Nourish: July Vegetable of the Month — Corn
Grilled Street Corn (Elote-Style)
Fresh corn has exactly one speed: now. The moment it comes off the stalk, the sugars start converting to starch, and the window for corn that actually tastes like corn starts closing. This is why elote — corn eaten standing up, at a cart, while it's still hot — makes so much sense. It was never meant to wait.
This version brings that same idea home. A hot grill, a creamy chili-lime topping, and enough cotija to make you feel slightly reckless. It's the kind of side dish that becomes the thing everyone is actually talking about — not the main.
Corn earns its place beyond the flavor, too: it's a genuinely good source of fiber, B vitamins, folate, and manganese, and its insoluble fiber feeds the gut microbiome in ways that most summer sides simply don't. Which is a long way of saying: eat the corn. Eat a lot of it. July is exactly when you're supposed to.
Ingredients
- 4 ears fresh corn, husked
- 1 tbsp neutral oil or melted butter, for brushing
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese (or feta as a substitute), plus extra for serving
- 1 tsp chili powder, plus more for dusting
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced
- Juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges for serving
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Salt, to taste
Method
- 1 Heat a grill to medium-high heat. Brush the corn lightly with oil or melted butter.
- 2 Grill the corn directly over the heat, turning every 2–3 minutes, until charred in spots and tender all over, about 10–12 minutes total.
- 3 While the corn grills, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt, chili powder, cumin, garlic, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl.
- 4 Remove the corn from the grill and let it cool just enough to handle.
- 5 Brush or spread the creamy topping generously over each ear of corn.
- 6 Sprinkle with crumbled cotija cheese, a little extra chili powder, and fresh cilantro.
- 7 Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top and serve immediately with extra lime wedges on the side.
Britt's note
No grill? Char the corn under a broiler, turning occasionally, or in a dry cast iron skillet over high heat — you want real color on the kernels, not just a steam.
For an easy crowd-friendly version, cut the kernels off the cob after grilling and toss everything together in a bowl — 'elote in a cup' style.
Corn at peak season barely needs help, but elote shows it off in its most flavorful form. It's a guaranteed hit at a summer gathering, photographs beautifully with the bright cotija and cilantro, and gives followers a reason to actually fire up the grill instead of just steaming an ear of corn.
Cook what's in season.
Nourish what you have.
Feed yourself the way you'd feed someone you love.
A deep breath in a beautiful life.
Talk soon.
— Britt
Most people hydrate out of habit — the same water, the same glass, the same time of day. This pitcher is a small invitation to do something slightly different. Peach, ginger, and orange don't obviously belong together, but they work beautifully — sweet, a little sharp, with just enough warmth from the ginger to make it interesting. Ten minutes of prep, and hydration that actually feels like a treat.