Grilled Corn Salad

I am not sure how you define summer at the market, but, I know it “really” is summer when I see an abundance of sweet white corn and watermelons overtaking the produce isles.  I have to admit something, I am not a huge fan of corn or watermelon, but ….. there is a big difference when you are munching on sweet white corn, still slightly raw and small, cute, little, baby watermelons with no-seeds.  That, my friends, spells summer!  So despite the freezing cold “summer” days we are having, summer was here last weekend in our house.

Here is another summer salad to wet your appetite. Even though this salad was equally as delicious as the green bean salad we had last week, I held back from making it three times. We only had it twice!  I slightly roasted the sweet white corn, just long enough to add some pretty little grill marks.  I wanted the corn to still have crunch, which basically means, still being “raw”.  I added my favorite Happy Boy farm cherry tomatoes, a little red onion, cool cilantro and a yummy dressing made of fresh lemon juice, olive oil and toasted cumin seeds.  The secret to bringing it all together – an avocado.  I LOVED how the avocado made it all creamy, almost like the dressing had a mayo base;  but it didn’t.  It was so yummy, in fact, it was perfect with the sticky grilled beef short ribs (wait until you see that recipe)!

Recipe:  Grilled Corn Salad

• 4 ears sweet white corn, husked and washed
• olive oil
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• cilantro, handful, minced
• 1 avocado, diced into large chunks
• 1 lemon juiced
• drizzle high quality olive oil
• 2 teaspoons cumin seed, slightly toasted
• kosher salt, to taste

Heat  your BBQ grill.  Lightly coat the corn with some olive oil, grill, just until there are slight grill marks.  Let cool.  While the corn is grilling, let the onion sit in an icy bowl of water, to remove the bitterness, for at least 30 minutes;  drain.  Toss cherry tomatoes into a serving bowl.  I used really tiny ones, if you cannot find really tiny ones, cut them in half.  Add the onion and the cilantro.  Carefully, slice the corn kernels off of the ears of corn, add to the bowl.  In a small jar or bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice and cumin.  Drizzle over the corn mixture.  Add the avocado.  Season with salt.  Toss.  Serve.  Eat.

“Get Grillin’ with Family Fresh Cooking and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France Cheese, Rösle, Emile Henry, Rouxbe and ManPans.”