Corn

"While visiting a friend in Albuquerque, I fell in love with a local bakery and cafe called Double Rainbow II," writes Beth White of Phoenix, Arizona. "The food is great—especially the caldo de maìz (corn soup) that I had for lunch." This spicy version gets its hot, smoky taste from chipotle chilies.

Sweet corn shows up at New York City's Mesa Grill in many guises, including, at meal's end, a memorable ice cream created by pastry chef Wayne H. Brachman. Our version of chef Brachman's dessert differs from the original only in texture (we opted for a smooth ice cream rather than a kernel-studded one).

The heartland is known for its grains and its pork; this first course features two of the region's best products—corn and bacon.

This pie is made from the overflowing bounty of the backyard garden. Fresh corn and zucchini seasoned with dill bake underneath Parmesan-crusted tomatoes to make a scrumptious entrée that can be served warm or at room temperature.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 25 min

For best results, make this stuffing with day-old Buttermilk Corn Bread.

Remove the kernels from the cobs by holding each ear of corn upright on a flat surface and running a chef's knife along the cob and cutting downward, as close to the cob as possible.

Serve with: Shredded lettuce and radishes tossed with lemon vinaigrette, and Spanish rice. Dessert: Lime sherbet.

A lovely dish that's a snap to prepare.

Buy cooked fresh lobster meat and you can whip this salad together in about 30 minutes. Cooking your own lobster, however, not only ensures the freshest flavor and the tenderest meat, but you get more bang for the buck—you can use the lobster shells to make stock and lobster oil.

This variation on basic polenta incorporates fresh corn just off the cob.

Ripe tomatoes, basil and fresh corn enhance a terrific side dish.