Corn and Crab Salad

4 ears white sweet corn, husks removed

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar

1 clove garlic, grated

5 tablespoons olive oil

½ pound jumbo lump crabmeat (pick through to remove bits of shell)

Handful cherry tomatoes, halved

1 English cucumber, skin on, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons

¼ cup pickled shallots (recipe on Page 1)

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

Salt

Ground black pepper

Aleppo pepper

Handful fresh basil leaves, torn into large pieces

Leaves from 1 branch fresh tarragon, torn

Bring a large pot of salt water to a boil. Add the corn and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove the corn from the water and set aside until cool.

Once the corn can be handled, cut the kernels off the cobs. To do this, stand each ear on its wide end and saw down the length of the cob with a serrated knife. Turn and repeat until all of the kernels are removed. Set aside.

In a large serving bowl, combine the lemon zest and juice, the vinegar and garlic. Mix well, then whisk in the olive oil. Fold in the corn kernels, crabmeat, tomatoes, cucumber, pickled shallots and avocado, being careful as you mix so as not to mash the ingredients.

Season with salt, black pepper and Aleppo pepper, then garnish with fresh basil and tarragon. Enjoy as is or on a bun.

Serves four.

Nutrition values per serving: 410 calories, 28 g fat (3.5 g saturated), 30 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 18 g protein, 50 mg cholesterol, 440 mg sodium.

“Hero Food” by Seamus Mullen (Andrews McMeel, 2012)