Fresh Corn Salad

Lest you think I spend all of my time eating cookies and cake, a little reminder that I sometimes eat salad too …

Year after year, whenever summer hits, I somehow wind up spending zero time in the kitchen. I find myself traveling more frequently, enjoying more happy hours and dinners al fresco, searching once again for an apartment (UGH.) … In short, doing anything and everything besides cooking.

It’s a shame, because I love me some summer produce. The peaches, the berries, the watermelon — I’m even coming around on eggplant and zucchini and the occasional tomato. But above all, there is corn.

Nothing beats summer corn, candy-like in its sweetness, perfect for grilling or sauteeing or even eating straight, which is what I do in this fresh corn salad. Tossing a mixture of bell peppers, cucumbers, diced red onion and fresh dill creates a crunchy, vibrant base upon which kernels of impossibly sweet fresh corn shine. Crumbles of bacon and blue cheese add a bit of luxury, but they’re not necessary (and any salad that doesn’t need bacon is a keeper). Toss in a bit of apple cider vinegar for a tangy finish, and voila, a salad made for summer — for your many potlucks and picnics, for your afternoons on the boat or your weekends at the shore.

Or even just for your lunches at work, as a welcome reminder that summer really does exist outside the confines of your overly air-conditioned cube.

Fresh Corn Salad
Adapted from Food 52

– 1/2 of a red onion, diced finely*

– 3 ears of fresh corn, shucked

– 1 English cucumber, diced into 1-inch pieces

– 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced into 1-inch pieces

– 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

– 2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

– 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (optional)

– 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

*If your onions are particularly pungent, soak them in a bowl of water for 30 minutes to take the edge off of them. Drain before adding them to the salad.

1) Toss all of the ingredients in a large bowl and serve immediately.