Corn Salad Recipe

We published this in September but omitted the recipe. Mea culpa!

It's fall and the corn crop on the East End is still going strong, despite all the late summer storms.

We love fresh corn, any way we can get it practically. On the cob, steamed or grilled is obviously fun and always brings back childhood memories of family cookouts and watching my father eat the corn as if it was a typewriter, chewing all the kernels, left to right, to the end and then saying "Ding" to indicate he'd reached the end of the line. (If you know what I'm referring to, then you knew a typewriter well, and I know roughly how old you are!)

Sautéed fresh corn is fabulous for those who may not want to negotiate the cob (we shared that recipe last year), and corn salad is just plain, and simply, wonderful. It's easy to make and lasts for several days in the fridge - that is if any is ever left over.

Corn Salad
4-6 Servings

5 ears of corn, shucked
½ cup small-diced red onion
3 tablespoons of cider vinegar
3 tablespoons good olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ cup chiffonade fresh basil leaves (optional)
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In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. Drain and immerse corn in ice water to stop the cooking.
When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.
Toss the kernels in a large bowl with red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Just before serving, you can toss in the fresh basil. (I do this only if I know it will all be eaten in one sitting.)
Serve cold or at room temperature.

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Thanks again to Ina Garten in her original cookbook The Barefoot Contessa for making a simple yet delicious recipe.

Note: This year we even made corn ice cream, believe it or not. It was a little challenging, but tasted creamy, cool and corny when frozen. Sadly though, we learned that this ice cream did not have a long "freezer" life, and tasted quite odd a week or two after it was made. Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Hopefully you still have late corn where you are and can enjoy this salad before next year.