Once I tried a recipe for sweet corn with a cumin-lime rub. The rub was fragrant and delicious and I would’ve liked it on pork. But why would anyone put that strong of a flavor on sweet corn? I’ve tried a few such recipes over the years, but all have disappointed. It’s not that I don’t like sweet corn. It’s that I like it too much.

When local sweet corn is in, I savor it plain. No butter. No salt. Then I saw a recipe for Tomato and Corn Pie in the August issue of Gourmet. It caught my eye because I’d received 20 ears of corn in my farm share and had already eaten more than my share. I skimmed the recipe, waiting for the step where the corn’s delicate flavor would be overwhelmed by one ingredient or another. Instead, I saw a recipe that pairs the corn with the summertime flavors of tomatoes and basil, resulting in a delicious filling under a tender biscuit crust.

Before you make it, read the recipe carefully. I didn’t and almost missed the step about pureeing the corn in a food processor. I was tempted to skip the step for time’s sake, but I’m glad I didn’t. When you puree the corn, you release some of its milk, resulting in a creamier dish. Now when I have leftover ears of corn, I’ll use it as the foundation for a lovely main course. Kind of like having my cake and eating it, too.