This blog has been a long time coming. I’ve been asked multiple times to share recipes for all of the images I take and post on Facebook, so here is my first stab. Thank you to my friends and family for the wonderful support with sampling my creations over the years and for encouraging me to share my love of food with others.

I love to be inspired by things around me, especially food; going to my local Farmers Market can be especially exciting because I experience the fun of coming up with something on the spot based on what’s available. I created my take on Corn Maque Choux, a particular favorite, after being inspired by the great produce available. The ingredients and the directions are listed below. Feel free to share your thoughts and to make this dish your own.

Ingredients:
4 ears of corn
2 tomatoes
1 small bell pepper
1 small onion
2 tbsp. of chopped green onion
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. coarse black pepper
½ tsp. red pepper flakes (or cayenne pepper)
1 tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup of water if needed
Directions:

1. Shuck corn by pulling back husks and rinse thoroughly. Place in a bowl of water (for approximately 5 minutes) to remove additional strings from husk.
2. Slice and dice onion and bell pepper while corn is sitting.
3. Pour out water and place the corn on a paper towel. One at a time, place an ear of corn in the bowl vertically. Cut corn from the cob using a downward motion. It should be four sides per ear of corn. (Watch your fingers.) Once the corn has been removed, run the back of the knife over the corners of the cob ( the non-sharp side) to pull any extra liquid from the cob.
4. Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper to pan and let soften.
5.  While the onion and pepper are cooking, cut the tomato by starting from one vertical tip to the other end, curving your knife around the seeded center. You should have 3 to 5 strips depending on the size of the tomato and the entire seeded center. Save centers for salads during the week.  Slice and dice tomato into similar sizes as the onion and bell pepper.
6. Add corn and tomato to pan. Add seasonings and stir the mixture. Add half the water and reserve the rest if the mixture begins to stick. Let mixture cook for 12 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes.
7. Serve and enjoy.

This dish can be served over rice or beside the protein of your choice. Personally, I like a nice fillet of fish that’s been seared in a little olive oil, salt, pepper and parsley.