Tortilla Chips with Grilled Corn and Cheddar

Tortilla Chips with Grilled Corn and Cheddar

Recipe from Martha Stewart Living Magazine and Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen
Makes approx. 2 dozen appetizers

When we had friends over the other evening, I gave this recipe a try and it was a big hit!! I made the corn mixture in the morning, topped the tortilla chips with the corn mixture about an hour in advance of our company's arrival and then as they pulled in our drive, I slid the chips under the broiler. These appetizers were nice and hot for our guests and went perfectly with cool drinks. Of course, I used locally grown corn, jalapeno peppers and scallions purchased at Lost River Market & Deli. I used the blue corn tortilla chips the store carries not only because they taste great, but they look quite lovely on a platter with the bright yellow corn mixture on top. I used white sharp cheddar cheese from the dairy section of the store and cilantro from the produce section.

2-3 ears of sweet corn, husked
Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
Kosher salt & Freshly ground pepper
1-2 jalapeno peppers
1-2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 ounces white sharp cheddar cheese, grated (1 ¾ cups) (divided)
24 tortilla chips (I used blue)

Preheat grill to medium high heat. Brush corn with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill corn and peppers, turning occasionally, until corn is tender and the skin on the peppers is blistered. Let cool slightly.
Cut kernels off the cobs and transfer to a bowl. Peel, stem and seed the jalapenos. (Use rubber gloves and don’t touch your eyes.) Dice the peppers and add to the corn.
Add scallions, cilantro, lime juice and 1 ¼ cups of the cheese to the corn mixture. Toss until well combined. (Mixture can be covered and chilled at this point.)
Preheat broiler. Arrange chips in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Top each chip with a tablespoon of the corn mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the chips.
Broil until cheese is bubbly, about 30 seconds or so.
Garnish with more cilantro, if desired, and serve immediately.

Note: I made a mixture of yogurt and sour cream (equal parts) and placed this mixture in a squirt bottle to serve with these chips. The coolness of the creamy mixture balanced nicely with the spicy heat of the chips.