There is only so much corn ON the cob you can eat, and yet who wants to miss the taste of sweet corn while it’s in season? I certainly don’t, so I wind up cutting the kernels off of the cobs and using them in all kinds of recipes, from sautes to soups, from salads to noodle dishes.

I think the safest and easiest way to cut corn kernels off the cob is this:

1. Shuck each ear and snap it in half. (This is much easier to do that you think.)

2. Spread a dishtowel across a large cutting board. (This helps to catch flying kernels.)

3. Stand a half-ear of corn up so that the flat (cut) side is on the bottom, stabilizing the cob. Use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off on one side, from top to bottom. Rotate and repeat until all the kernels are off. (Set aside cobs to use for vegetable broth if you like; you can freeze them, too.)

4. Repeat with the remaining half-ears.

5. Gather the dish towel together in a pouch and lift it over a wide bowl. Gently open the towel and let the kernels fall into the bowl. Scrape any remaining off the towel into the bowl.