Charred Corn Salad with Poblanos

Charred Corn Salad with Poblanos

(6 servings)

Ingredients:

6 large Fresh Ears of Corn (see note)

½ cup plus 2 tbsp. Olive Oil

2 large Poblano Peppers, stemmed, halved and seeded

1 pt. Cherry Tomatoes, halved

½ cup Red Onion, finely chopped

½ cup Cotija Cheese

1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and finely chopped

2 medium Limes, juiced

2 cups Fresh Cilantro, packed, stems removed

¼ cup Shallot, coarsely chopped

2 tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar

1 large clove Fresh Garlic

½ tsp. Crushed Red Pepper

Directions:

Grill Poblano peppers as you grill the corn.  Grilled them skin side down.  Put Poblano peppers in a bowl and cover with film.  Let sit 15 minutes before peeling skin off.  Dice.  In a large bowl, combine corn, Poblano pepper, tomatoes, onion, cheese, jalapeno and lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  In a blender, combine the half cup of oil, cilantro, shallot, vinegar, garlic crushed red pepper and 1 tsp. salt.  Blend 60 seconds or until very smooth.  Season to taste.  Drizzle ½ cup of vinaigrette over corn mixture and toss.  Pass remaining vinaigrette as needed.

Notes:              Husk and clean of silk.  Be sure to oil the ears of corn before grilling.  Grill corn on charcoal or gas grill for about 10 minutes, give or take a little.  Turn often getting nice char marks all around each ear of corn.  Remove and let cool slightly to handle.  Cut corn off the cobs.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Grilled Corn Salad

Grilled Corn Salad

(about 6 cups)

Ingredients:

5 cups Fresh Sweet Corn (see note)

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 cup Fresh Red Bell Pepper, diced

2 medium Jalapeno Peppers (see note)

1/3 cup Avocado Dressing

¼ cup Cilantro, chopped

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine corn, red peppers, jalapeno peppers, avocado dressing and cilantro.  Taste for heat and taste.  Season with salt and black pepper as needed.  Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.  Can be made the day before.  Be sure to toss again just before service.

Notes:              You will need about 5-6 large ears of corn.  Husk and clean of silk.  Be sure to oil the ears of corn before grilling.  Grill corn on charcoal or gas grill for about 10 minutes, give or take a little.  Turn often getting nice char marks all around each ear of corn.  Remove and let cool slightly to handle.  Cut corn off the cobs getting around 5 cups.  It doesn’t hurt to have a little more or less.

Note:               The recipe calls for 2 peppers.  However, everyone has different heat tolerance so do less or more as desired.  Same goes for removing the insides or not of the peppers.  Leaving them makes them hotter and removing them means less heat.

Note:               You can make an entrée salad out of this recipe too.  Just add grilled chicken breast to this salad.  The chicken can be chilled or hot.  Just add to the salad before tossing and serving.  Serve this salad over a bed of your choice of lettuce.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Fresh Summer Corn

Sweet corn should be selling out of trucks on the street by now almost everywhere.  It’s that time of the year.  For me, the season is way too short.  So you have to take advantage of the time it’s here.

This week I have a couple of summer salads that corn is the star.  Wednesday’s “Grilled Corn Salad” can be used as a side dish or an entrée.  Then Thursday’s recipe of “Charred Corn Salad with Poblanos” has a south of the border flavor.

Be sure to give each a try.  I think you will love them both.  If you need more ideas for use of sweet corn, just go the “Salad,” “Side Dish,” “Odds ‘N Ends” and “Gluten-Free” tabs above for about a dozen more corn recipes.

So enjoy fresh corn season and “Happy Cooking” until next time.  Please remember to help spread the link for all these great recipes and more.  Thanks.

Cucumber-Dill Crostini

Cucumber Dill Crostini

(20 servings)

Ingredients:

8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

½ cup Mayonnaise

1 pkg (1.12 oz.) Ranch Dressing Mix

20 slices (diagonally) of French Baguette

1-2 Fresh Cucumbers (see note)

40 thin slices Radishes

20 small Cherry Tomatoes, halved

as needed Fresh Dill, chopped

Directions:

In a medium bowl, beat until smooth with a mixer the cream cheese, mayonnaise and ranch dressing mix.  Spread the cream cheese mixture over the 20 slices of baguette.  Place the sliced cucumbers over the cream cheese mixture following the directions in the note below.  Then top cucumbers with 2 radish slices per baguette and 2 halves of the cherry tomatoes.  Garnish with fresh chopped dill and serve.

Notes:              You need cucumbers of a diameter a little less than the height of the baguette.  Thinly sliced with about 3 overlapping on each slice of the baguette.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

(40 small Triangles)

Ingredients:

2½ -3 fresh Cucumbers, divided (see note)

½ tsp. Kosher Salt, plus more to taste

8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

20 slices Firm White Sandwich Bread

Directions:

Take the fine chopped cucumber as described below and place in a fine mesh sieve.  Toss with the ½ tsp. of salt and allow to drain about 10 minutes into a bowl.  Press solids after the wait to extract as much cucumber juice as possible to get the needed 2-3 tbsp. required.  Add the cream cheese to the juice and beat with a mixer until smooth.  Season with additional salt to taste.  Spread the cream cheese mixture on Spread cream cheese mixture on each slice of bread.  Arrange the cucumber slices on just 10 of the slices, slightly overlapping them.  Top these slices with the remaining slices.  Trim crusts from bread and slice each sandwich in half diagonally both ways making 4 triangles from each sandwich.  Serve immediately or cover with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap.  Sandwiches can be refrigerated up to 12 hours this way.

Notes:              The ½-1 cucumber needs to be peeled and finely chopped.  This one is to produce 2-3 tbsp. of juice needed to combine with the cream cheese.  Two of the cucumbers are to be thinly sliced for topping the sandwiches.  These need to be about an inch in diameter and your choice to peeled or not.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Fresh Cucumbers

We’re in the middle of the summer now and fresh local produce is available in abundance.  We're also getting to the hottest part of the summer.  So everyone is looking for something cool and refreshing.

Well, think cucumbers.  And, of course, there are many summer recipes using cucumbers.

This week I have a couple for you to try.  This Wednesday’s “Cucumber Tea Sandwiches” are an old classic.  They bring to mind an afternoon tea party.  But they make a great refreshing and light lunch with the accompaniment of your choice.

Thursday’s “Cucumber Dill Crostini” makes a great starter for any backyard party.  It works with a salad at lunchtime too.

These are just two of many ways to get refreshed with a cucumber this summer.  Give one or both a try.

Until next time, “Happy Cooking” and please help spread this link with family and friends.  Thanks.