Shrimp with Corn and Basil

I consider myself a pretty organized person. Okay, an obsessively organized person. But every once in a while I look in my fridge and find something that I have no idea what it is doing there. Doesn't happen often, but when it does, and particularly when it is something GOOD, it's a personal challenge to make something out of it. Yesterday I was looking through the fridge as I was thinking over the menu for next week and in the crisper, minding their own business, were four ears of corn. I swear to God, I have no idea how they got there. And of course, neither does anyone else who lives in this house. But there they were, and this was a little urgent because their poor husks were already looking a little D R Y.

Happily, I remembered this old favorite recipe of ours. I can't remember where I first got this one; the recipe itself is old and yellowed and looks like it was cut out of a magazine about 125 years ago, but it's one that I have gone back to time and again for a quick summer meal that comes together in about 15 minutes. The key is fresh ingredients -- must be fresh corn, not canned or frozen. (Check, got that.) Must be fresh basil, not dried. (Check, gigantic basil crop right outside the door and threatening to take over the house.) Nice big shrimp -- I buy these in bulk at Costco, which has a rocking great seafood department, and separate them into bags of about 10-12 shrimp per back and chuck them into the freezer so I always have some on hand. Last but not least, really good butter, since that is pretty much the main ingredient of the sauce. It's worth going to the specialty part of your supermarket and spending extra for gourmet butter. I keep two kinds of butter on hand, the really nice kind for spreading and for pan sauces, and then regular organic butter for baking.

Those ingredients are the grand total of what you need for this recipe. I thawed out my Costco shrimp and 15 minutes later we were sitting outside by the pond having a lovely summer lunch. So here's the recipe, for you to try whenever you come across some nice summer corn -- either on purpose or by surprise!

SHRIMP WITH CORN AND BASIL

• 4 tablespoons really good butter
• Kernels from 4 ears of corn
• 1 pound shelled shrimp (cut into one inch pieces if they are really big)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in large frying pan. Add corn and shrimp and stir-fry until shrimp is cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.

2. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. This dish is perfect as is, but if the mood strikes me I have been known to mix in some crumbled feta cheese, or to grate some fresh Parmesan on top. You should experiment, too!