Grilled Corn Salad

  

My whole life I thought I didn't like grilled corn. All those warm summer evenings, while my husband was outside throwing meat on the grill, I was in the kitchen. Waiting for the water to boil. So I could cook my corn.

Did I have any inkling that I might be wrong? Maybe a few. Like the fact that almost every other person in the world loves grilled corn. Or that my favorite dish at my favorite restaurant involves grilled corn (though in my defense, that particular grilled corn is slathered with an insanely delicious cotija cheese, lime and butter sauce that I'd eat off a piece of cardboard).

But one day, a few weeks ago, I decided to put my prejudice aside and grill some corn. I have no idea why. And I'm not going to second guess it. Because I realized that I don't dislike grilled corn. I just dislike overcooked grilled corn -- which apparently describes most of the grilled corn I've eaten in my life. Grilled corn that's been cooked within an inch of its life is dry and tough and and shriveled and chewy and sticky. There's nothing about it to like.

But corn that's grilled attentively, turned every few minutes, and taken off at the right moment is a thing of beauty. The kernels are tender and juicy and charred and smoky.

Given that I have decades of missed grilled corn to make up for, I've been making it every day. Some days simply dotted with butter and sprinkled with salt. Other days kicked up with lime juice and cayenne pepper. Then yesterday I grilled the corn, stripped off the kernels, and tossed them with grape tomatoes, mozzarella and basil oil. Voila, corn salad.

Wow. Grilled corn. Who knew?

First, make the basil oil. Put fresh basil in a blender.

Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, and about a tablespoon of olive oil.

Pulse a few times to get the basil going. Then turn on the blender and drizzle in the remaining olive oil while the blender continues to blend. Check for seasoning.

Now on to the corn. Start with fresh corn. Buy it in the husk and don't peel it until you're ready to cook it.

When you're ready, remove the husk and ask many of the silks as you can without driving yourself crazy. (You'll notice that my corn had plenty of silks left!)

Place the corn on the grill over medium heat. Grill, covered, for about 4 minutes.

Then turn the corn and put the cover down again. You want to cook the corn about 12 minutes total, turning every few minutes to make sure it's evenly charred.

Cut the kernels off the cobs into a large bowl.

Add halved grape tomatoes and mozzarella balls.

Drizzle with basil oil.

Mix thoroughly and serve!

Grilled Corn Salad

Recipe from The Garlic Press

1 1/2 to 2 cups packed fresh basil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

salt

black pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

4 ears of corn, husks and silks removed

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved or quartered

8 oz small mozzarella balls

1.    For the dressing, place basil, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, salt and pepper in a blender. Pulse a few times. Then turn blender on and slowly add the rest of the olive oil from above (your blender lid should have a piece that you can remove for this purpose).

2.    Preheat grill over high heat.

3.    Place corn on grill and turn down heat to medium. Grill, covered, for about 12 minutes. Turn the corn every few minutes for even charring.

4.    Remove the corn and let it cool for a few minutes. Using a knife, remove the kernels from the corn into a large bowl. Add tomatoes and mozzarella. Stir to combine.

5.    Drizzle about half of the basil dressing over the salad, then stir to mix. Taste and add more dressing, if desired.

6.    Chill salad until ready to serve.

Serves 4 to 6

Red and Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Squash and Other Yummy Things

Sometimes choosing a recipe is like buying a new shirt. You search through racks and racks of clothing looking for something interesting, something different. You promise yourself you’re not going to buy another black sweater. But then you see one that has a different neckline. And just as you reach for it, your shopping buddy spots you and yells, “Put that down right now! The last thing you need is another black sweater.” You protest weakly, pointing out the neckline.

Your buddy isn’t buying it. She hands you a blouse. It's yellow. With buttons. You look at it in alarm. You look at her in alarm. “But it’s yellow. I never wear yellow. What would I wear it with? I don't even know what goes with yellow.” “Just try it on,” she says. And you do.

And you love it. This colorful, not-black, not-remotely-your-taste shirt that you never would have considered picking up off the rack.

This wild rice salad is my yellow blouse, courtesy of my sister. I saw it in this month’s Bon Appetit. So did she. I glanced at, then turned the page. She looked at, bought the ingredients, made it, and loved it. She told me about it. And I protested. Salad in winter? Pomegranate seeds? Don’t they get stuck in your teeth? Microgreens? Really? How pretentious.

Thai red rice and wild rice

She walked me through it. The rice had an unusual, earthy flavor. The squash was creamy and substantial. The pistachios added a salty crunch. The microgreens lent the salad a hint of bitterness. And the pomegranate seeds supplied a refreshing pop of juice when you bit into them.

She’d sold me on trying it. But would I like it? I did. I really did. The taste was interesting, complex and unexpected.

The yellow blouse really wasn’t my style. Or so I thought until she took it off the rack and made me try it on.



 Cut butternut squash and place it on a baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Roast until squash is tender.

