This salad is another summer favorite – think bruschetta with corn. All of the ingredients are at their best tasting in summer – especially if they’re coming straight from your garden! Shuck the corn and cut it off – don’t even boil it first – it makes the salad much easier to put together and the fresh corn is so tasty.
If you don’t have fresh corn, frozen corn works, too. Aim for about 16 ounces or whatever looks like a good amount with your tomatoes. If you don’t have fresh basil (I’m sorry!) but Trader Joe’s sells a good freezer package of basil. But – nothing beats fresh basil straight from a plant.
I do save my basil from my garden if it starts to go to seed. Just pinch off the top leaves and if you’re not cooking with it, put it in a plastic bag and freeze it. I don’t wash it first although you could if you wanted. It doesn’t look pretty when it comes out of the freezer but chopped and added to dressing, soups or sauces, it’s quite tasty.
My favorite tomatoes from the garden are the Sun-Gold cherry tomato variety. They are excellent every single year and you’ll want to eat them right off the vine. They’re the best tomatoes in this salad.
These tomatoes are not from this year. These are from last year. I’ve only gotten 4 tomatoes from my garden so far this year….I’m hopeful there will be more!
- Salad
- 4 ears of corn, shucked and kernels cut off
- 2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 8 basil leaves, cut in very small strips
- Dressing
- 1 clove garlic, mashed with 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Salt/pepper to taste
- Place corn, tomatoes, and basil leaves in large bowl and mix together.
- Mash garlic with salt in a mortar and pestle until smooth. ([url href=”https://gogingham.com/2013/09/use-mortar-and-pestle/” target=”_blank”]How to use a mortar and pestle[/url].)
- Mix garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and pepper.
- Mix until well combined.
- Pour dressing over salad. Mix and enjoy.
Notes
- Put all dressing ingredients in a glass jar with a lid and shake it well for best results. Do this over your kitchen sink – just in case you have a leak. You’ll thank me for this tip later.
- If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, place your garlic on a small plate, sprinkle with salt, and use the back of a spoon to mash it. (Here’s how to use a mortar and pestle.)
- Taste the salad first before adding more salt. Once I use 1 teaspoon of salt with the garlic, it’s usually enough.
Guess who else loves this salad? Our backyard chickens! The girls love to munch on the corn cobs!
Those chickens love to munch on ears of corn – or just about anything. Happy summer cooking!
What’s your favorite type of tomato to grow? Which do you prefer – slicing tomatoes or cherry tomatoes?
Go Gingham related links:
Shrimp and veggies pasta salad – another summer favorite!
Corn and black bean salad – to feed a crowd – I’ve made it for our block party!
Homemade pesto – that can be made and frozen
Spicy, homemade hummus that you make from dried beans
Egg salad sandwiches – you’ll wish you had chickens
Are backyard chickens right for you?
Go Gingham 
Yum, some of my favorite flavors! Love a great balsamic with fresh veggies.
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Thanks, Cathy! I agree balsamic is great with fresh veggies. It’s a little sweet and with the fresh corn, it’s a nice combination! Happy weekend.
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That looks delicious Sara! Perfect to make with the corn one of our neighbours keeps leaving in our kitchen (apparently he had a bumper crop, so he drops in while we are out and leaves his bounty).
I’ll definitely give it a try this weekend. I’ve never tried using raw corn before, but I bet it’s delicious.
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Heidi! I love those types of neighbors! I just got my 2nd 5 gallon bucket of apples – same type of situation. I had never used raw corn either until Andrea (a reader) left a comment about how she does that for a salad that I posted last year. Since then, I’ve been going with the raw and it’s so much easier! Fewer dishes and easier? Yes, please!!
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That looks beautiful, Sara.
Our garden has struggled this year. Tomatoes will be few and far between. I’ll put a covering over them sometime in September, in hopes of keeping them producing for a bit longer. I’ve got 3 varieties, all short season types — Early Girl, Stupice, and Oregon Spring, for a total of 8 plants.
For my basil, I put that in a pot and can take inside next month. Fresh basil is so lovely to add to salads and sandwiches.
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Thanks,Lili! I just spotted a few more Sun-Golds today…we’re in for a hot weekend so I’m hoping to have more tomatoes soon. I’ll have to try the Oregon Spring – I haven’t had that variety in my garden. Thanks for the tips.
And, you are so right about fresh basil! Nothing beats it.
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