As summer winds down, it’s time to celebrate that most ubiquitous vegetable of the season: corn. This tasty grain/vegetable 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 and vegetables is believed to do quite the opposite.
This week’s recipe for Green Bean Salad with Corn, Cherry Tomatoes, and Basil makes the most of summer’s bounty. 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.
“Food is everything we are.”
–Anthony Bourdain
Green Bean Salad with Corn, Cherry Tomatoes, and Basil
Fine Cooking (Issue 72), Tasha DeSerio
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh corn kernels (3–4 ears)
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half diagonally
- 1 small red onion, cut in half through the root end, root trimmed, and cut lengthwise into very thin slices
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (if desired, seeded chopped medium or large tomatoes can be substituted for cherry tomatoes)
- 1 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Put the onion slices into a small bowl filled with ice water to mellow the flavor. Meanwhile, add the corn kernels to a medium pot of boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. Remove the kernels to a strainer and set aside. Season the water with a generous amount of salt, let it return to boil, add the beans and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and spread the beans on a baking sheet to cool.
- To prepare the vinaigrette, mash the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a chef’s knife. Whisk with the vinegar, let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then whisk in the olive oil.
- Just before serving, drain the onions and add to a large bowl with the corn, green beans, tomatoes, and basil. Season with salt and black pepper and toss with vinaigrette.
Notes
Note: To increase flavor, the corn and beans can be marinated in the vinaigrette for a few hours before adding the tomatoes and basil for serving.
Tasha DeSerio is also the source of the Fresh Shelling and Green Bean Salad with Tomato, Garlic and Marjoram recipe.