Jason's Birthday Fiesta, Part 2

In trying to come up with something to go with Jason’s fish taco birthday dinner,  I immediately thought of some kind of corn. Jason and I are both big fans of corn on the cob and fresh corn in general. I am not a huge canned vegetable person, and while frozen is okay, it really is hard to beat fresh vegetables when possible. Fortunately, June means fresh corn is starting to make its way into grocery stores (although I know it is not really corn season yet which means it’s been shipped in from somewhere else, going against everything Barbara Kingsolver has been trying to teach me in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle but that is a different post altogether). Rather than going with the usual corn on the cob I thought a corn salad would be a good variation on the flavor we love.

A couple of days after making this decision I ran across a recipe for just the thing on Martha Stewart’s website—Grilled Corn, Heirloom Tomato, Avocado, and Arugula Salad.  Not having a grill, I ended up boiling the corn instead and nixed the heirloom tomatoes (which were not yet available in our usual grocery store) in favor of grape tomatoes instead.  It turned out wonderfully. The perfect summery side for a summery birthday meal. I can’t wait to make it again (and again) this summer with fresh corn and tomatoes from our local Farmers Market.

Corn, Tomato, Avocado, and Arugula Salad
Adapted from MarthaStewart.com

Ingredients:
4 ears fresh corn, husks removed
¾ pint of grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves
½ jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
2 cups of arugula
Juice of 2 limes (next time I think I’d use more)
3 TBL red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil (I may have used slightly less)
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced

1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add corn to boiling water and cook for about 10-12 minutes until done but still crisp. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water (you could also use an ice bath but I was using all available counter space getting the fiesta together so decided to go without).
2.Once corn has cooled enough to handle, cut kernels from cobs. Transfer to a large bowl and add tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeno, and arugula.  Season with salt and pepper.
3.In a small bowl, mix together lime juice, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Set aside.
4.Right before serving, chop the avocado and add to bowl. Pour the lime juice mixture over the salad and toss to combine.