Aw shucks, eat corn!(Eat Your Veggies)

The Yak loves vegetables--all kinds--especially at this time of year, when local farmers markets groan with piles of fresh-picked produce. Today's column is about corn, which is so good right now it's well worth eating several times a week. Get your fill. Once it's gone, it's back to the canned and frozen stuff. Sigh.

What does summer look like? A pale yellow ear of corn on the cob!

Fresh-picked corn rivals garden-grown tomatoes as the season's No. 1 treat, though who would want to choose? And there's no need: Corn on the cob and sliced tomatoes are the ultimate seasonal duo, the perfect side dish with almost any grilled entree, from burgers to fish.

"Corn on the cob is pretty popular at our house," said Greg Zifchak, a teaching chef at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

He and his wife have five kids from age 6 to 18, all of them corn on the cob fans.

"We probably eat it two to three times a week," said chef Greg. "I like the fact that it's so simple to cook. And it goes together with so many other foods. You can marry it with lobster in lobster chowder; with peppers, chiles and onions to make a relish. It's compatible with almost any herb--dill, tarragon, basil."

At the institute, Chef Greg slices the kernels off the cob to use in a wide array of recipes. But removing the kernels is tricky. You have to stand the cob upright, hold it in position with one hand, then slice off the kernels with the other hand--using a long, sharp knife. So don't try that at home! Stick to the easiest preparation: corn on the cob.