Going to the Turkish market on Friday evening is a sure way to get a huge pile of veggies for just a little bit of cash. As the day ends, there's a surplus of one thing or another, and the vendors would rather sell it off than haul it home. If you wait until closing time, they'll send you home with bags full of produce for 50 cents a pound.
The trick is, you never know what the surplus will be until you get there. Some weeks I come home with two pounds of red bell peppers for a Euro. Sometimes it's a whole crate of ruccola. Last week, it was 6 ears of corn.
I didn't feel like eating 6 ears of corn on the cob by myself, so I decided salad was the way to go. Slicing the kernels from the cobs, I fried them quickly with a dab of butter and a splash of lime juice. Mixed with some chopped tomato and an enormous bunch of cilantro, I found myself with a fresh, tangy bowlful of Mexican-inspired goodness.
I swear, I don't think I will ever grow tired of the taste of cilantro and lime. Now, if only I could track down some Cheddar cheese in this country...
Roasted Corn Salad
This salad is great on it's own, or makes a nice side for refried beans and a chunk of cornbread.
Ingredients:
6 ears fresh corn, kernels removed (or 2 cups frozen kernels)
1 Tbs butter or oil
2 limes, juiced (or about 1/4 c. juice)
1 bunch cilantro
1 tomato
1 red bell pepper
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste
1. Roast the Corn
Heat the butter in the pan until it's sizzling hot, and add the corn. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the corn starts to char in places. Continue stirring and cooking until most of the kernels have dark brown marks on them. Dump the corn into a large bowl and let it refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Prepping the Veggies
Chop the cilantro finely. Chop the tomato and bell pepper into pieces roughly the size of the corn kernels. If you haven't already, juice your limes.
3. Assembling your Salad
Pull the corn out of your fridge, add the chopped veggies, lime juice, salt and pepper. Make it as spicy or mild as you like with cayenne. It tastes best after marinating for a few hours, but it's damn good straight away as well.
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4 comments:
This looks great. I wouldn't have thought of roasting the corn, great idea. Can't wait to try it.
This salad has all the components of a summer day. Fresh, flavorful and fast. Too bad the weather is getting cooler and the fresh corn of summer is behind us.
No matter. I'll buy some frozen organic sweet corn, follow your instructions, and have my taste of summer all year round. :-)
I'm 100% certain that you can get American cheddar in Berlin. Look for "Internationale Lebensmittel" or something like that. Many of the larger supermarkets/department stores carry international foods. Check out KadeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens). Also Karstadt and I hear some Kaisers stores carry American foods. You may need to check out the hidden corners of the grocery section but the stuff is definitely available.
Check out also:
http://www.usa-kulinarisch.de/shop.htm
OK, I admit... I was exaggerating slightly for effect. I can track down Cheddar if I really try, but they don't sell it in my usual super market - and making a special trip somewhere else is not often worth it.
But thanks very much for the tips! I do appreciate it! :)
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