As summer winds down, it’s time to celebrate that most ubiquitous vegetable of the season: corn. This tasty grain is rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, phenolic acids, and anthocyanins that benefit human health. While consumption of processed corn products like high-fructose corn syrup has been linked to increased risk of various cancers, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, consumption of whole corn and other grains is believed to do quite the opposite.
This week’s recipe is a double feature starring summer corn salad with or without roasted chicken. It was sent to CCSA as part of a series of emails from our resident chef, Dr. Linda Doody. She has been sharing her extensive collection of favorite recipes with friends, family, and the CCSA team as a means of maintaining connections during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” – Luciano Pavarotti
Summer Corn Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette and Plum Tomatoes/Roasted Garlic Chicken with Corn and Arugula Salad
Summer Corn Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette and Plum Tomatoes, Nordstrom Friends and Family Cookbook, Michael Northern (2003)
Roasted Garlic Chicken with Corn and Arugula Salad, Nordstrom Flavors, Michael Northern (2008)
Ingredients
- Champagne Vinaigrette
- 1 shallot, quartered
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
- Dash freshly ground pepper
- ½ cup champagne vinegar (white wine vinegar can be substituted)
- 1½ cups canola oil
- Salad
- 3 ears corn, shucked and grilled or broiled
- 6 plum tomatoes, cored and cut into large chunks (cherry tomatoes or regular tomatoes without the watery seeds can be substituted)
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 tsp fresh tarragon, chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1½ cups firmly packed arugula leaves, stems removed
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Roasted Garlic Chicken (optional)
- 6 skin-on, boneless chicken thighs
- ¼ cup mashed Simple Roasted Garlic (ingredients and recipe below)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Simple Roasted Garlic (optional)
- 4 large heads garlic (to save time, jarred peeled garlic can be purchased in many grocery stores)
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Champagne Vinaigrette
- In a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the shallot and garlic until finely minced. Add the mustard, sugar, salt, pepper and vinegar, and process to combine thoroughly. With the machine running, gradually add the oil in a thin steady stream to form an emulsion. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Salad
- Cut the corn kernels off the cobs: Working with 1 ear at a time, stand it upright, stem end down, on a cutting board. [Note: To keep the kernels corralled, the cob can also be placed upright in a shallow bowl.] Using a sharp knife, cut downward along the cob, removing the kernels, and rotating the cob after each cut. Put the kernels in a large salad bowl. You should have ~2 cups.
- Add the tomatoes, shallot, tarragon, parsley, arugula to the corn and toss to combine. Drizzle ~½ cup of vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat the ingredients. Season to taste and salt and pepper. Let the salad sit at room temperature for ~1 hour before serving.
- Simple Roasted Garlic (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Break apart the garlic heads, peel off the skins, and carefully trim the light brown root end from each clove. Place the garlic cloves in a single layer in a small baking dish. Drizzle evenly with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Pour ½ cup water over the garlic. Cover the dish securely with aluminum foil. Bake the garlic until lightly colored and the tip of a small sharp knife pierces a clove easily, ~1 hour. Carefully remove the foil and return the dish to the oven. Continue to bake until the garlic is a nice golden brown and the tops of the cloves look dry, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Let cool slightly, then drain off any liquid. Let cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To measure roasted garlic, mash lightly to fit into a measuring spoon.
- Roasted Garlic Chicken (optional)
- Place each chicken thigh between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using a flat meat mallet, pound gently, beginning from the center and working out toward the edge, until the thigh is about ½ inch thick. Transfer to a bowl. Add the roasted garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper to the chicken and mix gently. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.
- In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Carefully add the chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook until the skin is deep golden brown, ~5 minutes. Turn the thighs over and cook until the undersides are lightly browned and the juices run clear then the meat is pierced with a knife, ~3 minutes longer. Transfer to a platter or working surface.
- To serve, transfer the salad to individual plates, shaping the ingredients into a mound. Using a sharp knife, slice each chicken thigh into 6 or 7 pieces. Fan out a sliced thigh on each salad. Serve immediately.
Notes
Note from Dr. Doody: The reason for including this recipe was the champagne vinaigrette. I’m hooked on Nordstrom’s kale salad with dried strawberries, pumpkin seeds and grated manchego cheese dressed with this vinaigrette. The salad itself is the same with or without the roasted chicken, so I combined them.
Full disclosure: I have not tried this corn and tomato salad with or without the roasted garlic chicken. Rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken could be substituted for the roasted garlic chicken.