Summer Corn Salad
Corn + lime juice = perfect summer salad
Greetings from the last few days of vacation, before we fly back home and quickly slide into the start of a new school year. We’ve had a fun and restorative few weeks, a much needed change of scenery and long days filled with swimming, boating, paddle boarding and lounging by the lake.
The kids have spent 85% of their time outdoors and the other 15% reading Calvin and Hobbes, which seems like a near perfect summer vacation.
Another main activity has been eating, including my mom’s famous blackberry ribs, homemade pesto with basil from her garden, hot dogs and sausages grilled over a campfire, Sorin’s chicken schnitzel, my sister-n-law’s delicious spicy macaroni salad and lots of watermelon, peaches and berries.
The number of people at our family cabin is in constant flux throughout the summer. One night there might be four of us sitting down to dinner, the next night, twelve. We mostly share cooking duties so that everyone cooks a few meals and also gets a few night off.
The other night, when it was my turn to cook, I grilled bell peppers and onions seasoned with olive oil, chili powder and salt. The charred veggies were the main filling for warm tortillas served with guacamole, refried beans and restaurant-style Mexican rice.
The star of the dinner, however, was the summer corn salad I made on the fly from leftovers in the fridge. It’s the perfect salad for the end of a hot summer day, when you want something fresh and bold, cool and refreshing and very easy to make.
This salad is all about the sweet flavor of summer corn doused liberally in lime juice.
Every time you make corn on the cob this summer, you absolutely need to cook 4 extra ears so you can make this salad the next day.
Shave the corn off of the cob then add chopped red bell pepper, green onion and cilantro (or parsley.) Squeeze half a lime over the top, add salt, then taste the salad and add more lime juice until the tart, zesty flavor of lime is noticeable in every bite.
This corn salad is colorful and crowd-pleasing, very easy to make and the perfect summer salad for any meal.
Summer Corn Salad
4 ears of cooked corn
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 to 4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
Juice from 1/2 a lime (or more, to taste)
Salt, to taste
Instructions & Recipe Notes
Use a chef’s knife to cut the corn kernels off the cob. You can either stand the ear of corn upright and cut downward, or lay the ear of corn flat and cut downward, toward the cutting board.
In a serving bowl, mix together the corn, bell pepper, green onion and cilantro. Squeeze half of a lime over the top as you mix. Add a light sprinkle of salt, then taste the salad and add more lime juice and salt as needed. Don’t be shy with the lime juice!
The ingredient measurements listed in this recipe are approximate - I made this salad using leftover corn from the night before and a bowl of chopped bell pepper that was leftover from another meal. You can use a little more, or a little less, of each ingredient.
You can also add finely chopped celery (for crunch) or black beans (for protein) or jalapeno (for heat).
Cilantro haters can use parsley or basil instead.
Reading
You might think that I’d be devouring books during my summer vacation, but I’ve spent more time swimming than lying in a hammock and lots of time chatting with family members. I do keep a book in my beach bag at all times, however, and read little snippets when I can.
I’ve spent most of my vacation slowly working my way through Three Junes, by Julia Glass. The books is quiet and introspective, filled with moments of grief and joy, dreams and disappointments, and the ways in which a family loves each other and pulls away from each other. My description sounds a bit dreary, but the book isn’t dreary at all. I’ve enjoyed it quite a bit and recommend Three Junes if a light and frothy beach read isn’t your thing.
I’m sneaking back out to the lake, to soak up more sun and gloriously fresh air before we return to LA. Next week, it’s back to regular life and regular work hours and a longer newsletter. Until then, I hope you’re taking a little bit of time off as well, whether it’s a full vacation or just extra time in your backyard, soaking up summer.
xo
Jenny