My corn-off-the-cob sautés are always a hit with my family, and a sure bet for entertaining, too. I made this version one night when we had extra yellow beans in the house, but I’ve made them with peppers, squash, mushrooms, okra—all kinds of veggies. If you have leftovers for some reason, add them to an omelet, frittata, or taco the next day. If you'd rather leave out the bacon, just skip it and begin sauteing the onions with 2 tablespoons of butter instead of one. 

Serves 4 

Susie Middleton
  • 2 strips bacon (about 2 ounces)
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 1/4 cups small-diced yellow onions (about 1 small onion) or a combination of small diced onions and yellow bell peppers
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups small-diced yellow wax beans or green beans (about 8 ounces)  
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 3 ears)
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon combination chopped fresh mint and chives

 

1. Cook the bacon in a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels and drain off all but 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan. Add the butter to the skillet and turn the heat to medium. When the butter has melted, add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and just starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. 

2. Add the olive oil, yellow beans, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are somewhat shrunken and both the beans and onions are lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes more.

3. Add the corn kernels and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the corn is glistening, slightly shrunken, and slightly darker in color, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until fragrant and well mixed, about 1 minute. Crumble the bacon and add two-thirds of it to the pan. Stir until heated through and remove the pan from the heat.

4. Season the sauté with a few generous grinds of pepper and a light squeeze of the lemon. Stir in most of the herbs. Let sit for another couple of minutes if you have time. Stir again, scraping the bottom of the pan, and season to taste with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice. Garnish the sauté with the remaining herbs and bacon.