Corn Sauteed with Bacon, Potatoes & Peppers

Some of you are looking for innovative ways to enjoy the bountiful corn so give this method a try, you won't be disappointed! This one is so delicious and works well as a brunch dish with the potatoes and pepper. If you have some cooked potatoes on hand use those instead of the raw potato, that really speeds things up.

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup small-diced bacon

1 cup small-diced red onion

1 cup small-diced red potato (from about a 5 oz., potato)

1/4 cup small-diced green bell pepper

1 tsp. salt; more to taste

2 slightly heaping cups fresh corn kernels (from about 4 medium ears)

2 tsp. minced garlic (2 medium cloves)

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp. thinly sliced fresh chives or green onion

1/2 tsp. green Tabasco; or other hot sauce

Freshly ground black pepper

One-half lemon

Melt 1 tbsp. of the butter and 1 tbsp. of the olive oil in a 10-inch straight-sided saute pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the Canadian bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is brown around the edges, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.

Add the remaining 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil to the pan. (If there is enough fat left in the pan from the bacon and oil, skip this step) Add the onion, potato, bell pepper, and 1/2 tsp. of the salt. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions and peppers are well softened and the potatoes are barely tender and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to medium, and add the corn, garlic, and the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt; saute, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until the corn is tender but still slightly toothy to the bite, 3 - 5 minutes. (The corn should be glistening, brighter in color, and somewhat shrunken in size, and the bottom of the pan will be slightly brown.)

Remove the pan from the heat; add the parsley, chives, Tabasco, a few generous grinds of pepper. and a small squeeze of lemon. Stir, let sit 2 minutes, and stir again, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. (Moisture released from the vegetables as they sit will loosen the bits.) Fold the bacon into the dish, season to taste with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed.

Makes 4 servings as a side dish or two as a main course.