In the meantime, bring salted water to a boil. Add black (or red) and wild rice.

Cook until rice is tender but not mushy. Drain, rinse and set aside. (Isn't that red rice pretty?)

Whisk together vinegar, honey and olive oil.

Place rice in a large bowl.

Add vinaigrette, scallions, pomegranate seeds and pistachios and mix gently.

Add squash and microgreens and incorporate gently into the salad. Add salt and pepper if needed.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

 
Red and Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Squash and Other Yummy Things

Slightly adapted from Bon Appetit

1 1/2 cups black rice (I searched everywhere for black rice but couldn’t find it. I substituted Thai red rice and it turned out fine.)
1/2 cup wild rice
Kosher salt
1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, cut into pieces
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp honey
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1 cup microgreens or sprouts
1/2 cup roasted pistachios, chopped

1.  Preheat oven to 450°F.

2.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Add black and wild rice and cook uncovered, over medium heat, tender, 35–40 minutes. Drain and rinse, shaking off as much water as possible. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet and let cool.

3.  Meanwhile, toss squash with 1/4 cup (or less) oil on another baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until golden brown and tender, 20–25 minutes. Let cool.

4.  Whisk vinegar, honey, and remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large bowl.

5.  Add black rice and wild rice, squash, scallions, pomegranate seeds, microgreens, and pistachios. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

6.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.


Serves 8 as a side or 4 as a main dish.

Note: Salad (without microgreens) can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Thai Basil Tomato Salad

Caprese salad, the classic Italian combination of tomatoes, basil and mozzarella dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It's a summer standard at my house. The salad, as is, makes a great a light lunch on a hot day. Sometimes I leave out the mozzarella and serve it alongside grilled fish. Or I throw in some minced garlic and we pile it on top of toasted bread. Recently I even blended the basil into a pesto and tossed the cheese and tomatoes with pasta to make a Caprese pasta salad.

But one thing I hadn't done was change the basic flavors of the salad. Then I came across a recipe for Thai basil crostini. The concept was simple, but brilliant. Take the elements of a Caprese salad, then swap in Asian ingredients. It went like this:

Caprese Salad                         Thai Basil Tomato Salad

tomatoes                                 tomatoes

Italian basil                              Thai basil

garlic                                       shallots

balsamic vinegar                      rice vinegar

olive oil                                   sesame oil

The substitutions were simple and straightforward. But the change was remarkable. It was still a tomato salad. But on an Asian adventure.

Start with cherry or grape tomatoes. I found these beauties at a farmer's market.

Halve tomatoes and place in a bowl.

Add shallot, sesame oil, rice vinegar, salt and pepper.

Stir and let the tomatoes sit for 15 minutes.

Stir in Thai basil and serve!

Thai Basil Tomato Salad

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 small shallot, minced

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar

salt

pepper

1/2 cup thinly sliced Thai basil leaves

1.    In a bowl, combine tomatoes, shallot, sesame oil and rice vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit for 15 minutes to let flavors meld.

2.    Mix in Thai basil.

3.    Serve.

Makes 2 cups

Caprese Pasta Salad

Every summer I grow small pots of herbs in my backyard. Every year its the same assortment: Italian basil, Thai basil, thyme and chives. One container of each. And every year the same thing happens. The Italian basil grows and grows. Almost overnight, ten tentative leaves seem to multiply into hundreds.

But I hesitate to pick them. I worry that if I use too many, too soon, I won't have enough for later in the summer. Usually, I wait too long. The strong summer sun wilts the leaves. The stems start to dry up. I quickly start to use basil in every dish I can think of. But inevitably some of the beautiful basil goes to waste.

basil!

This year I decided to try a different strategy. I planted two pots of Italian basil instead of one. That way, when the leaves started to bloom, I wouldn't worry about saving enough for later. The strategy has worked, even better than I expected. I have so much basil that I'm using it one way or another practically every day. 

This caprese pasta salad is a great way to use up some basil. It takes the traditional ingredients of a caprese salad -- tomatoes, basil and mozzarella -- and transforms them into a pasta salad. The basil takes the form of a vinaigrette. It's similar to a pesto, but without the cheese and nuts.

The salad is perfect for a summer lunch or light dinner. I bulked it up a bit by adding a can of white beans. The beans nicely absorb the tangy vinaigrette, especially if you let the salad sit overnight. And it gives the salad some heft without making it heavy.



Cook pasta in salted, boiling water until just cooked (but not al dente).

Drain and transfer to a bowl. Set aside to let it cool.

For the vinaigrette, start with fresh basil.

In a blender, combine the bail, salt, garlic, lemon juice and vinegar. Pulse a few times.

Then blend, while slowly drizzling in olive oil. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

Now back to the pasta. Add beans...

mozzarella...

and grape tomatoes.

Toss to combine.

Pour basil vinaigrette on top.

