Brentwood is an especially great place to live in the summer months. Fresh fruits and vegetables are grown all around us, from cherries in June to squash in October. And an even greater perk is that we have one of the best farmers’ markets around. There are families that we know coming every other week from the Hayward area for our market.

We honor one product annually with our CornFest, and are fortunate that such excellent corn grows so close to home. It’s a season that, for us, will run until early fall, one of the longest seasons for a vegetable. Corn is grown across the United States, but for most areas, the fresh variety won’t be available until September.

Corn is a versatile vegetable. It’s used in sweet or savory preparations, alone or in a mix. It’s high in potassium, and you can find calcium on the list, too. You can steam it, boil it, bake it, roast it, and it is not too bad raw, either! I love it on the grill; we soak it for a few hours, take the silk off and any leaves that aren’t tight to the cob, and roast it on the grill for about 10 minutes, rotating so all sides are treated equally. We take it off the grill and remove the husks.

Another trick is to melt butter in a tall can containing water. The butter floats to the top, the water keeps it from burning and as you dunk the corn into the can, it gets coated with butter as you pull it out.

Some of our favorite ways to enjoy corn – so as not to get too sick of it – are focaccia garlic bread with corn kernels over and a slight bit of cheese; corn bread muffins with about a half cup of whole corn added; black bean salad with roasted corn; and of course, corn on the cob!

Black Bean Salad

2 15-ounce cans of black beans

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Kernels from two to four roasted cobs of corn

½ to ¾ of a 15-ounce can of pineapple, diced

Half of a small red onion, diced

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

4 green onions, chopped

1 teaspoon cumin

1 pinch sea salt – fleur de sel is very nice here

1 teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 tablespoons vinegar (red wine or white balsamic are ones we use)

1 fresh jalapeño, finely diced

Avocado is optional.

Alternative spices: Brentwood Spice & Olive Oil’s Hometown or Smoke Means Fire blends (add one tablespoon of either to liven up the flavor)

All of the above ingredients can be adjusted to suit your taste.

Open beans and pour off juice, rinse and pour into bowl. Add remaining ingredients, toss and serve. It’s great on a hot day, and with fresh corn available now, the sweetness is remarkable.