Grilled Corn, Snap Peas, Sweet Peppers, Heirloom Tomaoto, Jalapeno and Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

Summer Succotash Salad

NOTES

Great Summer salad for a BBQ. It can sit out without getting soggy. Corn can also be eaten raw if you don’t feel like firing up the grill. Lemon basil is hard to find in stores. If you can’t grow it, just add 1 tsp lemon zest to the dressing and use regular Genovese basil instead.

INSTRUCTIONS

In a food processor, pulse basil and oil to combine. Add coriander berries if using (these are the tiny balls that form on a cilantro plant when it goes to seed. When dried, they are coriander seed, but when green and fresh they are delicious eaten raw).

Add maple syrup, garlic and vinegar to a small dish, whisk olive oil and basil mixture one tablespoon at a time, until you have a nice thick dressing.

Remove husk  and silk from corn. Grill over an open flame on your stovetop, or on the outdoor grill until you have nice browning in some areas, but not all. You still want it to taste fresh. Make sure you rotate the corn often.

Slice corn off the cob, add to bowl. Add minced peppers, jalapeno, quarters cherry tomatos (or 1″ cubed heirloom tomatoes if not using cherry), sliced beans and greens onions. Put the dressing in a squeeze bottle if you have one, and dress each serving individually.

Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.

RECIPE

DIFFICULTY

EASY

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SERVES

6

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PREP TIME

10 MINS

Salad

  • 3-4 
    ears 
    sweet corn
  • 1-2 
     
    sweet peppers, minced
  •  
    jalapeno, minced
  • cup 
    sugar snap peas, ends removed, sliced thin diagonally
  • 3  
     
    green onions sliced thin diagonally
  • 1/2 
     
    garlic scape, minced
  • pint 
    cherry tomato (I love sungold)

Dressing

  • 1/2  
    cup 
    Genovese basil
  • 1/2 
    cup 
    lemon basil
  • 1/4 
    cup 
    extra virgin olive oil
  • tsp 
    maple syrup
  • tbs  
    red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 
    tsp 
    coriander berries (if you have cilantro plants that have gone to seed)
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    sea salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

In a food processor, pulse basil and oil to combine. Add coriander berries if using (these are the tiny balls that form on a cilantro plant when it goes to seed. When dried, they are coriander seed, but when green and fresh they are delicious eaten raw).

Add maple syrup, garlic and vinegar to a small dish, whisk olive oil and basil mixture one tablespoon at a time, until you have a nice thick dressing.

Remove husk  and silk from corn. Grill over an open flame on your stovetop, or on the outdoor grill until you have nice browning in some areas, but not all. You still want it to taste fresh. Make sure you rotate the corn often.

Slice corn off the cob, add to bowl. Add minced peppers, jalapeno, quarters cherry tomatos (or 1″ cubed heirloom tomatoes if not using cherry), sliced beans and greens onions. Put the dressing in a squeeze bottle if you have one, and dress each serving individually.

Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.

This past Sunday I hosted 130 people on the roof of MoMA PS1 to celebrate the opening of my Salad Garden. It was only obvious that the food for the event should be sourced predominantly from the garden itself, highlighting what is in season. To this end, I made 4 different pestos (recipe to come), herb-infused honey and ricotta crostini, and a massive herb salad with cuttings from the garden added fresh as we composed each bowl full of greens. We used bronze fennel, saltwort, salad burnett, chives, lemon basil, and minutina to name a few of the flavors that were tossed into the mix.

The event was 3 hours long, so I wanted to serve something in addition that would taste fresh and not get soggy over time. The best way for me to prep in advance was to think of the herbs that could be puréed and preserved in olive oil. I made this summery dressing from the bushels of lemon basil growing on the roof, and I somehow convinced Good Eggs Brooklyn to donate the corn, snap peas and some of the tomatoes for this corn succotash. The jalapeno, purple peppers, herbs and black cherry tomatoes came from the rooftop garden. This salad is the perfect summer party salad.

Enjoy.