Then toss again until everything is coated with the dressing. Chill overnight to allow the flavors to meld. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Caprese Pasta Salad

Recipe adapted from bake.love.give.

1 lightly packed cup fresh basil leaves

1 tsp coarse sea salt

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp sherry vinegar

6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3/4 pound mini penne or other small pasta

1 15-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed

8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls, drained

1 pint grape tomatoes

1.    Cook pasta in salted, boiling water until just cooked.

2.    Place basil leaves, salt, garlic, lemon juice and vinegar into a blender or food processor.

3.    While blending, slowly drizzle olive oil into mixture and continue to blend until a smooth dressing is formed.

4.    In a large bowl, toss together cooled pasta, beans, mozzarella, tomatoes.

5.    Add vinaigrette and mix until everything is lightly coated.

6.    Chill for a few hours or overnight, to allow flavors to come together. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Serves 6 as a light meal. 

Green Goddess Dressing

It's 92 degrees outside. And it's lunchtime. What do I feel like eating? Not much (a very unusual situation for me). Still, I know that I better eat something filling. The rest of the day is going to pass in a blur and I'm trying not to snack. So whatever I eat now has to keep me going until dinner.

Light but filling. Substantial but not heavy. I don't normally turn to salad. But today I'm making an exception. That's because I've got a good dressing to go on top.

Green goddess. What a great name for a salad dressing. It's a delicious concoction of herbs -- traditionally tarragon and chives -- along with some mayo for heft, scallion for bite, and lemon juice and sour cream for tang.

I hear what you're saying. That sour cream and mayo is going to take a healthy salad and turn it into a Big Mac in a bowl. But this variation of green goddess substitutes avocado for most of the mayo and sour cream. Avocado provides fat (good fat) to keep the dressing creamy. And it keeps the color intact. It is green goddess, after all.

Oh, and you'll notice that I didn't call it green goddess salad dressing. That's because this cool and creamy dressing would also taste great over poached fish or grilled chicken, or as a dipping sauce for raw veggies.

Gather your ingredients.

Put everything except the sour cream into a food processor.

Blend until smooth.

Add the sour cream and blend again until the sour cream is just incorporated.

Pour over salad and enjoy!

Green Goddess Dressing

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1/2 cup fresh tarragon leaves

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/2 ripe avocado, diced

1/8 cup lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp kosher salt

black pepper

1/4 cup sour cream

1.    Place all ingredients except sour cream in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth.

2.    Add sour cream. Blend until just incorporated.

3.    Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Note: All ingredients can be adjusted to taste.

Serves 2 to 4

Warm French Lentils

Holiday season is fast approaching. I don't know what that means in your house. But in mine, it means lots of cookies and other treats. I've already got boxes of chocolate stars and almond snowmen from Trader Joe's on my counter. And soon I'll start baking up some cookies of my own.

But for now, before the cookie onslaught really begins, I'm trying to be healthy. Lots of lean protein and veggies. And while I'm not cutting out carbs altogether, I'm trying to eat more beans and lentils (protein and fiber!) and less pasta and bread.

French green lentils

This warm French lentil salad is a very tasty and filling side dish. It's made with French green lentils (they're also called du Puy lentils). They sound fancy but they're just lentils and you can find them in the grocery store. They get tender when you cook them, but not mushy. I've used them before, in a lentil soup, but I hadn't tried them in a salad.

The lentils get some flavor from the onion, leeks, carrots and cloves they cook with. But the real flavor comes from the simple but intense vinaigrette that you toss with the lentils after they're cooked.

I served this warm, as a side with salmon. Next time I plan to make extra and eat the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Pierce cloves into a peeled onion.

Bring the onion and lentils to boil with water.

Simmer until the lentils are tender.

In a separate pan, saute the leeks, carrots and garlic in olive oil.

While the lentils are cooking, prepare the vinaigrette. Combine the olive oil, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small jar.

Whisk or shake until the vinaigrette is well combined.

Drain the cooked lentils and place them in a large bowl. Mix in the butter.

Add the leek and carrot mixture.

Toss with the vinaigrette.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Warm French Lentils

Recipe from The Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That?

2 Tbsp plus 1/4 cup good olive oil

1 leek, white and light green parts, sliced 1/4-inch thick

2 carrots, scrubbed and 1/2-inch-diced

1 tsp minced garlic

1 cup French green du Puy lentils

1 whole onion, peeled and stuck with 6 whole cloves

1 white turnip, cut in half (I left this out)

1 tsp unsalted butter

4 tsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1.    Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saute pan, add the leek and carrots, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute and set aside.

2.    Meanwhile, place the lentils, 4 cups of water, the onion with the cloves, and the turnip in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are almost tender.

3.    Remove and discard the onion and turnip and drain the lentils. Place them in a medium bowl with the leek and carrots, and add the butter.

4.    Meanwhile, whisk together the 1/4 cup of olive oil, the mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add to the lentils, stir well, and allow the lentils to cool until just warm, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 4 to 6