There’s nothing like corn on the cob from the local farms at my cottage. Really. I didn’t even used to like corn on the cob until I tasted the insanely sweet ears of Ontario. So all summer we wait….Wait for the arrival of corn season, early August. If you can believe it, the best stuff in my area comes from the straw barrels at a gas station–A self serve post where a tiny, local farmer has kindly been given a picnic table to arrange his baskets upon. All three of us can easily pack a few ears away, Dan maybe more than a few. So when I found this recipe on my Whole Foods App, I couldnt wait to try it. This salad is so easy its laughable. I barely missed a beat on the beach.

Sweet, Sweet, Sweet Corn Salad

2 cups fresh or frozen and thawed corn kernels or four, large ears
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 cups no-salt-added cooked black beans, rinsed and drained or one can
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Dressing
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

Boil a large pot of water. Add corn and cook for 1 minute, then drain well, rinse in cold water and drain again. Meanwhile, rinse onions in cold water; drain well and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to make dressing. Add beans, corn as well as chopped onion and bell pepper and toss. Cover and chill for a few hours. Add cilantro and mix again before serving.

Scarlett loved picking the corn until she pulled back the silks of one cob and found a bug. That one was thrown at the young boy manning the stand. Poor kid. Didn’t know what hit him.

We played on the beach. Dad schucked the corn and boiled it. He then shaved it from the cobs. So far, so easy for me.

Later….

Me: “Scarlett, are you going to help Mommy make the corn salad?”

Scarlett: Yah!

Me: “O.K. Then, let’s go inside and we’ll paint rocks when we come back out.”

Neighbor arrives on deck with cold beer for me and pretzels and paints for Scarlett. “Umm, not now Mommy,” Scarlett declares.

I arrive back outside to find my beer still chilled and an awesome painted rock from the beach. At dinner, our neighbors join us and the salad is a hit. The dressing is light and highlights all the flavors, including the sweetness of the corn and the savory, bite of the onion. Dan eats two cobs as well as the salad. You can just never get enough of August’s sweet corn. Thank God there are still three weeks.