Roasted Corn and Jalapeño Cornbread with Mixed Pepper Jam

Harvest time in the Midwest and the farmers’ markets are overflowing with locally grown vegetables – tomatoes, peppers and squash of all colors and sizes, eggplant – deep purple, lavender or white, long , oval or round, cucumbers, carrots, piles of chard, kale, mustard greens and herbs. But my eye is drawn to the mountains of sweet corn at 5 to a $1 or 12 for $2 — who can resist.

When the first corn shipments arrived in local markets in July, we rejoiced that finally the ten month long corn fast was over and we attacked fresh corn on the cob with a vengeance. We boiled and ate it slathered in butter or extra virgin olive oil and flavored with merely salt or chili powder; we soaked it unshucked in salted water and then grilled it; we roasted it. Each version of corn on the cob was delicious on its own.