It’s August and in the northern hemisphere, where most of our Blogger C.L.U.E. members live, August means it’s hotter than the hinges on the gates of hell. Or perhaps that’s just Dubai. Not to imply that it’s hell here. In fact, most of the year, Dubai is a very pleasant place to live with clean roads (never mind the crazy drivers), well stocked shops, good medical care, decent internet speeds and despite the recent cessation of nationwide subsidies, pretty cheap fuel for our cars. So we tolerate summer, hibernating in our air-conditioned homes, until the heat lifts and we are free, free once more to enjoy the great outdoors, sailing in the clear blue waters of the Arabian Gulf and enjoying life in the heart of the desert.
But for now, we are living on salads.
Every month for Blogger C.L.U.E. Society, each member is assigned another blog in which to hunt for recipes which fit our clue or theme. What could be more perfect for August than “beat the heat?” My assignment is the delightful blog A Palatable Pastime and I had a great time searching around Sue’s tasty site for summer treats, lingering on her cantaloupe margaritas and raspberry gelato before coming back to page one in the search and, given my love of sweet corn, this wonderful fresh corn salad.
The only thing I cooked, and even that ever so briefly, was the corn on the cob. Sue parboiled her carrots as well but I left ours raw because we like them very crunchy. I also don’t have garlic powder on hand so I subbed fresh garlic. This salad is way more than the sum of its parts. Put together, the ingredients elevate each other and become a meal. This is a very versatile and forgiving salad. If you adore carrots, by all means, add more. Not a fan of green peppers, leave them out. It can be made ahead or eaten right away. In short, this recipe is a keeper. Thanks, Sue!
Ingredients
2 fresh ears corn, shucked – I also halve mine so they can fit in my pot.
1 small clove garlic
1 fresh jalapeño
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
1 medium carrot
1 medium bell pepper
Generous handful pitted black olives (read: half a can!)
Small bunch green onions
1 medium to large fresh tomato
3 oz or 85g feta cheese
1 large bunch fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper
Method
Boil your corn on the cob in salted water for 3-4 minutes, then drain and cool in very cold water. It should be cooked a little, but still crunchy.
Measure your vinegar and oil into a large bowl. Mince your jalapeño and garlic clove and add them to the oil and vinegar. The garlic and pepper start to infuse into the liquid, which will help the over all flavor later.
Peel your carrot and split it down the middle lengthwise. Slice it thinly on the diagonal. Cut your green pepper into similarly sized pieces and slice your olives.
Add them to the large bowl.
Your corn should be cool enough to handle by now. Cut the kernels off the cobs and chop the onion tops and cilantro. Core and chop the tomato into pieces.
Add all four to the large bowl.
Give everything a really good stir, making sure to get all the way down to the olive oil, vinegar and garlic at the bottom. (That’s why I had you put it in a large bowl, better for a thorough stirring.)
Crumble your feta and add in all but a few pieces. Sprinkle the salad with salt and a few good grinds of fresh black pepper. Give it another really good stir.
Transfer the salad to a serving bowl, if desired, and finish it with the rest of the feta.
Enjoy!
Here's a list of our Blogger C.L.U.E. Society participants this month. I can't wait to see which recipes they've found for our "beat the heat" theme.
- Asian Watermelon Salad by Lora from Cake Duchess
- Beat the Heat Negronis by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
- Blueberry Icebox Pie by Kate from Kate's Kitchen
- Curried Chicken Salad with Cucumbers by Rebekah from Making Miracles
- Frozen Cherry Lemonade by Anna from annaDishes
- Homemade Gingerale by Lauren from Sew You Think You Can Cook
- Icy Rum Punch from the Islands by Debra from Eliot's Eats
- Mango Jicama Salsa by Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet
- No Bake Berry Cheesecake by Christiane from Taking on Magazines
- Oreo Cookies n Cream Ice Cream by Heather from girlichef
- Peach Ice Cream by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Pecan Brittle by Kelli from Kelli's Kitchen
- Prosciutto Parmesan Arugula Sandwich by Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch
- Roasted Tomato Soup by Sue from A Palatable Pastime
- Southwestern Skillet Dip by Alice from A Mama, Baby and Shar-pei in the Kitchen
- Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet by Kathy from A Spoonful of Thyme
- Summertime Fresh Corn Salad by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
- Tipsy Palmers by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm
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