Last Taste of Summer

This weekend is Labor Day, the unofficial last hurrah of summer. Some lucky folks may be making a break for the beach, while others might be enjoying a family cook out. However people choose to celebrate the weekend, I am sure many people will be enjoying the last tastes of summer while they still can.

One final treat to enjoy before the summer’s really over is sweet corn. Here in North Carolina, we are at the end of the season, but it is still plenty tasty.

My girls still have braces on their teeth, so we haven’t had much corn straight off the cob in over a year, but it is just as delicious cut off of the cob, and definitely cleaner to eat that way, too. You can use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cob after cooking, or use a handy contraption made just for this job, like the OXO Good Grips Corn Prep Peeler.

I have seen many different recipes for corn salad, but hadn’t tried my own hand at it yet. So I found a recipe to adapt and make my own. I made it to go along with tacos, but it can really be eaten as a refreshing side dish to many things.

I started with fresh white corn from the farmer’s market. Over time, we have learned which varieties we prefer. This time, I got Devotion. It is a sweet and tender variety that never disappoints.

Because I wanted the corn to remain the star of my salad, I didn’t add lots of other parts and pieces. I used fresh sweet corn, jalapeño for spice, some delicious seasonal grape tomatoes and zingy red onions. All of this is tossed together in a lime dressing, which I adapted from http://www.smalltownwoman.com. That’s it. Simple and delicious.

You start by boiling water for the corn, drop in the ears and boil for 8-10 minutes. Then immediately drop the corn cobs into an ice bath to cool and stop the cooking process.

While the corn is cooking, you can prepare the other veggies for the salad. Chop and deseed the jalapeño, tomatoes and onions and set aside.

A note on the red onions – I normally do not use red onions because they can be SO strong and not everyone in the family loves onions. But I experimented with soaking the thinly sliced onions in a mixture of lime juice, water and ice for about 30 minutes. The result is a more subtle, extremely flavorful onion. It removes the sting from the onion and adds a touch of citrus.

Cut the corn kernels off of the cob and into a large bowl. Add the peppers, onion and tomatoes to the kernels and drizzle the dressing on top. Stir to coat and bam! You have a delicious, nutritious sweet corn salad. Serve immediately or allow to sit in the fridge a bit to soak up the flavors. You can store the salad covered in the fridge for up to a week.

If you desire to add a little creaminess, you can sprinkle on some Feta or Cotija cheese, but it’s delicious without it. You can also add any other summer veggies you want, like some cucumbers or sweet peppers.

However you decide to make this salad, I hope it helps you enjoy sweet summer for just a bit longer. Happy Labor Day!

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