the basil in a medium bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Pit and peel the avocados, then cut them into quarters. Divide the polenta among four serving bowls and top with avocado and tomato salad. Drizzle each serving with oil and vinegar.

Save and print the recipe on Food52.

As a freelance food writer and cook, I first wrote this style of recipe as a column on my blog, The Wright Recipes, as an excuse to cook good food for my friends in a quick and simple way. 

Twenty-Dollar, Twenty-Minute™ Meals grew into a cookbook that was published by Workman in May 2013. The recipes found here are original, made especially for Food52 to once again celebrate simple food with friends.

Photo by Caroline Wright