One of the BEST things about living in The Garden State is the fact that we have wonderfully fresh produce, right here in our own back yards. It's only just a hop, skip, and a jump to the nearest farm market, and the produce is some of the BEST you'll ever taste! But even more than being delicious and convenient, it's really a nice feeling to know you're helping family owned local farmers to make a living. Cool, huh? Everyone wins!
One of my all time favorite things at the farm market is our wonderfully sweet, fresh from the fields, Jersey corn. Seriously, it's just quite simply the sweetest and most delicious corn you'll ever have. So I decided to really take advantage of it and make a fabulously fresh roasted corn salad. It was SO delicious, I couldn't stop eating it! And the avocados and other veggies make it bright and summery and light and healthy and fresh and flavorful and perfect. I think I need to make another batch.
Time to go back to the farm market!
5 ears corn on the cob, still in husks
2 avocados, diced
2 roasted peppers, diced
1 scallion, minced
2 tbs lemon or lime juice
1 tbs sugar
10 or 12 basil leaves, chopped
drizzle of vegetable oil or a mild olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heat oven to 350ºF.
First, give your corn a haircut! Just snip the end off to remove the extra silks and remove any loose husks. Leaving the rest of the husks on, submerge the ears in a big bowl of water and then let them drain. Place the ears of corn right on the middle rack of your oven. No pan, no anything. Let them roast for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool until you can handle them without burning your fingers. Remove the husks. Slice the corn off the cobs. Place corn in a large bowl with all the other ingredients. Give it a good stir. And that's all there is to it! Can be served immediately or cover and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Tips:
If your corn is really sweet, you can omit the sugar. The point is to balance the sweet with the onion and the citrus.
Be sure to add some kind of acid, such as the lemon or lime juice. You can also use a little vinegar (any kind) or even just a splash of orange or grapefruit juice. Besides brightening up the flavor, the acid keeps the avocado from turning brown.
I like to use a very mild flavored oil. Sometimes olive oil can be a little strong or peppery, so in this case I prefer to keep things neutral with just a drizzle of regular vegetable oil.
If you don't have scallions, just add a very little bit of onion. Or maybe just add a little bit of snipped chives. You only want a very mild hint of onion flavor. You don't want it to upstage the sweetness of the corn. Again, the flavors should be balanced.
One of the key ingredients is the fresh basil. This is one recipe where I wouldn't use dried basil. It's really all about the freshness!
You can purchase roasted peppers in a jar, or you can roast your own. If you'd like to learn how to do it yourself, just watch my video How to Roast Peppers.
