Trinity of Corn

Corn is everywhere and I cannot resist buying it in large amounts. I previously sung its praises here, but that was a while ago, and the corn offering at the grocery store the other day was nothing short of glorious. I felt like a goddess walking in and finding a whole bin filled just for me, in my honor. Right. Anyway, if I am sounding like a broken record, which I am, I apologize, but there is nothing better than fresh, sweet, milky corn kernels. I also love them roasted, and steamed or quickly blanched. What a conundrum. How about making a corn salad that has fresh, roasted, and blanched corn kernels? Brilliant.


The flavor was very complex and so was the texture; the fresh kernels provided a sweet cold crunch; the roasted ones were sweet, smoky, and chewy, and the blanched kernels were soft and sweet. The leftovers were eaten promptly the next day by your corn goddess.

Tomorrow I am attending the literary reading and vegan bake sale at Morning Glory Yoga studios. I am reading a piece AND I am attempting to bake vegan treats. Wish me luck, because as I have told you previously I am cursed by the baking gods. Fingers crossed. I will make sure to take pictures and let you know all about it. In the meanwhile, have a great weekend everyone, and pick up some corn to make this delicious corn salad.



Trio of Corn Salad

Ingredients:

10 ears of medium fresh corn ears (these will make about 5 cups of kernels), husked and cleaned
1 red bell pepper, small diced
2 jalapenos, finely diced
1 small sweet onion (such as noonday), small diced
1 large hass avocado or 2 small ones, roughly chopped
Juice of 2 limes
Zest of 1 lime
½ cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

-Heat the grill and once hot place 4 of the corn ears to grill. This will take about 6-9 minutes. Remember to turn them every 1-2 minutes so that all the sides of the corn have browned with little charred bits. Once the corn has grilled, let cool completely. Using a serrated knife cut the kernels from the cob (see picture above).
-Boil water in a medium saucepan.
-In the meanwhile, take 3 of the corn ears and cut the kernels from the cob as shown in the picture above. A sharp knife will be your best friend. Put the kernels in the boiling water and boil for a minute. Remove from heat, drain, and rinse with cold water to prevent any further cooking. Set aside.
-Cut the kernels of the last 3 ears of corn and set them in a large mixing bowl together with the roasted and blanched kernels. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, give the salad a good stir and let it sit for at least 15 minutes prior to eating.

Ju bëftë mirë!
-E.