Fresh corn is such a distinctly nostalgic thing to eat. It’s attached to so many memories of heading sleepily home after a day at The Pinery, a provincial park lining several sandy beaches along Lake Huron. My parents would pull over at a roadside produce stand, the kind involving a strict honour system and a glass jar for payment, and come back with bags of fresh corn and peaches. Compared to my idyllic childhood experience of lazily prepping corn on a lawn chair in the backyard, still wearing my bathing suit in case the lawn sprinkler was turned on after dinner, husking corn in a small apartment is slightly less picturesque. Although any method of preparing the corn will work, I like to roast mine husk, silk, and all in my toaster oven; the corn is steamed and the rest falls away easily once its cooled down. Using apple cider vinegar for the pickled shallots makes the corn taste even sweeter and fresh basil offers, well, the amazing taste and aroma of fresh basil. You could use Cotija cheese or chevre if you prefer, but I like creamy Macedonian feta best of all. Since fresh corn is only available for a short amount of time you can definitely use good-quality frozen corn in its place, heat it up in a small amount of olive oil in a cast iron skillet until just starting to char in spots. This salad goes with just about any summer meal you can think of; barbecued chicken, skewered vegetables with tzatziki, and watermelon are a few of my favourite accompaniments.
sweet corn salad with basil and feta:
Corn from 5-6 cobs of corn
3 shallots, finely minced
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 large handful of fresh basil + more for garnish, cut in a chiffonade
About 2/3 cup of crumbled feta cheese
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
Add the corn to a large salad bowl. In a small mixing bowl combine the shallots with the apple cider vinegar; let stand for 15 minutes. Add the olive oil, mustard, basil, salt, and pepper to taste; pour over the corn. Finish the salad by sprinkling with the crumbled feta and extra basil, tasting to see if it needs and more salt or freshly cracked pepper. Enjoy chilled or at room temperature.
I know fall is fast approaching when my American Analog Set listening goes up, soon I’ll be walking around in warm sweaters at night listening to this album on headphones. For now, I perversely listen to them while preparing some of the summeriest food imaginable. Such a lovely melody, I can smell the autumn leaves already.
American Analog Set – Magnificent Seventies
