In this super summery salad, raw corn unites with halved cherry tomatoes, feta, and lots of herbs. A simple olive oil and lime dressing gives the salad a salsa-like brightness and freshness. This is one of my favorite salads to make when the local sweet corn begins arriving.
Last week, as a side dish for dinner, I made Mark Bittman’s raw corn salad with tomatoes, feta, and mint. My husband took one bite and said, “It’s good,” adding as he put down his spoon: “But too much corn.”
Too much corn in the corn salad?!
Oh for Pete’s sake. If he weren’t always (nearly) spot on, I might have protested, or taken offense, or responded as my mother might have, with an “mmm hmm.” Instead, I began adding more tomatoes, feta, and herbs to the heap of corn until reds, greens, and whites punctuated the yellow ball pit. I squeezed in some fresh lime juice, too, for some extra acidity and after taking one bite, I thought: He was right.
The local sweet corn (here in upstate New York at least) at the moment needs barely more than a pinch of salt. But even so, raw corn doesn’t mind rubbing elbows with all of its seasonal pals. Here, it’s tomatoes and herbs, but the simple formula could be riffed on endlessly: diced bell peppers, cilantro, scallions, shaved raw zucchini or roasted eggplant, diced mozzarella, Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese would all work well here.
This is a perfect summery side dish—I first served it aside skewers of chicken tzatziki and warm pita—but it can easily be transformed into more of a stand-alone dish with the addition of beans or grains. Chickpeas are particularly good, and their inclusion makes the salad incredibly substantial. With a hunk of bread and a few salted cucumber spears, dinner can be done. As Bittman notes, “In midsummer, with a couple of thick tomato slices, there is nothing better.”
How to Make a Raw Corn Salad, Step by Step
Gather your ingredients:
Halve the cherry tomatoes:
Remove the kernels from 4 ears of corn. This is Samin Nosrat’s trick for stripping corn kernels from cobs: Line a large, wide shallow bowl or plate with a tea towel. Use one hand to hold an ear of corn in place upright, pinching the ear at the top. Use your other hand and a chef’s knife to cut off two to three rows of kernels at a time by sliding the knife down the cob, cutting as close to the cob as possible.
Combine the corn and tomatoes in a bowl with lots of herbs: a mix of basil and chives or mint is nice.
Toss with olive oil, fresh lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
Slice or crumble up feta.
I love this feta: Maplebrook Farm feta from Vermont … it’s truly the best feta I’ve ever tasted.
Add the feta to the bowl and toss to combine.
Transfer to a serving platter, and serve immediately. Note: This salad is definitely best eaten right away—the tomatoes deteriorate quickly and the herbs lose their vibrant green color. If you want to get a headstart on dinner preparations, make the salad leaving out the tomatoes and herbs, then toss them in just before serving.
Description
Inspired by this Mark Bittman recipe , this is an absolute favorite late-summer, early fall salad when the local corn is irresistible.
Notes:
If you’d like to make this ahead, hold the tomatoes and the herbs and add them just before serving.
Feta: I prefer in-brine varieties, but any will do. If you can find Maplebrook Farms feta, buy it! It’s truly special.
4 ears corns, shucked
3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn if large
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
Flaky sea salt or kosher salt
pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 ounces feta (crumbled or sliced) or burrata
- Line a shallow bowl or plate with a kitchen towel. Use one hand to hold an ear of corn in place upright atop the kitchen towel. With your other hand, use a knife to cut off two to three rows of kernels at a time by sliding the knife down the cob. Get as close to the cob as you can.
- Transfer corn to a large bowl, along with the tomatoes, and herbs. Season with a big pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Add the olive oil and fresh lime juice. Toss and taste. Adjust with more salt and more pepper to taste. If it needs more acidity, add more lime. If it’s too sharp, drizzle in more olive oil to taste.
- Add the feta and toss again, or, if you’re using burrata, break it over the salad. Serve immediately. (See notes above if you’d like to make this ahead of time.)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Toss
- Cuisine: American
Description
Inspired by this Mark Bittman recipe , this is an absolute favorite late-summer, early fall salad when the local corn is irresistible.
