creamy corn with cilantro

it shouldn't be all that surprising to hear how often we eat mexican food in my house. with all the burritos, tacos for breakfast and dinner, salsa, taco salad, rice, quesadillas, baked eggs, and fajitas, i am always on the lookout for something new to add to the mexican rotation. and in this case, another way to mix corn - one of my favorite vegetables, especially now, when it's finally in season - with queso fresco, one of my new favorite cheeses.

it seemed like every week i was buying a new bag of shredded taco cheese blend to go with whatever taco, burrito, quesadilla or other stuffed-in-a-tortilla americanized mexican dish i planned to make that week. one week i took a chance on a three dollar brick of queso fresco in my supermarket instead, and i've never looked back. it's dry, crumbly, perfectly salty, and even though it  gets really soft when heated rather than melt completely, it goes along perfectly with whatever you've stuffed into your tortilla. and mixed into this corn. 

creamy corn with cilantro
adapted from marzipan, who adapted it from gourmet
15 minutes, serves 6 as a side

notice most of the recipe measurements are approximations, simply because i eyeballed almost everything when i made this. aren't a huge fan of cilantro? (really?!) then reduce it, or skip it all together. like your corn on the thick side? reduce the cream. and add more if you like your corn thinner.

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
about 3/4 cup chopped scallions (or green onions)

1 garlic clove, minced

about 2 cups fresh corn cut off the cob or one ten ounce bag frozen corn
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon cornstarch
about 1/2 cup queso fresco, crumbled
about 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced

1. in a large saute pan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted. cook the scallions until soft, about five minutes. add the garlic, corn, and season with salt and pepper. cook an additional five minutes.
2. in a small bowl, whisk the cream and cornstarch together until smooth and no lumps of cornstarch remain. add to the corn and simmer until thickened, about three minutes.
3. remove the pan from the heat and stir in the queso fresco and cilantro. serve hot.