Elote or Mexican Street Corn

After we bought our house in a quaint little water community, we were delighted to find out about the annual 4th of July parade. It's 45 minutes of good community fun. Hundreds of people fill about a mile of street to watch everything from Tae Kwon Do performances to the Corvette Club, fire trucks to farm equipment, the Boy Scouts to a gaggle of motorcycles and homemade floats supporting all kinds of businesses. 

It feels good to watch and be apart of something bigger than yourself. The organizers of the event are tremendous and I can only imagine the time it takes to put the parade together. Leading up to the event, leaders in our community put up American flags up and down the street where the parade will take place. Every year when the flags go up I am reminded of the significance of being apart of a community. 

There isn't much to do around this water community during the winter months that doesn't involve a major commute. However, come the lazy days of summer there are a ton of water activities, bike riding, fishing, crabbing, camps, farmers' markets and the 4th of July parade. (On a side note, BRING BACK THE GALESVILLE FIREWORKS!! Petition started!)

Every year we get our spot on the street. We stand there in our 4th of July gear watching the crowd grow. My crazy dad wears his long sleeve American Flag shirt and jeans in 100 degree heat. Honestly, his beach attire is a similar ensemble. SMH. 

The kids come prepared with empty bags waiting with great anticipation for the candy that will be thrown from floats. 

My sister and I sneak pics with mom. She hates being in pictures and we love to irritate her. I assure you there was a few choice curse words after this picture was taken and a "wtf" phone call once this post goes live. Love you MOM!

This Fourth of July will be no different from the rest. Family, friends, community and some good eats after the parade. If you happen to be looking for a way to JAZZ up some of the already fabulous summer sweet corn on the cob you bought for your celebration, this Mexican Street Corn is a definite crowd pleaser.

ELOTE:

Several ears of corn

1/2 cup of sour cream

1/2 cup of good quality mayonnaise

1/4 cup of cilantro, roughly chopped

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon of ancho chili powder

1/4 teaspoon of chipotle chili powder

1/4 teaspoon of cumin

1/4 teaspoon of coriander

1 lime, zested and juiced

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup of Queso Fresco cheese, plus more for garnish

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together, except the corn. The sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance.

Peel the husks back, but do not remove from the corn. Shed the silk away from the corn and cover the corn back up with the husk.

In a container large enough to hold all your corn, soak the corn in water while you heat up the grill.

When the grill is hot, place the corn over direct heat, turning occasionally for 20 minutes. If the husks start to burn to much, you can place the corn over indirect heat and close the lid to aid in cooking and not burning.

When the corn is done, carefully peel back the husks and spread on the sauce, garnish with more queso fresco and cilantro. This is the best way to eat corn! We paired ours with a jerk chicken wrap stuffed with pineapple salsa and a brown sugar aoili!