Zipadee doo dah!

I am the proud owner of a brand new corn zipper. I've been wanting one of these little gadgets since they first hit the market a few years ago and found one at TJ Maxx for about $10. I just tried it out last night - genius! The corn zipper has sharp little teeth that cuts corn kernels right off the cob. You just hold the corn cob in one hand and zip the kernels right into a bowl.

I felt much less likely to sever a finger using the corn zipper than I do when I am awkwardly balancing a corn cob on its end and trying to slice its kernels off with a sharp knife. And I got far fewer corn kernels on the counter and floor.

Last night, in the thick of a stifling heat wave here in NYC -- it was 98 degrees yesterday and got up to 103 today -- I decided to make a mostly cold dinner. On the menu: grilled flank steak (grilled in a grill pan, though finished in the oven) and a trio of refreshing sides (corn salad, greek salad, and tzatziki).

Summery corn salad

6 servings

5 ears corn, shucked

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1 small red onion, chopped finely

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

about 20 leaves of basil, shredded*

salt and pepper to taste

*a few tablespoons of chopped cilantro would also be good

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in corn cobs. Cook for 3 minutes.

2. Remove corn cobs from boiling water and immerse in ice cold water. When corn is cool enough to touch, remove kernels (with a corn zipper, if you've got one!).

3. In a large bowl, mix corn kernels, tomatoes, red onion, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

* * *

And for good measure, here's my favorite summery corn recipe of all time:

Summer corn and orzo salad with cucumber-feta dressing

8 servings

1 3/4 cups crumbled feta cheese* (about 8 ounces)

3 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 pieces

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon water

1 1-lb box of orzo

corn kernels from 4 ears of corn

1/3 cup chopped chives

salt and pepper to taste

*I like French feta, if you can find it.

1. Place 1 cup of crumbled feta, half of the diced cucumbers, olive oil and water into a food processor. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

2. In the meantime, cook orzo in a large pot of salted boiling water, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, about 8 minutes. Add corn kernels and cook until orzo is just tender but still firm to bite, about 2 minutes longer.

3. Drain orzo and corn and transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining feta, remaining cucumber, chives, cucumber-feta dressing from step 1, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Can be served room temperature or cold.