Instructions: My mother is a huge fan of corn on the cob. Simply boiled, slathered with butter and sprinkled generously with salt and pepper, Moms corn is an addition to roughly two out of three summertime meals.

When we were younger, my little sister and I would frequently grow tired of corn (not to mention that the husking chore also quickly lost its novelty) and ask in our most plaintive voices "Corn again, Mom?"

Now, years later, I cant think of a better way to complete a hot-weather meal than with a steaming ear of corn. In fact, my husband and I are great fans of what we call our "Corn and Tomato Dinner," which consists of corn-on-the-cob and sliced fresh tomatoes. Thats it. Who needs more when the two most perfect summer foods are on the plate?

Yet even the most dedicated corn lovers can grow weary of boiled corn night after night. So here we offer some additional ways to put corn on your menu, without putting up a big pot of water to boil.

Grilling

Since summer often means that meals are cooked on the grill, adding a few ears of corn is practical and efficient. In fact, cooking everything on the grill makes for a tasty dinner with a minimum of fuss.

Prepare corn for grilling by pulling the husk down, but not off, the ear.

Remove the silk and soak the ears for 30 minutes in cold water. Drain the ears and then spread margarine or butter on the kernels, and season with salt and pepper or other seasoning. Pull husks back up around the ear of corn, wrap each one in heavy-duty aluminum foil, twisting the ends to close tightly.

Grill over coals that have died down to embers, about 25 minutes. Waiting around for embers isnt the only way to do it, though. If placing ears over a hot fire, decrease grilling time to about eight minutes, turning occasionally.

Finally, for a drier, but more smoky-flavored ear, husk the corn and place it directly on the grill. Cook over a medium-hot fire 10 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally (it will become a little charred, which is desirable in this case).

Microwaving

For in-a-hurry dinners, or for when its just too hot to cook any other way, microwaving cant be beat. Place un-husked corn on a paper towel and microwave on high for 5 minutes (for 2 ears) or 7 minutes (for 4 ears). This method does requires husking the corn while hot, which in this case is easier to do using a paper towel to grip the husk.

Steaming

OK, so this does require boiling water, but not much! Instead of boiling a whole pot of water, only one to two inches of boiling water is needed for about four ears. Use a large pot for up to four ears, and a tall pot with a steamer basket so corn stands up if cooking more than four. Once the water is boiling, add the husked corn and steam until tender, about five to seven minutes.

Going off the cob

Although its hard to imagine that one might have leftover cooked corn-on-the-cob, it occasionally does happen. Do not toss out this lonely ear of corn! Wrap it in plastic wrap (or cut the kernels off the cob and save them in a plastic bag or container) and refrigerate it for later creative use. Then, dont forget to actually use it.

Soup and chowder are traditional dishes to which leftover corn is added, but there are many more ways to use it, too. Salads, for one, are a summertime staple that can frequently benefit from a sprinkling of grilled corn kernels.

Using little bits of leftover ingredients in quick pasta dishes is one of my summertime specialties, and a perfect place to make use of leftover cooked corn.

Corn pudding, corn cakes, corn bread, and corn relishes are also suitable.

So do your part to diminish the fresh sweet corn supply this summer. My mother and I cant do it by ourselves!

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