Summer Corn and Avocado Salad

First of all, I hate salads. So it really says something that I've made this three times in the last month. 

Summer in a bowl

I lump this into the "salad" category along with others like chicken salad, potato salad, pasta salad and other delicious but not traditional salads (no mayo in this, I promise!). I think the bed of leafy greens most salads rest on is what I find so unappealing so this summer corn salad is the perfect compromise. Plenty of veggies but just enough junk to make me happy.

Feast

Because this dish is so cheap, easy, and delicious, it's perfect to make for large groups. So far, I've made it for two casual dinner parties and one potluck. Each had a very different theme, demonstrating the versatility of the dish. Summer goes with everything. It works equally well for grilling out as it does for a Mexican meal (above) or a hot dog bar potluck.

And it has all the right buzzwords: avocado, fresh mozz, summer veggies. Done. 

This is a throw everything together and eye ball it type of recipe so work with me if the proportions are a little vague. Feel free to adjust it based on your likes and add/subtract to your heart's desire. Some thoughts: pancetta, feta, zucchini, beans, red onion, jalapeno. Go crazy!

Express Yourself

Summer Corn and Avocado Salad

Serves 10-15 as a side

Ingredients:

8 ears of fresh corn (or one bag of frozen corn)

2 bell peppers (mix up the colors to make it pretty), diced

Half a pack of cherry tomatoes, halved

2 avocados, cubed

One and a half balls of fresh mozz, broken into bite-sized pieces

5 tbsp of Garlic Expressions dressing (Found at Fresh Market and Lowe's and potentially others. If you can't find this, then a roasted garlic vinaigrette would work.)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add husked corn. Remove the corn once the water comes back to a boil (about 4 minutes). Let corn cool for a few minutes then sliced the kernels off the cob into a large mixing bowl. 

Dice the bell peppers and halve the cherry tomatoes while waiting for the water to boil. I usually drain the tomatoes in a colender to get rid of excess liquid. I just add more with the dressing later so I don't want it to get soupy. Add to corn.

Right before serving add the cheese, avocado, dressing and s&p to taste. Mix well and serve chilled.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Aioli

Just so you know, sweet potato fries are tricky. Delicious but tricky. It's so hard to get them crispy and perfectly browned. Last week I set out to perfect this delicious side item.

Sweet potato fries are one of my favorite ways to enjoy the french fry (for the moment) and also one of the healthiest. Nine times out of 10, if these are on a menu, I'll order them.

After several failed attempts including burned and soggy fries, I have a few tips to get you on the right track.

1) Soak the fries in water an hour to a half day prior to baking. Also, try to cut them around the same length and thickness.

2) Coat in a modest amount of cornstarch. Just enough for crunch but not enough to taste powdery.

3) Bake in small batches to ensure maximum crunch. Otherwise you'll end up with steamed, soggy fries. Sick.

I may not be 100% restaurant ready on these yet, but with a little more practice, I think I'll get the hang of it. Check it out.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Aioli
Serves 4


Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes
2-3 Tbsp of cornstarch
Olive Oil
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 tsp adobo sauce 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Peel and cut sweet potatoes into fries no thicker than 1/2″ and similar in length and thickness. Soak in water for minimum of one hour, but preferably for half a day.

Drain water from bowl and lift fries out by the handful.  Shake off excess water. They should be dry but still have enough moisture on them to allow the cornstarch to stick.

Put cornstarch in a plastic bag and drop all of your fries in. Blow a little air into the bag, twist the top and shake it vigorously.  Lift the fries out onto one or two baking sheets.

Coat with olive oil.  The more you use, the crispier and less sticking you’ll have, but the less healthy they’ll be.  Use two pans if you have to.  You want to make sure the fries aren’t crowded on the pan otherwise they’ll steam as opposed to getting crispy.

Bake for 15 minutes then check.  Once bottom of fries are getting crisp, flip them over and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Chipotle Aioli:
Mix together mayo and adobo sauce.  Adjust to your taste.


[Recipe adapted from The Art of Doing Stuff]