Sweet Corn Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

And the corn is raw.

I subscribe to a lot of blogs and occasionally come across a recipe that I can’t wait to try but this recipe had to wait until those sweet ears of corn made their appearance at the summer farmer’s markets. Then I would know they were fresh picked.

When we were traveling by car to Chicago last summer we saw fields of corn along the way. Seeing row after row of corn always bring back memories of living in Iowa and the corn festivals where you knew you were going to get the best, sweetest, corn on earth. These road trips to Chicago, seeing masses of yellow ears always makes me want to jump out and grab a few, but, of course, I never do. I can’t run that fast.

As we are already several weeks into summer and looking for those great side dishes to go with your grilled meats, lets don’t forget about all that sweet fresh corn that is starting to show up in our produce sections. Corn dishes make a great side dish with any summer meal whether it is served hot, cold or room temperature.

It’s funny how recipe evolve into newer, healthier versions of what we use to prepare or just a version of something you imagined in your head. I have always wanted to try a raw corn salad so what better recipe to use to try it out on. Food52 suggest passing the dressing but I opted to stir some of the dressing into the salad. You can see the picture below with the buttermilk dressing perched on top. I don’t think it blends as well with the salad and besides then you have to stir it once it’s on your plate. We did pass extra dressing incase someone wanted more.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: Orange Tian is one of the most beautiful desserts I have made. Everyone said the dessert was great but crazy me was on some kind of diet back in 2010 and I didn’t even taste it. So, I will be making it this summer and will definitely be eating one or part of one anyway. Life is too short not to enjoy a few sweets on the journey.

I couldn’t find pickling cucumbers so I used an English cucumber. Also couldn’t find thin yogurt in small container so I used Greek yogurt.

Cut the corn kernels off the cob and then scrap cobs to release milk.

Slice the shallots into thin rings.

The recipe says to sprinkle with salt and let set 20 minutes to get out bitterness. I would suggest tasting them and if they are too strong, skip this step because the salt kind of makes the shallots limp.

Cut the cucumber into small cubes.

A handful of dill and parsley from my herb garden.

Mix dressing ingredients together, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mix all the ingredients together. Wait to put the dressing on right before serving.

This is how Food52 says to do the dressing. I like the idea of mixing in the dressing with the salad right before serving. So, that’s the way I did mine.

Dilled Crunchy Sweet Corn Salad

(Food52.com -- thank you.)

Ingredients

1 shallot thinly sliced
4 ears of fresh uncooked corn (recipe called f
4 pickling cucumbers quartered lengthwise and sliced into 1/2" dice
1 sweet red pepper seeded and diced
1 small handful fresh dill minced
1/4 c. minced fresh parsley
crumbled Feta cheese rinsed as garnish
Dressing:
1/4 c. buttermilk
2/3 c. plain European style thin yogurt stirred
1 Tbsp. white-wine vinegar
3 Tbsp minced Vidalia onion
1 small clove garlic minced and mashed with a pinch of salt
1/4 c. olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Instructions

Cut the corn off the cob and then use the back side of the knife to scrape the corn milk from the cob.
Salt the shallot slices in 1/2 teaspoon salt and allow to sit about 20 minutes to draw out any harshness. Rinse well with water and pat dry with a paper towel. In a large bowl toss the corn kernels lightly to separate them, add the shallot and remaining salad ingredients and toss again to combine.
In a smaller bowl combine the buttermilk, vinegar, onion, yogurt and garlic and whisk to combine. Add the oil in a slow stream,whisking until well blended. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.
Serve the salad slightly chilled, garnish with the feta cheese. Pass the dressing separately.