Week 24 of The Food Matters Project had perfect timing. It is hot, hot, hot out and I’ve got corn on my mind. Every year at this time I eat ear after ear of fresh Michigan corn spun heavy handedly in a stick of butter and generously salted and peppered. Normally at this time of year the grocery stores have huge bins of corn. It’s always a fun people-watching experience seeing everyone pull back the husks of corn to examine the topmost corn kernels for freshness. Roadside stands spill over with corn and ears can be bought for 10 cents. My grandma would pick up corn from a pair of brothers in China Township who reportedly had the best peaches and cream corn in the area–the corn was so plump and juicy it could almost be dessert! Michigan corn season has always been a favorite of mine but this year the severe drought in Michigan (and elsewhere of course) has jeopardized the corn crops, adding to an already tough year for Michigan agriculture after the cherry crops were nearly all lost to extreme heat in March (!) followed by a hard frost in April.
So it was with some sadness that I bought corn trucked in from outside of the state. But it was with sheer delight that I dove into this salad today. If you don’t already know this, I love simple salads in the summer. And this one didn’t disappoint. All of the other Food Matters Project folks are busy at work making or posting their fabulous versions of Mark Bittman’s Corn Avocado Salad With a Little Something Seared on Top. To see what everyone else came up with, head over here. This week’s host who chose the recipe is Jenn. She has a lovely blog called Vanilla Lemon and a lovely little family to boot! If you have a moment, check out her blog and be sure to check out her Peach-Marscapone Sandwiches. Yum!
Corn, Avocado, and Radish Salad with Queso Fresco
This is another one of my non-recipe recipes and is for 1 person…..here goes….this is what I did!
- 1 ear of corn with kernels cut off
- 1/8 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 scallion, greens and whites finely sliced
- 1 tbsp finely chipped cilantro
- Salt and Pepper
- 1/4 avocado
- 1 red radish
- 1 white radish
- Handful of arugula, mizuna, spinach, or any other green
- 2 tbsp queso fresco or another crumbling cheese if you prefer
- Heat 1 tsp oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Toss scallions and bell pepper into the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add corn kernels and cook for 3-4 minutes until bright and lightly cooked but still having some freshness to them. Add cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Let cook for 10 minutes.
- Arrange greens, radishes, and avocado on a plate and top with some of the corn salad. Add some queso fresco, feta, or any crumbling cheese if you like. Dress with your favorite dressing (I used my light dijon vinaigrette from last night). Enjoy!
i so love the fresh stuff on your plate… beautiful presentation! why don’t i have that knack? i just plop everything on my plate and call it good.
Thanks, Margarita!
I always like how your food looks too–everyone just does it differently! I’m trying to learn as I go. A friend/food blogger I know told me that he will search FoodGawker for plating ideas before he arranges something. I haven’t done that yet but plan to do it with the next dish to get some pointers!
Sorry about your weather! We really lucked out on the coast this year with hardly any fog so the vegetables in my garden and at the Farmer’s Market are fantastic. That wasn’t the case two years ago…fog all summer. You just have to appreciate it when you have it.
I am going to appreciate next summer SO MUCH if it is a ‘normal’ Michigan summer. I definitely have taken it for granted in the past.
It rained today for the first time in a LONG time. I was so happy…felt like everyone here breathed a huge sigh of relief. Won’t fix everything that is already dead/crispy but certainly helped bring some much needed relief! Where on the coast are you? I’m trying to figure out where some folks live–I have been traveling a lot for work and would love to connect in person with some fellow bloggers depending on where work takes me!
I live in Santa Barbara, CA. Do you ever get out this way?
I’ll be east of LA this week but not Santa Barbara. But if I ever do get out there I’ll give you a shout! 🙂
I love the fresh, easy and fast salads like this! Like the idea of queso fresco- didn’t even think of that one.
Thanks so much! I’m hooked on queso fresco right now. So light and pretty. I’ve had a round in my fridge at all times since the beans and greens burritos week 🙂
I love the blackboard idea in your picture! And the salad looks wonderful!
Thanks so much for the kind words and the link 🙂 Love the looks of your salad, so fresh and inviting! Crossing my fingers that not all the corn will be lost this season!
Thanks, Jenn! Cross your toes too–:)
I’m hoping things get back to normal. Even the hay has only had one cutting instead of 2 or 3 so people with horses and cows are going to have a hard time finding food for them for the winter…
That drought is horrible Aura. I feel lucky to live in the one part of the country that seems to have escaped the severe heat, humidity and drought.
It just makes me sad. I usually love working in my gardens but everything is literally crispy to the touch despite my attempts to keep up with watering. Where do you live? I’ll be traveling around the country the next few weeks and it will be interesting to see what everywhere else looks like in comparison. Normally Michigan is so pretty right now.
We live in Seattle. No shortage of rain here. It is summer though so the weather is in the mid-70’s with mostly blue skies and sun right now.