Sweet corn purists insist on eating it straight from the cob, with (perhaps) butter and a bit of salt. I’m not a purist, mainly because I don’t like the way it gets stuck in my teeth. Yet I am by no means immune to the seductive sweetness of freshly picked ears of Zea mays. I did not grow up with access to this treat; instead we had “corn on the cob” from the supermarket that was god-only-knows how ancient (but still better than canned corn). These days we would not dream of eating anything but local corn.

My favorite thing to do with the tiny golden nuggets is to mix them with chopped red and orange peppers browned in a pan, a can of diced green chilis, some butter, salt, and lime juice. Tonight I added chunks of fake “chix” (Morningstar Farms: a topic for another day) and some shreds of very sharp cheddar. Green Tabasco optional. Sweet, salty, savory, spicy heaven, right here on earth.

For you QUASI-PURISTS:

• Herb Buttered Corn on the Cob (seasonsforcooking.wordpress.com)