A Note from Teri
You absolutely must make this salad. It’s delightfully uncomplicated and barely involves cooking–it’s mostly assembly. Plus it goes with everything, including hot dogs on the Fourth of July, grilled chicken on a random Tuesday, steak, burgers, and salmon on the weekend. It also goes on your holiday table–and quite frankly it goes into your mouth standing over the kitchen counter. That is what eating seasonally is all about.
There is a widely held and totally incorrect belief that an ear of summer corn needs to be cooked for 15 minutes. Please, cook your summer corn for three minutes! That’s it. The kernels will remain bright yellow, crisp, juicy, and tasting like literal sunshine. The goal isn’t to cook the life out of the corn. Once it’s cooled a little bit, shave the kernels off the cob, making sure to get some of the bigger chunks. Those uneven pieces are visual proof that the salad is homemade.
If you’re a regular here, you already know that my Marinated Red Onions are one of my favorite ingredients. If you’re new: they’re one of the most popular recipes on my blog, and the reason is simple. They elevate practically every dish. In this salad, their marinade even becomes part of the dressing. Add a little more olive oil, and you’re done. Toss in cucumber, fresh herbs, and avocado right before serving.
If you’re bringing this dish to an event (and you definitely should, because it’s perfect for that), pack the undressed salad into a few separate jars and cut the avocado on-site. You’ll show up looking like you have your life completely together.
Eating what’s in season has always made sense to me, and this salad is the perfect example of why. (That said, if necessary, frozen corn works beautifully here too. Just warm it briefly in a skillet, let it cool, and carry on.)
One thing to know about me is I am a big believer in a dressing. And I have been known to over-dress. But this isn’t that kind of salad. This is a moment for restraint, and I say that as someone for whom restraint is not a natural state. You want every bite to taste like sweet corn with little pops of cucumber, creamy avocado, and tangy onion. The dressing should support the vegetables, not overwhelm them. More is not better here, and I don’t say that often.
Once corn starts showing up at the farmers market, you’ll find this deliciousness on my table again and again. This salad is how you kick off summer. Go make it.
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The Last Crumb
As a kid, my lemonade stand was the total center of my world. Every time you see me standing by my Little Free Library today, I feel like I'm that 4 or 5-year-old all over again. I love meeting my neighbors, hearing what they're reading, and chatting about books. My friend Michelle snapped this photo unbeknownst to me, and I absolutely love it. I stock the library with everything from cookbooks and novels to self-help and children's books, and it brings me so much joy to watch each book find a new home.
“Proof that one person’s free book can become another person’s favorite find—with a little rotating, refreshing, and retail magic from Teri.” - Michelle
HERE are some ideas about getting your own passion project!
Other recipes to make for the Fourth:
Our newest wrap is one of my favorites, and it’s a Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce wrap. I totally love my friend Jason’s Pimento Cheese Dip. He literally makes me my own. Absolutely make my Summer Risotto with Corn and Zucchini and we can’t forget about my amazing Summer Steak And Grilled Corn Salad.
xoxo,
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Looks delicious! Thank you. I made your new and delicious Creamy Chicken Caesar salad. It’s fantastic. I think I might have put the dressing in when the pasta was too warm though because the next day the salad became very dry as if I didn’t put any dressing on it at all. What would you use to redress the salad leftovers on day 2?
Cant wait to try this!