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Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
Carrying on a salad themed stretch I made this Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad for a perfect summer starter. After all it has been hot here in Baltimore, and when it is hot and humid I like to spend as little time in the kitchen for dinner preparation as possible. Yesterday it hit 92° and with high humidity felt like 110°! There is no relief in sight with more of the same or hotter today and tomorrow.
However, this seems to be fine with my tomato crop as long as I remember to water it. We have gotten away with a milder summer so far and I’m very thankful for that. For you lucky folks in Texas you know about heat, and have been getting your share this summer. With this kind of heat I try and do what some people call “planned overs”, not leftovers. This method of food planning call for cooking some extra of whatever is called for the day before and using the next day to shorten prep time. In this case I cooked three extra ears of corn to use in this salad.
I had some surprise “volunteer” cilantro to use in this salad as well as plenty of my home grown tomatoes from my garden. I also picked a cayenne pepper for the heat component and bought the avocados from my local Costco. I was all set to put together one of my favorite types of salad, a spicy one with corn.
stir gently
I was introduced to Kastania Greek olive oil, a high end extra virgin blend from the southern province of Laconia, at a tasting on Friday in Kennett Square, PA. I liked it right away but the more I use it the better it tastes to me. It has a smooth, almost buttery taste that is perfect for this salad. Using local Maryland Silver Queen corn this sweet and spicy salad is delicious.
Next time you cook up a batch of corn-on-the-cob be sure to cook three extra and try this recipe out. I’m sure it will please even the most discriminating eaters. To make it a bit more special I’m giving away a bottle of Kastania extra virgin olive oil to one lucky reader. All you have to do is comment on this post to be entered. If you comment on my Facebook page you will get an extra entry. Just go to www.Facebook.com/
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
3 cups cooked corn
1 cup diced tomato
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, or parsley
1 firm avocado cut into bite sized pieces, see note
2-3 tablespoons chopped chives or onion
juice of one lime, about 1-2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 jalapeño minced, optional
salt to taste
In a 4 quart mixing bowl mix all ingredients except avocado.
Gently mix in avocado.
Add salt to taste and serve right away or chill for an hour or two.
Serves four to six.
Note:
If your avocado is too soft it breaks down a bit much but you can still use it if you stir it in very gently.
Spicy Asian Slaw
I love traveling for so many reasons. One of the big ones is learning about new foods and recipes. On our recent trip to South Passage Outfitters in Alaska I picked up some ideas for new recipes to test and post. We ate well and fished hard at the camp for the six days we spent there. I even got to cook the shrimp one night as a small guest chef appearance. Other than that I was just one of the happy customers at the communal table stuffing my face each meal with excellent food.I already posted the bean dip that I was inspired to create from that trip and now I have made up a tasty cabbage slaw.
I have had Japanese rice vinegar in my pantry for a few years now ever since my mother-in-law brought it for a recipe she made. I have used it for soba noodle salads and some salad dressings but never with mayonnaise. This vinegar is not as harsh as most we Americans use and can be sweet rice or there is a lite version with less sugar and salt.
Up in Alaska our hostess/cook, (Peggy) made a delicious cabbage slaw with the Marukan gourmet rice vinegar, and all of us loved it. She told me that particular vinegar is one of her favorite ingredients. The salad she made is simple, healthy, inexpensive and delicious. The next day we were just about to polish off the leftovers when we found out the float plane was coming early to pick us up and the mad scramble ensued. We had to get our gear down to the boat dock and our frozen fish boxed up quickly and missed out on the cabbage slaw. I knew I had to re-create it when I got home since I was cheated out of a second helping.
pour and mix
I wanted to make my own version though. Hot peppers had to be part of the recipe and since I had beautiful fresh carrots from my garden they had to join the salad party too. For the hot stuff I added my Caribbean Red Habanero hot sauce and the results were great! Here was a fast and easy salad using one of my favorite vegetables, (cabbage) for hot summertime eating. With the heat of summer upon us I eat a salad of some sort or another most every day. Whether it is a main dish or a side dish, summer salads are a hit. I hope you give this one a try, with or without the hot sauce and see if you agree it’s one of the best out there. As always please help me out with your comments and share with friends and family.
All that’s missing is a cold glass of sake.
Spicy Asian Slaw
1 pound green cabbage
3/4 cup shredded carrot
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3-4 tablespoons rice vinegar, depending on how thin you want the dressing
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin,optional
1/2-1 teaspoon hot sauce, like Sri Racha etc.
Chop or shred the cabbage and blend with carrot in a 2 quart mixing bowl.
To make dressing blend mayonnaise with vinegar, cumin and hot sauce in a small bowl.
Pour dressing over cabbage and carrot and mix well until cabbage and carrot is well coated.
Serve right away or chill for an hour or two.
Serves 6-8