“nutritional perspectives.”
chili-coconut roasted corn on the cob; arugula with olive oil, caramelized onions, walnuts, and balsamic; roasted eggplant and okra.
At one time in my life, I would have looked at this plate and thought, “But…where’s the protein?”
I like to take life one meal, one plate at a time – it’s a wonderful way to appreciate the individual moments as they go by. But when it comes to nutrition, I think it’s more about the overview than the specific parts. If I took a bird’s eye view of my eating life, I believe I’m doing just fine.
This home-cooked plate – the first in two weeks – was a joy to prepare and a joy to eat. I was happy to dine out every night over vacation and the days that followed, but it was time to put something together with my own two hands. I did so by celebrating the bounty of late summer: corn on the cob, vidalia onions, arugula, eggplant.
It took some time to prepare, but I didn’t mind the wait: food is just so satisfying when it’s in season, and I knew I would savor each bite on this plate. These days, I think that’s where the nutrition lies for me – in the fulfillment of a meal, the way it appeases tastebuds, mental cravings, and that growling in my stomach that reminds me food should please be on its way.
From that perspective, this meal was rich in nourishment. The arugula was just bitter enough, the sweet onions just the right complement. The walnuts gave it crunch, the olive oil a touch extra flavor. The eggplant and okra were simply there for fun.
And then, there was the corn on the cob, purchased for a quarter as the Union Square Greenmarket shut down. As I peeled back its husk and gently rolled it in oil and spice, I knew it would be the true star of it all. This was the piece that got my fingertips greasy, put red spice on my lips, and left remnants between my front teeth. When a food leaves a tangible mark on your mouth, that must mean it’s done your body good.
•••
chili-coconut roasted corn
- 4 ears of sweet corn
- 2 T extra virgin coconut oil
- 2 t chili powder
- dash salt
- pinch or two cayenne
Preheat oven to 375. Melt coconut oil and mix with chili powder, salt, and cayenne. Roll corn in coconut-spice mixture. Roast in oven for 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
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YUM! mm yes always a good sign when the corn is stuck in ur teeth and the spices all over ur lips haha <3
plus the corn looks really good, thats one heck of a market you have <3
Your corn on the cob recipe is perfect timing – I just got 1/2 dozen ears in this week’s CSA delivery :) Can’t wait to reunite with you!
[...] summer, I discovered my very favorite way to eat these summer ears: roasted in the oven. Thanks to my friend Megan, I recently learned that they don’t even need to be shucked [...]