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1
Clean the grill rack very well.
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2
Heat it with medium heat, if youre using a gas grill.
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3
If a charcoal grill, ignite and spread a bed of coals in a low layer that will cook all the ears of corn over moderatenot searingheat.
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4
(If you can, adjust the height of the rack, too, to avoid burning the corn.)
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5
Shuck the corn and remove all the silks.
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6
Put the ears in a big bowl or on a tray; pour the olive oil and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt all over them.
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7
Roll them around and rub them with your hands so theyre well coated.
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8
To prepare the figs, trim their stems and slice them all in half (through the stem end to the pointy blossom end).
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9
Lay the ears of corn on the grill, and cook them for 7 minutes or more, turning them frequently, until the ears are nicely grill-marked and the kernels are tender.
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10
Dont burn them, and do shift them around the grill so they cook evenly.
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11
Let them cool while you grill the figs.
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12
Wipe off the rack, if necessary, and have it hot so the figs dont stick.
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13
Set the fig halves on the rack, cut side down, and cook them only for a minute or so, to caramelize the cut side and soften the flesh.
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14
Dont let them burn or get mushy.
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15
With a sharp knife, slice the grilled kernels off the cobs and gather them in a mixing bowl (see box, page 276, for my method of cutting off kernels).
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16
Put in the fig pieces and toss together with the corn, adding the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt or more to taste.
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17
Serve warm or at room temperature in a wide bowl or platter.
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18
If youre drizzling with the balsamic reduction, its best (and prettiest) to spread the corn and figs out in a shallow layer on a platter and swirl the vinegar with a teaspoon or fork in thin streaks over the top.
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19
This will give every spoonful of corn a delicate accent of sauce.
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20
The use of fresh herbs has exploded in the American kitchen today and that is wonderful, but I recall, as a young apprentice at my great-aunts apron strings, for every pot that went on the stove there was an herb somewhere in the garden to match.
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21
Some herbs were better to cook; others were better added to the finished dish.
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22
Rosemary, bay leaves, and thyme were mostly used for long cooking, where their oils would be extracted slowly out of their leaves, but sage, oregano, and marjoram needed very little cooking time, and basil, parsley, and mint were tossed raw, which is enough to release their aroma.
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23
When I cook I love to crush herbs in my hands and then inhale their perfumes; it invigorates me, it refreshes me, and I get a good sense of what I am adding to the pot.
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24
I gently begin crushing herbs for my grandchildren in their early months of life, so they can begin to collect the smells of the wonderful world of herbs and foods.
