Arugula (also known as rocket or roquette) is a crisp and peppery cruciferous vegetable. Its slender, lobular leaves are packed with fiber and vitamins such as folate, C, E, and K. Like all cruciferous vegetables, arugula is also rich in phytonutrients believed to reduce the risk of cancer.
This week’s recipe for Summer Corn Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette and Plum Tomatoes brings out the brightness of this uniquely flavored vegetable. 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.
“Cooking is at once child’s play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love.”
– Craig Claiborne.
Summer Corn Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette and Plum Tomatoes
Nordstrom Friends and Family Cookbook, Michael Northern (2003)
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
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. (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.