Blistered Corn Salad

From The Press Enterprise, July 15, 2015

Grilling fresh corn until the kernels are blistered and the natural sugars are caramelized makes this salad burst with flavor. This little bit of effort makes all the difference in this colorful summer recipe.
Sometimes cutting the kernels off the cob can be awkward, and I have tried all of the gadgets for doing this without much success.

The easiest and safest way I have found is to first cut the corn cob into two pieces. Cut the cob straight across the middle, then stand each half cut side down on your cutting board. Make sure your cutting board is anchored with a wet paper towel or skid-proof sheet. The flat-cut surface will be much sturdier than the top or bottom of the cob.

Now imagine that the cob is a square instead of round, and slice from the top down on four sides.

You should use a knife with a sharp non-serrated blade that is long enough to get a good “slice.”

I prefer a 6- or 8-inch santuko knife for this purpose, but use whatever knife you are comfortable with.

You can go back and slice off the remaining strip of kernels once you have cut four “square” sides... Or enjoy them yourself as the cook’s bounty.
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Blistered Corn Salad
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 8

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2/3 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
Kosher salt and ground pepper
8 ears of corn
1/2 cup diced Spanish onion
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions (about 1 bunch)
1/2 cup minced jalapeno peppers
1 cup chopped heirloom tomatoes or quartered cherry tomatoes
 1 to 2 tablespoons mixed minced fresh herbs, such as chives, basil, cilantro and parsley

1. Heat the grill to medium-high.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar and mustard.  While whisking, slowly drizzle in the 2/3 cup of oil until the mixture is smooth and emulsified.  Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Husk the ears of corn, then brush them all over with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

4. Set the ears directly over the heat on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until all sides are blistered and lightly charred, 15 to 20 minutes.  Set the corn aside until cool enough to be easily handled.

5. Cut the kernels from the ears of corn.  To do this, one at a time cut each ear in half across the center.  Stand each piece on its wide, cut end and use a very sharp knife to cut down the length of the cob, cutting just deep enough to remove the kernels.  Rotate and continue cutting until all of the kernels have been removed.

6. In a large bowl, toss the warm corn kernels with the vinaigrette.  Add the remaining ingredients, mix well, then set aside to cool to room temperature.

7. Before serving, taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Recipe from Elizabeth Karmel for the Associated Press.
Nutritional information per serving: 300 calories; 210 calories from fat (70 percent of total calories); 24 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 170 mg sodium; 22 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 7 g sugar; and 5 g protein.