One of my favorite things to do with out-of-town visitors in the summer is to take them to a concert in the park. There is nothing better than sipping wine and listening to music on a summer night surrounded by one of the most impressive skylines around! This past week, I did just that with my parents who were visiting Chicago.
For our little picnic, I decided to make a corn salad filled with summer flavors. This colorful salad may not be the quickest or easiest salad to make, but it is a perfect addition to any cookout, backyard party, or concert in the park! I like to eat it as a dip with tortilla chips, however it can also be used to top sandwiches, wraps, and tacos.
Summer Corn Salad
- One roasted red pepper, diced
- Half one red onion, diced
- Two ears of corn (I like the crunch of raw corn in this salad, but you can also blanch or roast the corn and add after it cools)
- 2 hearts of palm from a can, cut into half moons
- 2 radishes, julienned
- Zest of one lime
- Juice of one lime
- Jalapeno, small diced (add to taste)
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Mix all ingredients together well.
Not sure how to roast a red pepper? Check out our blog on how to roast pepper. Don’t be afraid to really get the pepper in the flames, and do not forget to let it steam in a closed container or plastic bag so the skin is easily removed.
To get the most out of your corn, place one ear vertically in a wide bowl. As you run your knife down the side of the corn cob, angle your knife just slightly toward to cob so you are getting as much of the kernel as possible. The wide bowl will catch the kernels as you cut. If you do not have a wide enough bowl to cut the corn inside of, try a large workspace. The corn tends to run away as it is cut from the cob.
Once the kernels are removed and you have the cob exposed, use the blunt side of your knife and scrape along the cob. You will notice a sort of corn milk on your knife. This is great to incorporate into the salad as it adds even more of that sweet summer corn flavor.
Need some help with getting that perfect dice or julienne? This brief guide will get you started. You can also check out one of our upcoming Knife Skills classes:
- Sunday, July 1 10:30am Lincoln Square
- Friday, July 20 10am Lincoln Square
- Saturday, July 28 10am Merchandise Mart
For more dishes designed for a picnic, download The Chopping Block's Perfect Picnic Guide.
