Photo: Leigh Loftus
My least favorite month of the year is February, but if I had to pick a second, it would undoubtedly be August. In June and July, excitement for summer is mounting and peaking with popsicles, frozen margaritas and flip-flops.
People like summer for its simplicity: beach towels hanging out to dry in the backyard, wearing your beach cover-up to the grocery store and a lingering aroma of coconut-scented sunblock permeating the air through Labor Day.
For some of us, summer is idyllic, the best season of the year. For others, well, you can’t really hate sunshine but after awhile, you begin to grow tired of the relentless humidity, the odor of rotting garbage and teenage girls strutting down the streets with their skirts hiked up around their shoulders (god, I sound old).
In other words, summer in the city has its downfalls and when I get home from work, warming my 500 square-foot apartment with a 350 degree oven does not rank on the List Of Things I’m Dying To Do.
Sometimes, all you need is a simple salad, alongside some crusty bread and a hunk of sharp, creamy cheese, to tide you over for a busy weeknight meal.
Photo: Leigh Loftus
- 1½ cup corn kernels (from 2 ears of corn)
- 2 avocados (cored, diced
- 1¼ cup frozen edamame
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ Vidalia onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice from 2 small limes (original recipe called for 2 tablespoons but it didn't seem like enough)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, husk and de-silk 2 fresh ears of corn. Cut the corn off the cob (About.com offers a great instructional video) and set kernels aside in a small bowl. Don't forget to "milk" the corn,* which adds extra sweetness and flavor. To "milk" the corn, you want to scrape the remains of the corn kernels and their liquid from the corncob before you discard it. Add milk to corn mixture.
- Bring a pot of boiling water to rolling boil. Before you add the edamame, prepare an ice bath next to the stove so that you can blanch the edamame and corn after you cook it.
- Add edamame to the boiling water and let cook about 3 minutes, or as directed on package. Add corn to the edamame mixture for the last thirty seconds of cooking. Blanch in an ice water bowl and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with cherry tomatoes, Vidalia onion and dressing until combined.
- Add avocado cubes and serve over greens as an entree or alongside your favorite grilled fish as a side dish.
For corn milk, you will use 2 ears of corn. With a sharp knife, cut kernels in half while still on the ear. Scrape kernels and their liquid off the ear with a spoon into a large bowl. The entire mixture of scrapings will be referred to as the "milk." This is a highly neglected part of the corn that adds sweetness and flavor to corn dishes, specifically creamed corn.
27 Comments
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Katie K
August 19, 2009 at 12:35 amThis recipe looks especially good! And you bring up a good point about it being summer and how hot it gets when using the oven.just today I made my first homemade pizza, and it was in the middle of a heat wave! I think I’ll try a salad next time 🙂
Jeff
August 12, 2009 at 3:44 pmI don’t mind summer because of AC. However, firing up the oven or tending a grill is not on my top 5 list of things to do. Heck last week we were canning, caramelizing onions, and baking focaccia and the kitchen was high 90s. Miserafreakingble.
Nicely done and great flavors!
annie
August 10, 2009 at 10:02 pmI know what you mean about the humidity! Yuck. The salad looks wonderful! I love the tip about the corn “milk”. The avocado is also a great addition to this salad.
Juliana
August 10, 2009 at 5:26 pmNice salad, very colorful! Indeed a great idea for the summer days.
Debbie Davis
August 10, 2009 at 2:25 pmY-U-M-M-Y!! enJOY your day!
grace
August 10, 2009 at 11:35 amthree of the best ingredients period are cilantro, avocado, and corn. tomatoes aren’t too shabby either, and i’m beginning to love edamame. great salad, and i’ll try to keep my skirt pulled down in the future. 🙂
Erin
August 10, 2009 at 11:22 amYum yum yum! I love the colors. Edamame is such a great snack!
Paula
August 10, 2009 at 6:17 amLooks delicious. And healthy too!
George
August 10, 2009 at 4:43 amWhat a lovely salad Maris. I love the look of your new blog too, I’ll update my blogroll asap.
Carissa
August 10, 2009 at 2:31 amthis salad looks so pretty, love the colors. I am a big fan of corn and cherry tomatoes are starting to grow on me but last time I tried edamame I didn’t really like ’em. but I know a lot of people who LOVE them, so maybe I should give them another whirl. but I think this salad would be yummy even without the edamame! oh, and I love that “corn milk” tip. I never heard of that before!
Erica
August 9, 2009 at 9:01 pmSuch a fabulous, delicious, and simple dinner- what could be better? I am LOVING avocados these days and am always looking for new ways to use them!!
Sophia
August 9, 2009 at 7:32 pmMy mom makes a similar salad, but without the edamame. I’ll have to make her try this one! I’ll bet she’ll love it!
mandy
August 9, 2009 at 6:09 pmThis looks incredibly delicious and the perfect meal for a hot August day. I’m not a fan of standing in front of a hot stove lately either.
Heidi Renée
August 9, 2009 at 4:29 pmMy favorite salad at the Cheesecake Factory has edamame on it, but I’ve never used it at home. I’ll have to try it soon!
Susan
August 9, 2009 at 2:46 pmThis sounds great as a side dish to any meal. Hubby would need meat to call it a main course!
thatShortChick
August 9, 2009 at 1:34 pmuummm..this sounds amazing. and better yet? I could TOTALLY make this!
Joie de vivre
August 9, 2009 at 12:09 pmMaris,
Thank you for being concerned. I haven’t moved my blog, I think summer with having the boys home has just taken the wind out of my sails! Thank you for sticking with me! I will be posting this week. I think it’s been so long that I just need to do it to get my momentum going again. Thanks again for your note!
Amanda
unconfidentialcook
August 9, 2009 at 12:02 pmGreat salad! I love lots of lime, cilantro and salt with avocado–that’s how I make guacamole. So the addition of corn would be wonderful, I’m sure.
Nutmeg Nanny
August 9, 2009 at 11:55 amOh I gotta love February cause it’s my birthday month:) However your salad looks amazing and super delicious!
Nicole
August 9, 2009 at 10:57 amWhat an ideal summer recipe! So quick and refreshing. Plus, I love different ways I can eat my summer corn. Thanks for the great post and also for the tip on corn milk. Your recipes are wonderful!
kat
August 9, 2009 at 10:06 amIts funny I’m starting to thinking longingly of cold winter days myself, guess I’m a true Minnesotan
Susan
August 9, 2009 at 8:49 amAugust is also difficult because it is a constant reminder that summer is almost over.
I am definitely trying out this recipe!
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)
August 9, 2009 at 8:16 amHooray for frozen edamame! I first started seeing it in Asian markets, but now Trader Joe’s carries it, too. This is one summer salad I’ll be adding to my repertoire.
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
August 9, 2009 at 8:12 amGreat idea using edamamae in a salad! I’ve never seen past popping them in my mouth at a Japanese restaurant but this is a great idea!
Daryl
August 9, 2009 at 7:22 amThat looks so crisp and delicious. I know what you mean about August-it’s almost anti-climatic.