Farmers' Market Friday - Sweet Corn?! again? {Grilled Corn Salad}

I love corn. I mean, who doesn't really? The thing is, the Central Texas corn season is a short one - about 6 weeks beginning in mid- May through about July 4th. We surely ate our fill of sweet corn during the season this summer and even made sure to buy enough to blanch and freeze for later in the year. So, imagine my surprise when I saw fresh, sweet corn at the market last Saturday! Yup, the real deal, locally grown sweet corn - a second crop for late summer heading into fall!

One of my all time favorite ways to prepare corn is to grill/roast it and then to prepare it as Mexican street vendors do - slathered with mayonesa (Mexican mayo with a tinge of lime juice), rolled in cotija cheese and sprinkled with chile powder and chopped cilantro. When prepared this way, and left on the cob, it is known as "elotes" If the corn is cut from the cob first, and then mixed with the listed flavorings, it is known as "esquites" (Which is how we usually fix it at home as it is just easier to eat that way.) 

Lately, I've been looking for a way to change up this side dish a little bit - lighten it up a bit. This salad has all the flavors of the classic, but with a light bright lime dressing. It was so good, we had it two nights in a row.

Items for this recipe from the market: 

• sweet corn
• jalapenos
• onions
• olive oil
• jalapenos (preferably ripe, red)

Grilled Corn Salad

adapted from Alison Roman

• 4 ears of sweet corn, shucked and de-silked
• 1/4 C onion, finely minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and thinly sliced
• 1/4 C freshly squeezed lime juice
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 8 Tbsp grated cotija cheese
• 1/4 C fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp chile powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin 

1. Prepare grill to medium heat. Cut the corn kernels off of one cob of corn and place in a medium bowl. Toss corn with onion and cilantro and set aside.
2. Place other 3 ears of corn on grill and cook until very tender. Be sure to turn occasionally (about 10 minutes of cooking time.) Let cool to touch.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, oil, chile powder and cumin. Cut corn from grilled ears and toss with fresh corn mixture in the bowl. Toss with lime dressing.
4. Divide into four bowls; sprinkle with cotija cheese and a few of the pepper slices (or leave out for those who do not like any heat/spice.) Enjoy!

We served this along side some grilled pork ribs one night and a grilled ribeye the next. The sweetness of the corn is accentuated by the tangy, lime dressing and the salty cotija? - it is just a knockout. Grab some of that sweet corn at the market this weekend and make this light salad before it is too late - again!

Happy Cooking!

sld

Disclosure: I was invited by Wolf Ranch Farmer's Market to visit and meet the vendors and was provided Market Money with which to purchase ingredients for use in the Farmers' Market Friday posts.  I was not compensated to write this article and all opinions are my own.

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