I will be the girl crying in the empty parking lot, at the end of October when the local Farmer’s Market closes for the season. Truly, the best time to eat local corn is now and the bins are brimming. I usually buy the Butter & Sugar Sweet Corn, but will soon experiment with other varieties.

For this recipe, remove the raw corn kernels and pan-roast them in butter. Add avocado, fresh tomatoes or onion, or keep it simple like I did with toasted walnuts and arugula.

• 4 ears of corn, husks and silks removed
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 cups arugula leaves
• Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1 lime

Lay a sheet of foil on the counter. While holding the cob of corn by the pointed end, letting the bottom end rest on a flat surface, use a sharpe knife to strip the corn kernels from the cob. You will get about 3 1/2 cups of kernels from 4 ears of fresh corn. Set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the walnuts in an even layer on a baking sheet. You can line the baking sheet with foil or parchment paper for easier clean up. Toast the nuts in the oven for 3 minutes or until they start to smell toasty, about 3-4 minutes. This can be done a few days ahead and I make extra to have available for other dishes.

In a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the corn and sauté, stirring constantly for about 3-4 minutes, add the fresh thyme, salt and pepper, and sauté for another minute.

Whisk olive oil and lime juice together in a small bowl, add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the dressing over the arugula. Toss the sautéed corn and toasted walnuts with the dressed arugula. Add slivers of fresh parmesan cheese. Serve warm.