It’s hard to believe that summer is almost behind us, and that the new school year begun three weeks ago. I feel as if I was just planning Max’s first year of summer out of daycare, researching summer camps in our area, and planning part of his vacation with my family in Stockton and his grandparents in Ventura. It was a pretty good summer though in spite of the closing of our restaurant business. We spent a few weekends at the beach, had some quality time with family and each other, and had a couple of long weekends at our favorite spot in Carlsbad. And just like the last few summers my husband and I saw some pretty terrific concerts this year at the Greek Theater and Hollywood Bowl.

I love summer for many reasons. I love the beach. I love getting a good tan that lasts until the winter. I love concert season in Los Angeles. I love tomatoes, melons, corn, eggplant and stone fruit. I love the simplicity of summer food. Simply dressed salads and vegetables, grilled meats and fish, fresh fruit seasoned with lime and salt.

Every year I make my Grandmother’s corn soup while corn is still in season. Corn soup is one of my favorite summer dishes. I just love corn anyway, but her corn soup is something special to me. I used to help my grandmother in the kitchen when I was little. I remember helping her prep for her corn soup. As a matter of fact my first injury in the kitchen was during one of these times, I scraped my right knuckles grating fresh corn ears using a box grater. She didn’t have an electric blender back then so, part of the prep was grating the fresh corn kernel off the cob using a metal box grater. She would sauté onions and garlic in a little oil and add the raw grated corn and the broth. She would garnish the soup with spinach. It was the simplest thing but it was absolutely divine to me. This soup pairs perfectly with grilled fish or pork chops although perfect on its own. Tonight, I paired the soup with broiled Hamachi collar.

Tomorrow marks my grandmother’s 32^nd death anniversary. I still miss her to this day. She was on my mind as I cooked and ate my dinner tonight. She was a remarkable woman with a heart of gold and superhuman strength. She took care of every single member of her family up until the last moments she died. She was my first hero and tonight I honor her.

Nanay’s Corn Soup

Serves 6

5 fresh ears of corn, off the husk, silk removed

4 cups of water

1 tbsp. grape seed oil or canola oil

¼ cup chopped yellow onions

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 bunch fresh spinach

¼ cup sliced, lightly sautéed button mushrooms, optional

Grate the corn kernels off the cob using a box cheese grater; place the grater on a mixing bowl to catch the grated corn. Reserve the cobs for stock.

To make the stock: place the grated corn cobs in a 2-quart stock pot, add 4 cups of water and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the cobs and set aside the stock.

Heat up the oil in a 2-quart stockpot on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent but not brown. Add the garlic to the pot and cook just until fragrant. Pour the grated corn to the stockpot and stir. Add the corn stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat, and add the spinach. Serve while hot.