The whole premise is simplicity; preparing each veggie well and letting the flavors complement one another. It’s so healthy, as you’ll see, but flavorful in a seriously addictive way. Like, “eat the whole bowl in one sitting way”. It’s a bit of work but it’s all the side you’ll need for the perfect summer dinner – add grilled chicken, fish, steak or sausage and you’ve got it made in the shade.
This was one of my first recipes on homebeccanomics and I remembered it so fondly I decided to make it to bring to a friend’s house for dinner. As I looked over the ingredients I thought there’d been a mistake – could it really be this simple? No fresh herbs, citrus zest or spices? I decided to make it as written and add on at the end. I took a big bite and was actually surprised at how delicious it was. Like, perfectly, mouthwateringly delicious.
The secret’s in the corn. Make sure you cook that corn until it’s turning golden and the bottom of the pan is glazed and sticky. Turns out corn has more sugar than I thought, and cooking it down releases it like nobody’s business. The other amazing complement is the jalapeno. First you taste salty sweet and the finish is pure spice. It’s so well-rounded and I think it exemplifies how wonderful summertime eating can be.
Simple Summer Salad
Serves 4
5Â tbsp. olive oil, divided
3 ears of corn, corn removed from cob
1 tsp. + 1 tbsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 jalapenos, partially seeded and diced
5 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2Â lb green beans, trimmed and chopped to 1 in. pieces
1 bunch scallions or green onions, sliced (green and light green parts only)
1 tsp. champagne vinegar
1. Heat 3 tbsp. olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
2. When hot but not smoking, add corn, jalapeno, 1 tsp. salt and pepper. Stir occasionally until corn has turned golden and softened, about ten minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil. Salt water with remaining 1 tbsp. salt. Add green beans.
4. Boil green beans for about 3-4 minutes, then drain.
5. Put chopped tomatoes and scallions into large mixing bowl. Add corn and green beans. Add remaining 2 tbsp. of olive oil (or more or less depending on your tastes) and vinegar. Toss to combine. Salt to taste.
