Here we are in the month of August already. The waning summer brings such a bounty from local farms as well as home gardens.

I confess to lusting after my neighbor Warren’s spectacular looking corn patch, and if the truth be told, I totally agree with a dear friend of mine who was visiting the other day and said, "My gosh, Warren could never eat all that corn." (Translation: "Let's go raid his garden.")

I gave up planting corn when I lived in Wiscasset. Season after season I would diligently till, fertilize, water, weed, spray and generally baby those tender corn seedlings and year after year my efforts were all for naught.

I remember getting the pot of water boiling on the stove, making a mad dash down to the garden to pick the corn, mouth watering, butter at the ready. Oh, such anticipation. But alas, foiled again. The raccoons/birds/skunks won every time.

Fresh corn on the cob quickly loses its sugar content (up to 40 percent) if not refrigerated. The sugar is converted to starch and the sweetness of the corn is gone forever.

When cooking corn on the cob, bring a pan of water to the boil before putting the corn in, and be sure there is enough water to completely cover all the ears. Do not add salt to the water (this tends to toughen it) and if you feel you must add something to the pot, add a bit of sugar instead.

If you are using fresh, cooked corn in a recipe and need to remove it from the cob, pop the end skinny end of the cob into the tube part of a Bundt pan and using a good, sharp knife, slice the kernels off. They’ll collect into the pan — no corn on the walls! About 5 ears of corn will yield about 3 cups of kernels.

Southwestern rice and corn salad with lemon dressing

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided use
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 2 good sized ears)
• 1 cup chopped fresh poblano chiles (or green bell pepper if you don’t want any heat)
• 1 cup diced seeded yellow bell pepper
• 1 cup 1/2-inch cubes yellow summer squash
• 1 cup long-grain white rice, cooked according to directions and cooled to room temperature
• 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Place lemon juice in a small bowl; whisk in 3 Tbsp. oil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add corn, poblano (or green bell pepper), yellow bell pepper, and squash. Cook stirring often, for 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Transfer to a large bowl and add rice, avocado, green onions and cilantro. Add dressing and toss gently to coat. Season to taste with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately. Yield: 8 side dish servings. (Note: Can be made up to 2 hours ahead without the avocado. Add it just before serving.)

Corn and potato salad with spinach

• 8 oz. baby red potatoes
• 3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 5 ears)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (I like to use both red and yellow tomatoes)
• 1-1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 3 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
• 2 oz. goat cheese, cut into small cubes

Cook potatoes in salted water over medium heat for 10-11 minutes or until tender. Drain and chill. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and place in a large bowl. Add corn, tomatoes and bell pepper.

Combine shallots, white balsamic vinegar, Dijon, salt and pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Whisk in olive oil stirring constantly. Drizzle over corn mixture and toss gently to coat. Add spinach and toss again. Sprinkle with basil; top with goat cheese. Yield: 4 servings.

Corn risotto

• 5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 1-1/2 cups uncooked short-grain Arborio rice
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 3 ears corn)
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (optional garnish)

Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low to keep broth just at a simmer.

Heat oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat until hot. Add green onions and cook 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add rice; cook and stir until thoroughly heated. Add 1/2 hot cup broth; cook and stir until almost all liquid is absorbed. Continue adding hot broth 1/2 cup at a time, cooking and stirring for about 30 minutes or until rice is creamy but still firm in the center. Add corn during last 10 minutes of cooking time. (Note: I’ve made this twice and had a small amount of broth remaining both times.)

Stir in Parmesan and garnish with parsley. Yield: 8 servings.

Corn relish

• 6 cups cooked corn kernels
• 2 cups diced white onions
• 2 cups chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 1-1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. pickling salt
• 2 Tbsp. dry mustard
• 2 tsp. mustard seed
• 2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1-1/2 tsp. celery seed
• 1/4 tsp. ground Cayenne pepper
• 2-1/2 cups cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, partly covered, for 35 minutes stirring every so often. Ladle hot relish into prepared pint canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch of headspace. Seal with lids and rings. Process for 15 minutes in boiling water bath. Yield: about 5 pints.

Paula Anderson is a freelance journalist specializing in food, entertaining and nutrition. She writes for several newspapers, as well as Maine Food & Lifestyle Magazine. She divides her time between Scarborough and Big Pine Key, Fla., where she lives with her husband Peter. Correspondence can be addressed to her at the Boothbay Register, P.O. Box 357, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 or the Wiscasset Newspaper, P.O. Box 429, Wiscasset, ME 04578. You can also write to her directly via email at pander@maine.rr.com.