I haven’t had corn nearly enough this summer. It’s one of those items that I never eat out of season because it’s just not even the same species. When I saw some fresh local corn was still available last week, I knew I’d use it in this recipe. I made it over the weekend and ate it as a base for a lunch for a few days. I halved the recipe and used the BEST black forest bacon from Whole Foods. I wish I’d pureed a little more than half of it, because it was still a little chunkier than I had imagined it being. However, for a creamed corn without the cream, I’d say it was a real winner. Coincidently, this appeared in the Cooking Light’s “Best of” edition this September as the best grain side dish. I guess there’s a reason it won the title!

Creamed Corn with Bacon and Leeks
Serves 6
6 ears corn
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 slices bacon
1 cup chopped leek
Cut kernels from ears of corn to measure 3 cups. Using the dull side of a knife blade, scrape milk and remaining pulp from cobs into a bowl. Place 1 1/2 cups kernels, low-fat milk, cornstarch, sugar, salt, and pepper in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping sides.
Cook bacon in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until crisp, turning once. Remove the bacon from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan; crumble bacon. Add leek to pan, and cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring constantly. Add pureed corn mixture, remaining 1 1/2 cups corn kernels, and corn milk mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 3 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Sprinkle with the crumbled bacon just before serving.
From Cooking Light