This is Day 6 of my Sweet on Corn series. That means it is the sixth of seven posts dedicated to sweet summer corn. I always forget how hard these series can be, too. But when I say seven posts in a row. I mean it. Seven posts. Seven days. No breaks.

But that doesn't mean I can't simplify some. So today's corn conundrum solves itself with a pasta dish.

It’s not something you see every day but “fresh corn and pasta make a great combination of flavors. When sun-dried tomatoes and toasted garlic are added you get an intensity of flavors that belies the simplicity of the cooking.”

That’s a quote from Michael Chiarello. He sums this pasta dish up very well– so I went ahead and included his words. The inspiration and flavors for today’s corn recipe comes from him. Sure I simplified and edited quite a bit from his original recipe, but I do believe I kept the spirit intact. So much intact that the quote seems to work with my version as well as it works with his. Besides I can’t imagine saying it any better than he did. Especially on day six of a week-long corn marathon.

But I still need to put my two cents in some place, so I decided to illustrate the perfect simplicity that defines this dish with an equally simple still life as my mise en place photo. I get a lot of pleasure putting together ingredient vignettes like this. The photo meanies don't seem to like them, but it's Day 6 and I don't really care! Besides I like to think these shots are art, not food porn. Because for me there is pleasure in mise en place in general, whether I plan to photograph it or not.

I have a simple summer meal for you. Seared Scallops with Succotash.

It's a great warm weather dinner because it takes advantage of super sweet summer corn while it’s at its best. Besides there is no oven to turn on and very little hanging over a hot stove involved. The scallops are seared a mere 4 or 5 minutes. The succotash just a few moments longer. It could even be made ahead and served at room temperature. Further simplifying the preparation.

But I think its best served warm, with a cool and crisply acidic chardonnay. Which is no bother because two people working in tandem can get this meal on the table in 8 minutes flat, once the prep work is done.

Still, just because this is a quick cook meal does not mean you can get sloppy about the details. I am quite finicky about scallops.

Scallops should be served rare, if you cook them all the way through you are destroying their delicate nature. An overcooked scallop is a rubbery waste of money. But just because I won't submit to an overcooked scallop does not mean I want it undercooked or improperly cooked either. In fact I like quite a bit of crunchy crusty searing on my scallops.

What would you do if you came home one day to a nice bunch of squash blossoms waiting for you by the front door? No note. No message. No hint as from where they came.

Now let's say you live in the heart of the big city where people of questionable sanity pass you on the sidewalks every day.

Let's also say that you are going out of town that very afternoon. You know those blossoms will have bloomed and faded by the time you return from yet another glamorous weekend in Palm Springs.

Suddenly you are faced with a choice. What would that choice be? Now don't look at the photo or read the title of this post– 'cuz that would be cheating.

Do You:

• A) Drop them in the compost bin, after all you live in Hollywood. Freaks abound.
• B) Assume they are from a nice neighbor with a vegetable patch, and call to investigate.
• C) Make quesadillas immediately before whomever dropped those blossoms figures out what happened.

And just so you know there is only one correct answer.