It's summertime, which means grilling season is upon us (and really that's mostly because our temperatures in the southwest are rising and nobody has time for being in a hot kitchen, standing over an oven, blasting warm oven air into your already warm home). This is my go-to summertime snack as it hits each flavor element -- salty, sweet, spicy, lime-y and downright delicious. I even made this for my mother who swears she is not a 'corn fan' and she couldn't stop eating it!

This is a version of The Defined Dish's mexican-style street corn dip, but with some flair to make this more true to an elote (and who doesn't love mayo...I mean plenty of people, but not around my household).

PRO TIPS:

• Use sweet corn! REPEAT, use sweet corn! What's so great about this dip is the surprising sweetness of the corn to balance the salt.
• Roast your corn and poblanos on your grill. You want a good char on them but avoid too much burn. Don't have a grill, no problem! You can roast these in your oven on broil but make sure you are like a hawk watching them to avoid burning them.

• Not pictured: after roasting your poblanos, place them in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam (about 10 min). This will help the skin pull away from the meat allowing an easier time to remove the skin.

• After mixing everything together you can serve immediately, but I have found for best flavor let the dip refrigerate for at least a couple hours (I have even done it overnight and served the next day!).
• Top with chopped cilantro + queso fresco. Personally, I load up on the queso fresco but you do you.

RECIPE:                                                                               

Serving Size: 4 - 5 people

• 4 ears of sweet corn, shucked + husked (remove husks + clean thoroughly)
• 1 poblano, roasted, skins removed
• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 1 - 2 cloves garlic (depending on garlic size + if you are fighting off any vampires), minced
• 1/2 tsp lime zest
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp chili powder (my favorite is Burlap & Barrel)
• 2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup queso fresco, crumbled
• Sprinkle of cayenne (optional)
• Salt + pepper
• Olive oil
• Tortilla Chips for serving

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Generously brush each corn with some olive oil then season with salt + pepper. Place the corn and poblano on the grill, and roast about 2 minutes per side (or until a char appears). You may need to take the corn off the grill and turn it up a little higher to roast the poblanos, but do what you need to find a good char.
3. Set the corn aside to cool. Place the poblano in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let the poblano steam for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove the skin.
4. Once the corn is cool, using a knife, carefully remove the kernels from the husk. Chop up the poblano.
5. In a large bowl, combine the mayo, sour cream, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, chili powder, cayenne, 1/2 the queso fresco and stir to combine.
6. Add the corn into the sauce and stir until it is well coated. Add in salt + pepper to taste.
7. Sprinkle with cilantro and the remaining queso fresco, serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!