Sweet corn to share: Salad with ‘creamy’ vinaigrette the perfect side dish for late-summer gatherings

One of the foods I look forward to every summer is sweet corn.

As a child my parents would tell my sisters and I we were going for a drive, which meant we would all get into the family station wagon and leave the city behind, often ending up at a county fair or farm of some kind.

A few hours later we would be eating freshly roasted ears of corn at a fair or find ourselves at a small farm where there would be a table piled high with freshly picked corn, often unmanned with a box for you to deposit your payment.

If my parents could negotiate a good deal with a farmer, they would buy multiple dozens and my mom would cut it all off the cob and freeze it for later. Having this delicious corn in the middle of winter was always a treat. Those were the “good old days.”

When it looks good, I often purchase corn at the grocery store, but I am also lucky to live near a local pumpkin farm where they grow their own sweet corn. It is picked every day and is always delicious.

But corn on the cob is difficult to bring as a side dish to someone else’s house, so I started looking for salad recipes made with fresh corn. The result is this Roasted Sweet Corn and Vegetable Salad with “Creamy” Sweet Corn Vinaigrette.

Freshly roasted corn, tomatoes, coleslaw mix, and other fresh vegetables are combined with a dairy-free, but very creamy, dressing to make a brightly flavored, delicious salad. I prefer the corn to be roasted, but have also boiled it with good results, so feel free to prepare the corn whatever way you’d like.

Cutting the corn off the cob can be a messy chore, with rogue kernels escaping from your cutting board, so I did a little research. I found using a Bundt pan and sharp knife seems to be the most efficient. Start by placing the wide end of the cob on the center post of a Bundt pan, trimming the cob, if necessary, so it will not wobble, and holding the cob upright. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the kernels off the cob. The pan should catch the kernels and minimize mess.

The most interesting method I found for removing kernels from the cob used a gadget made for cutting pineapple. The tool is made to cut around the core of a pineapple while slicing the fruit at the same time. According to multiple videos, the gadget will take the corn kernels right off, leaving a perfectly clean cob. I do not have a pineapple cutter, but if you do I would love to hear if you have had success with this method.

After cutting the corn off the cob, it is important to scrape the pulp from the cob to make sure you get as much of the corn flavor as possible. I have accomplished this by using the side of an upside-down large spoon or very carefully with the side of my knife. The spoon works well, as it seems to catch some of the liquid that might otherwise end up outside your bowl.

After telling me how much she liked the salad, a friend asked if she could use frozen corn, which would be a great shortcut. My answer is yes, but only if it has a similar texture and taste to fresh. There is definitely some good frozen corn available, but be selective about what type you use.

Now for the ingredient swaps: If you don’t have yellow bell peppers, other colors will work well, but I wouldn’t use green, as they might be too bitter. If you don’t have colored cherry tomatoes, you can use all red, but don’t just dice a larger tomato — it would add too much moisture. Green onions; this salad would also taste great using minced red onion or lots of minced chives. If you don’t have any coleslaw mix, feel free to use very thinly sliced cabbage. I have also toyed with substituting broccoli slaw for the coleslaw mix but haven’t tried it yet.

And here’s a tip to quickly slice cherry tomatoes: Take two flat plastic lids of similar size with sides, such as a deli container lid. Place one lid upside-down on your cutting board and top with cherry tomatoes. Place the other lid on top of the tomatoes, right-side up and press down gently to hold tomatoes in place. Using a serrated or sharp knife, place knife horizontal to the cutting board and slice through the tomatoes between the two lids. I did not invent this, but I use it all the time when cutting more than a few cherry tomatoes at a time.

The key to this salad is the dressing. It is tangy, creamy and super easy to make. Just put everything in the blender, including the secret ingredient — some of the corn — and process until smooth. The result is a rich and creamy salad dressing made without dairy. Personally, I think it would be good on other salads as well.

My last tip is to make the salad ahead of time but don’t add the dressing until just before serving. It tends to get a little watery if it sits too long, though that hasn’t stopped us from eating leftovers the next day.

I brought this to my daughter’s house on the Fourth of July and her family liked it so much that she asked to keep some of the leftovers. While we were waiting for dinner to be ready, some of us sampled the salad using tortilla chips and it was great. So feel free to add it to your appetizer table with some chips if you’d like. Enjoy!

• Penny Kazmier, a wife and mother of four from South Barrington, won the 2011 Daily Herald Cook of the Week Challenge. Contact Penny at DhCulinaryAdventures@gmail.com.

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Roasted Sweet Corn and Vegetable Salad with “Creamy” Sweet Corn Vinaigrette

8 ears sweet corn, shucked and cleaned of silks

14 ounce bag coleslaw mix

6 carrots, finely chopped or sliced

2 yellow bell peppers, finely chopped

12 green onions, thinly sliced

2 cups red cherry or grape tomatoes, cut into halves

2 cups colored cherry tomatoes (this can be a blend of colors*)

4 cloves garlic

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

⅓ cup lemon juice

¼ cup white vinegar

1½ teaspoons Kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven or grill to 450°F. Place prepared corn directly onto oven racks and roast 20 minutes. (If using the grill, be sure to turn corn periodically.) Remove and allow to cool.

Combine coleslaw mix, carrots, peppers, onions and tomatoes in large bowl; stir to combine.

Cut corn kernels off the cob, being careful to scrape the cob to gather juices and pulp. Reserve 1 cup of corn kernels and place the rest in the bowl with the other vegetables. Stir and place bowl in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Place reserved corn, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper in a blender and process until smooth. Transfer dressing to jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

Just before serving, pour desired amount of dressing over salad and toss. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve.

*Note: The goal is to have as many colors of tomatoes as possible, but all red is OK too.

Serves 8 to 10.

— Penny Kazmier