Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Juicy tomatoes, sweet corn, and green olives get together in this simple and tasty salad that makes a summer meal sing.
Today’s post is yet another love letter to one of the most glorious summer treats: fresh corn on the cob.
But before I get to the good stuff I want to welcome you in case this is the first post you are receiving from my new blog and website, now happily integrated. Hello there! I have really missed communicating with all of you but it’s been a busy summer, and I’ve been engaged in a year-long project of creating this new site and migrating my 350+ articles over here. (If you notice strange things regarding photos or links, please accept my apologies and do let me know.) As well, I am hard at work preparing for my fall classes at Harvard and my next National Geographic project on healthy eating, farm to fork. Stay tuned!
Now, back to corn. Today’s recipe is so easy there’s no need for a major list of ingredients, or to be terribly exact about things. The bottom line is to make it tasty in a way that suits you, keeping summer-sweet corn as the star of this simple, refreshing salad on a hot August night.
Summer Corn Salad
The Star. Corn kernels, removed from the cobs, as many as you like. Leftover corn is great for this, or you can get fancy and grill it fresh.
Other Ingredients. Whatever you like! Some of my favorites: black beans, poblano chiles, red peppers, and cilantro; tomatoes, zucchini, yellow summer squash, and basil; or carrots, radishes, white beans, and parsley. I always include chopped onions or sliced scallions and fresh herbs of some kind. I sometimes add beans depending on how filling I want the salad to be. Canned tuna, garbanzos, and olives are also fun.
Dress It Up! It’s the seasonal corn and colorful vegetables that make this dish sing, so all you need do is add simple flavorings to complement them: drizzle in olive oil and vinegar (apple cider or white Balsamic work really nicely), add minced garlic, and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Taste, and season until you say “Mmmm…”. Serve on a bed of greens, perhaps (such as spinach, arugula, or mustard), and garnish with additional fresh herbs. Thick slices of heirloom tomatoes are the perfect accompaniment to the salad when they’re in season, which I included on today’s plate along few a few olives on the side. An extra drizzle of oil and scatter of salt and pepper are always appropriate, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Beautiful, nutritious, and ready in no time. What else could you want in a summer supper?
If you like this, do make sure to check out some other corn-inspired favorites like my summer sunshine salad, tortilla soup, and Mexican street corn (links are all below).
Enjoy, and thanks for reading!
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Learn more about food personality and health expert Dr. PK Newby here, or her experience as a nutrition scientist, professor, and consultant here. Or click here if you just want to ogle food porn featuring plant-based, globally inspired cooking.
