Fresh Corn & Avocado Salad

This time of year sweet corn is readily available and I love when my favorite market has it on sale. In fact, I recently scored a good deal [6 ears for $1] and stocked up on corn to play with. My immediate thought was to just boil the corn and serve on the cob. But because I had a handful of kiddies coming over, I figured it would be easier to serve the corn off the cob. That's when I thought a corn salad would be a good addition to my menu. A great salad that highlights the sweet flavors is this Fresh Corn & Avocado Salad. Sweet corn is tossed with creamy avocados, diced onions and snips of basil in a simple vinaigrette...

So far this summer, this is my favorite salad recipe. It's easy, quick to make, colorful and definitely a perfect seasonal dish to let sweet corn shine. I guess if you had a hankering for a corn salad when it's not in season, you could substitute the fresh corn for canned or frozen... but it really isn't the same. The freshness makes all the difference both in taste and texture!

Fresh Corn & Avocado Salad

recipe adapted from MyRecipes

6 ears of fresh corn

1/4 cup minced red onion

1 avocado, diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot of boiling water, cook corn until tender, about 7-10 minutes. Remove corn from pot with tongs and place on a baking sheet to cool. Once cool enough to handle, cut the kernels off the cob and place into a large bowl.

Add the onion, avocado and basil to the bowl.

In a small bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together the vinegar, mustard and olive oil. Carefully pour the dressing into the corn mixture and toss gently to combine.