Trips to the local market in August are an adventure for the senses! Tables, bins and baskets filled with an abundance of fresh new local vegetables and fruits offer arrays of vivid colors and pleasing shapes for the eyes, ripe scents for the nose, and textures and weights for the sense of touch. Of course, all these are an invitation to the cook to bring the vibrant flavors of fresh local produce to the mouth!
The dilemma I face at the market in the summer is hardly one of scarcity but of over-abundance. There is so much to choose from that I can't bring some of everything home (at least not all at once), so these trips are really as much an exercise in delayed gratification as in anticipation. But one thing I can hardly ever resist is the local peaches and cream corn — sweet, fragrant and colorful, it's an exceptional eating corn and a simple but delicious treat just on its own with only a little butter and salt.
Like all exceptional foods, local sweet corn is best paired with only a handful of other simple but elegant flavors. This time I prepared a simple risotto simmered in a stock made from the cobs of the corn, with the fresh and lightly cooked kernels mixed in at the end along with some fresh tomato and basil from my garden and some good quality Parmesan cheese. A few jalapeños from the garden added a nice little kick.
This warm creamy risotto has a wonderful aroma and lovely contrasts in color and texture — just like a trip to the market, it's an irresistible invitation to please the mouth. A perfect summer risotto!
