fresh friday!

It’s Friday again!  This Friday is particularly exciting because Schy’s daddy has THREE days off for Labor Day weekend!!!   How I love our family time.  We have a wedding this weekend and Schy will be spending some time with her Grandma and Grandpa.  But first things first!  Today we have a visit from our favorite farmer from our CSA!  I am inspired by our CSA today as I write my first recipe share.  This is a recipe that I whipped up last weekend for Schy’s birthday party and everyone really loved it!  Our CSA share last week included 11, yes eleven ears of corn that were freshly picked mere hours before delivery.  Eleven ears of corn is a LOT for 3 people, especially given the loads of other veggies that we received.  Needless to say, I had to think of a creative way to serve corn to 45 people.  So, without further ado… here is my first fresh friday recipe: Southwestern Corn Salad!

(All quantities in this recipes can be altered to suit your tastes and party size.  The leftovers are delicious, so don’t forget to make extra!)

Ingredients

• 6 ears of corn, husk and silks removed
• 2 large ripe tomatoes
• 1 large or 2 medium red onion(s)
• 1 can of black beans (organic and sodium free, if possible)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 2-3 tablespoons of lime juice
• 3/4 cup fresh basil
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Start by boiling the corn until slightly soft and crisp.  Remove and rinse thoroughly with cold water.  Set aside to cool completely.  Chop tomatoes into bite size chunks and toss into large mixing bowl.  Dice onions and add to bowl.  Rinse and strain beans well and add to bowl.  Once corn is completely cooled cut kernels from the cob, add to bowl and stir together.

In a cruet, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cumin, lime juice and finely chopped basil.  Shake well and pour over vegetables.  Once mixed, add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve chilled!

We prefer this salad with some spice, but have many family members that are sensitive to spicy food so we left it out.  You can substitute chili or chipotle powder for some of the cumin or simply add a few pinches for a little kick.  This salad is delicious and the leftovers are even better!    With all of that beautiful corn that is in season, this is a great, easy recipe that is perfect for that Labor Day barbeque!

We’ll see what fresh recipe today’s CSA share inspires!  Have a fantastic Friday!  Enjoy!

---