Notes:
If you’d like to make this ahead, hold the tomatoes and the herbs and add them just before serving.
Feta: I prefer in-brine varieties, but any will do. If you can find Maplebrook Farms feta, buy it! It’s truly special.
4 ears corns, shucked
3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn if large
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
Flaky sea salt or kosher salt
pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 ounces feta (crumbled or sliced) or burrata
- Line a shallow bowl or plate with a kitchen towel. Use one hand to hold an ear of corn in place upright atop the kitchen towel. With your other hand, use a knife to cut off two to three rows of kernels at a time by sliding the knife down the cob. Get as close to the cob as you can.
- Transfer corn to a large bowl, along with the tomatoes, and herbs. Season with a big pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Add the olive oil and fresh lime juice. Toss and taste. Adjust with more salt and more pepper to taste. If it needs more acidity, add more lime. If it’s too sharp, drizzle in more olive oil to taste.
- Add the feta and toss again, or, if you’re using burrata, break it over the salad. Serve immediately. (See notes above if you’d like to make this ahead of time.)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Toss
- Cuisine: American
Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2017/09/14/mark-bittmans-raw-corn-salad-tomatoes-feta-basil-mint/
Nothing beats corn on the cob for its ease and simplicity, but if I had my way, it would be corn off the cob ALL the time. Grated into the freshest polenta , simmered into a curried coconut soup , dressed with lime, olive oil, and herbs , sautéed with onions and garlic into an irresistible galette filling , some of my favorite summer dishes leave the cobs behind (or reserve them, smartly, to make a stock .)
The summer of corn off the cob continues with this creamy (no-cream!) corn pasta with basil, lemon and parmesan, a Melissa Clark recipe I made earlier in the summer after listening to this Cherry Bombe podcast. It has since become one of my favorite summer meals, and it’s simple, too: strip two ears of corn, sauté the kernels in butter with scallions, purée the mixture into a sauce, then toss it with pasta, fresh lemon, basil, parmesan, and chili flakes. If you make one thing this weekend, let it be this pasta. Recipe below.
A few other favorite corn off the cob recipes:
Fresh Corn Polenta—Where Have You Been My Whole Life? (A must if you’ve never tried!)
Tacos with Grilled Poblano and Corn Salsa
Deborah Madison’s Corn Fritters with Cheddar and Scallions
Mark Bittman’s Raw Corn Salad with Feta, Tomatoes, and Lime
Deborah Madison’s Curried Coconut Corn Soup
David Lebovitz’s Cornmeal Galette with Corn, Tomatoes, and Gruyère
Samin Nosrat’s Magical Five-Ingredient Corn Soup with Herb Salsa
Description
Adapted from the New York Times : Creamy Corn Pasta with Basil
- Kosher salt to taste
- 12 ounces dry pasta
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
- 1 bunch scallions (about 8), trimmed and thinly sliced (whites and light green parts only)
- 2 large ears corn, shucked and kernels removed ( 2 cups kernels)
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, more to taste
- ⅓ cup torn basil or mint, more for garnish
- pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
- Fresh lemon juice, as needed
- Bring a large pot of well-salted (1 tablespoon at least) water to a boil. Cook pasta until 1 minute shy of al dente, according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup (or more) of pasta water.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in large sauté pan over medium heat; add scallions and a pinch of salt and cook until soft, 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid—dip a measuring cup into the pot if the pasta is still boiling—and all but 1/4 cup corn; simmer until corn is heated through and almost tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, transfer to a blender (or food processor), and purée mixture until smooth, adding a little extra water if needed to get a thick but pourable texture.
- Heat the same skillet over high heat. Add remaining butter and let melt. Add reserved 1/4 cup corn and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. (It’s OK if the butter browns a little bit.) Add the corn purée and cook for 30 seconds to heat and combine the flavors.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add pasta and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water, tossing to coat. Cook for 1 minute, then add a little more of the pasta cooking water if the mixture seems too thick. Stir in the Parmesan, the herbs, the red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice (I typically use the juice from a whole lemon) to taste. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Transfer pasta to bowls and crack black pepper over top.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
