Yesterday morning as I opened the back door to head out to work I expected to be greeted with the same warm, humid air we’ve grown accustom to this summer. I was instead, pleasantly surprised that the air was crisp, cool and contained the slightest hint that fall is just around the corner. We even moved a little table outside at the restaurant today for patrons to dine alfresco and enjoy the cool air.
Eating outside during the spring and fall is a favorite mealtime treat at our house. We are more apt to be found grilling out in the fall rather than the summer, if for no other reason than mosquito avoidance. This Southwest Corn Salad I want to share with you today is the perfect accompaniment for grilled chicken, steak, or hamburgers. Snag some fresh corn at the local produce market, whip this up, and enjoy a little lingering taste of summer tonight!
Southwest Corn Salad
6 Ears Fresh Corn – cut off the Cob (Alternately you can use one 16 oz. Bag Frozen Shoe-peg Corn)
½ Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
½ Cup Finely Diced Red Onion
¼ Cup Fresh Lime Juice (Juice from one large or two small limes)
1 Tbsp. Minced Seeded Jalapeno (Reduce or replace pepper to make it less spicy)
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
½ Tsp. Salt
¼ Tsp. Ground Cumin
¼ Tsp. Chili Powder
¼ Tsp. Black Pepper
2 Garlic Cloves Crushed
If using fresh corn, cut corn from cob, place in a medium saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and rinse with cold water.
If using Frozen corn, thaw corn and proceed with recipe.
Place Corn, Cilantro, Onion in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
In a small bowl combine Lime Juice, Jalapeno, Olive Oil, Salt, Cumin, Chili Powder, Black Pepper, and Crushed Garlic. Stir Well.
Pour Lime Juice mixture over Corn Mixture and stir well.
Chill for 2 hours before serving to allow flavors to ripen.
Variations/Additions: Make this a main dish by adding one can of black beans drained, and 2 grilled and diced chicken breasts. Roasted tomatoes, diced avocado, black beans, or bell peppers also make nice additions.
