I fondly recall New England summers, when we gathered at the farm stand to go out in the field and pick our own vegetables. As we approached the cornfi elds, the air was filled with the aroma of sweet corn. While the summer corn crop from the North will soon dominate our local grocers, Florida sweet corn will finish its season in July. In fact, sweet corn has typically ranked as one of Florida’s five top vegetable crops.

Ripe sweet corn has bright-green, moist husks. The silk should be stiff , dark and moist. If you’re purchasing corn in the morning and not planning to cook until later that evening, store the corn in the refrigerator to prevent the sugar from turning to starch. If you’re boiling corn, only cook in a hard boil for 3-4 minutes and never let the corn stand in hot water. I love to peel the husk from the corn, brush it with a small amount of oil and place on a medium-heat grill to burst the kernels. This adds color and fl avor to black bean salsa and vegetable patties.

GLAZED PORK CHOPS WITH EDAMAME SUCCOTASH

4 thick-cut bone-in pork chops

Montreal steak seasoning

Sprinkle paprika

Fresh ground black pepper

2 slices thick-cut bacon (about 2 ounces), chopped 1 shallot, finely chopped

2 cups fresh or thawed frozen edamame

Corn cut from four ears

¼ cup water

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

Kosher salt and fresh ground white pepper to taste

¼ cup orange juice 1 tablespoon orange blossom honey

2 tablespoons marmalade

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Season pork chops and let rest for 10 minutes. Grill or pan sear. Mix juice, honey, soy sauce and marmalade together in a bowl and pour over the pork chops when they are grilled to a medium temperature.

For succotash: Heat heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and sauté until fat begins to render, about 1 minute. Add shallot and sauté until bacon and shallot begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Add edamame and ¼ cup water and cook until vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl and sprinkle with parsley and add corn. Toss gently.

Place pork chops on top of succotash and serve.