Grilled Corn + Poblano Pepper Skillet Quesadillas

Last weekend we drove across nearly the entire state of Montana. If you’ve never been to Montana then I am here to tell you it’s big. I mean really big. So big that you could fit all of the New England states inside Montana and still have room left over for New York and at least part of Pennsylvania. That’s big. The ginormous size of Montana meant that we had a lot of distance to cover. Seven hundred miles to be exact. Seven hundred miles of seemingly endless grasslands, low rolling hills and wide open sky.

In an effort to break up the long drive we made a couple of stops on the way. The first was in Billings where we spent a few glorious hours at the farmers market. One of my favorite aspects to our nomadic lifestyle is the ability to visit farmers markets in so many different towns. I’ve never been to Billings before, and I really couldn’t tell you anything about the city, but I do know that the Saturday morning downtown farmers market rocks. We arrived about an hour before before closing to find the quadrant of roped off streets packed with people shopping, eating and just milling around. With no time to waste we jumped right in and quickly had arms and bags full of juicy berries, fat ripe zucchinis, glossy red onions, a bag of freshly shelled peas, bright orange carrots, and a jar of raspberry-rhubarb jam that I can’t wait to crack open. Finally, with closing time looming I took my place in line at the corn truck and for a measly $3 got a half dozen of the most gorgeous bi-color early season corn on the cob.

After many more hours of driving we arrived at our final destination in Missoula on the far west side of the state. There’s nothing better than pulling in after a long journey and unpacking bags of fresh produce. Looking over my final haul I realized that I had the complete makings of a meal. Fresh corn on the cob, a shiny poblano pepper, a bunch of pungent red onions, a head of garlic, and a bag of homemade tortillas. Combine this with some pepper jack cheese I already had in the fridge and we were in the quesadilla making business. My absolute favorite way to cook corn on the cob is on the grill. I love how the kernels caramelize over the high heat and give the already sweet vegetable an almost candy-like flavor. Usually I roast my peppers over the flame on my stove, but since I already had the grill hot and ready, I threw the pepper on as well. Of course, if you don’t have a grill you can just as easily char both your corn and pepper over the stove, but since it is summer, for me the grill is the way to go. I just love how in mere minutes the corn and pepper go from this…

To this…

I briefly considered cooking the quesadillas on the grill, but then decided the mess-factor of melty cheese dripping all over the grill grates was too high. Instead I used my trusty cast iron skillet which produced the most perfect crispy crust.

In most parts of the country corn season is upon us, so stop by your local farmers market, buy some corn, and get grilling!

Print Recipe

Grilled Corn + Poblano Pepper Skillet Quesadillas
Serves: 4

5-6 ears of corn, or 3 cups of kernels
1 poblano pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
salt and freshly ground pepper
8 flour or corn tortillas
Optional toppings: Salsa, Sour cream, guacamole or mashed avocado

1. Heat the grill over medium high. Brush the corn and poblano pepper with olive oil. Lay them on the hot grates and close the lid. Cook for 10-12 minutes, turing often. You will know the cron is done when the kernels turn bright yellow in color and dark brown spots appear. The pepper will also turn a dark brown and the skin will blister.

2. Remove the veggies from the grill and place the pepper in bowl covered with plastic wrap. When the corn is cool enough to handle cut the kernels from the cob.

3. After the pepper has steamed in the bowl for 10 minutes you will be able to slide the skin off with your fingers. Don’t worry if a few bits of charred skin remains. It only adds to the flavor. Cut the pepper in half and remove the seeds and inside membrane. Chop the pepper into small dice.

4. Heat a 10 or 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-heat (you can use any kind of skillet, but cast iron will give the quesadillas the best crispy exterior). Heat a teaspoon of olive oil and then saute the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes until the onion is soft. Remove the onion and garlic and wipe out the pan.

5. In a medium bowl combine the corn, pepper, onion and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Bring the skillet back up to temperature over medium-high heat. Now it’s time to layer up the quesadillas. Start by brushing one tortilla with olive oil and place it oil side down in the skillet. Top with a thin layer of cheese, one fourth of the veggie mixture, more cheese and another tortilla. Brush the top tortilla with a little bit of oil.

6. Cook 5 minutes until the bottom is brown and the cheese is melted. The easiest way to flip the quesadilla is by cutting it in quarters using a sharp knife while in the pan. Then you can flip each piece individually. If you want to try and flip the whole thing (or if you’re using a non-stick pan) try using two spatulas to lift both halves at the same time. This has never worked well for me, and I prefer the cutting method, but maybe some of of you have better flipping skills than me. Cook the second side for 2-3 minutes until brown on the bottom.

7. Repeat with the reaming ingredients. You will end up with 4 quesadillas or 16 pieces.

8. Serve with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole. Or just eat them plain and let the flavor of the fresh summer veggies shine!