Fresh corn is a rarity in France – so I love finding it in such quantity out on Edisto Island where I am staying for the month of August. Right now my favourite way to eat it is to slice it off the cob and toss it with whatever else looks fresh and green in the market – not a terribly complicated recipe, which makes it just right for the summer!
Removing the corn from the cob can be a messy operation – so many thanks to Betsy, my friend and very talented cook, for showing me her great technique for removing the kernels without all the fuss.
In this salad I blanch the green vegetables before tossing them with the other ingredients. I find the quick cooking enhances their flavour and locks in their bright colours. To maintain the individual flavours, I blanch the vegetables in separate pots of boiling water. Vegetables plunged into an ice water bath to cool after blanching will be fresher, greener and crisper than those refreshed under cold tap water.
Fresh sweet corn and asparagus salad
Ingredients
- Serves 6
- 2 medium ears sweet corn, husk and silk removed
- 1 bunch fresh green asparagus
- 1/2 lb (about 225 g) sugar snap peas
- Handful of baby kale or baby spinach
- 1/2 large red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, shredded
- 11/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- freshly ground pepper
- materials: a bundt pan
Instructions
- To make the vinaigrette, combine the salt, pepper, vinegar and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk until the salt has dissolved. Whisk in the olive oil. Set aside.
- To remove the kernels from the cob, place the tip of the shucked ear of corn in the hole in the centre of the bundt pan. Hold the corn steady and slice off the kernels in downward strokes. The corn will fall into the base of the pan without any mess or spraying milky corn juice all over the kitchen counter!
- Trim asparagus and cut into 2 inch pieces. Snap off the stem of the snap peas and pull off the string that runs down the length of the vegetable.
- Heat the 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and add the corn kernels. Season with salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper. Cook for 3 - 5 minutes - you want them just slightly cooked and still crunchy. Remove from the sauté pan directly into a large salad bowl and let cool.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Add the sugar snap peas to the boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. (You want them to be bright green and crisp.) Drain the peas once cooked and plunge directly into the ice bath. Remove the vegetables from the ice water once they have cooled completely. Spread them out on a kitchen towel and pat dry then toss with the corn in the salad bowl.
- Repeat this process for the asparagus.
- Add the baby kale and red onion to the ingredients in the salad bowl and toss to combine. (The salad can be covered and refrigerated at this point for several hours.) Before serving add the shredded basil and vinaigrette and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
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https://www.charlottepuckette.com/recipes/vegetables-and-grains/fresh-sweet-corn-and-asparagus-salad/
