Corn Salad: Distillation of Late Summer

It was going to be a perfect summer evening, I just knew it. There was an invitation from friends for a dinner on their patio, along with a demonstration after the meal of their newly installed gas fire pit. Grilled pork loin with a guajillo chile sauce was the focus, and when I asked what we could contribute, our host requested a vegetable side dish.

Sweet corn has been on my mind lately, and I pondered the possibilities. A corn pudding, perhaps? But a quinoa salad was already on the menu, so no. But a corn salad? Now there was something to chew on. Recently my brother had a made a salad to go with a grilled paella—albacore, raw corn sliced fresh off the cob and lettuce dressed with light vinaigrette—that had entranced me. And so many of the Mexican dishes that caught my eye while browsing my collection of Diana Kennedy's cookbooks had combinations of right-from-the-field vegetables caught at their peak of ripeness.

So I hit the market and bought whatever seemed to be almost jumping off the tables and into my basket, begging me to bring them home. Again, a simple spritz of lime juice, a splash of olive oil and a showering of salt was all they needed to shine, plus a super-simple avocado crema to serve alongside adding a certain sumptuousness, and my vegetable side was good to go.

Despite a last-minute (but welcome) rain shower just before we arrived, the evening was perfection. And the fire pit? Worked like a charm as we sipped our dessert wine and watched Jupiter transit the twilight sky over the Coast Range.

Corn Salad with Avocado Crema

For the corn salad:
1 15-1/2 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 ears corn, kernels sliced fresh off the cob
1/2 red onion, halved lengthwise and slivered crosswise
1/2 large cucumber, seeded and diced, or two small Persian cucumbers, chopped
1 large ripe tomato, chopped (about 2 c.)
1 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt to taste

For the avocado crema:
1 c. milk
1 clove garlic
2 avocados
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 c. sour cream
Salt to taste

In a large mixing bowl combine the black beans, corn kernels, onion, cucumber and tomato. Pour in the lime juice and olive oil and stir gently to mix.

In the bowl of a food processor pour in the milk and add the garlic, avocados and lime juice. Process until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary to incorporate all the ingredients. Add sour cream and pulse until just mixed, then add salt to taste.

The crema makes almost four cups, which is more than enough to serve a small amount alongside the salad, but it is also spectacular as a dip for chips or in tacos or burritos. It'll keep for at least a week stored in the fridge, so don't be afraid to make the whole batch. (It can also be halved if you don't want to make the whole amount.)

Everything's Better with Crema

Some people go to the store or the farmers' market with a list and stick to it. Milk, eggs, bread. Peppers, chard, cheese.

I have a list, too, and diligently check off the items as they pile up in my cart. But what I'm really looking for when I go shopping is inspiration, some ingredient that will spark a new dish or give me a reason to explore new territory.

That's what happened the other day when I saw a big pile of dark green poblanos at my neighborhood supermarket. Sometimes the peppers in the bins are a little tired and wrinkled, but these were shiny and firm to the touch, begging to be roasted.

So when I braised a pork shoulder in chile sauce a couple of nights later, the idea of frying up a mess of rajas, or roasted, slivered poblanos and onions, seemed like a natural. I've done straight rajas before, but I'd never made rajas con crema before, a traditional condiment of southern and central Mexico. Then a thought bubbled up that it would make a lovely sauce if I processed the rajas into a crema to drizzle on the tacos.

See what I mean about inspiration? A little experimentation, a touch of exploration, and I've got a new addition to taco nights. Sweet!

Poblano Lime Crema

4 medium-sized poblano chiles
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 med. onion, quartered and sliced thinly
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 lime, juiced
1 c. sour cream or tofu sour cream, divided
Salt to taste
Milk (or water) to thin (optional)

Roast peppers over gas flame or in the broiler until blackened. Place in paper bag and allow to steam for 10 min. Using your hands (I'd recommend rubber gloves…these babies can be surprisingly hot), rub off most of the charred skin but don't worry about cleaning it all off—it'll add a smoky flavor to the finished sauce. Remove stems and seeds from peppers and slice thinly.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add onions and sauté till golden, about 15 min., until reduced to about half of their original volume. Stir frequently to prevent browning. Add sliced peppers and garlic and sauté about 1 min., then stir in cumin and oregano. Add 1/2 c. of sour cream and simmer another minute or two.

Pour mixture into food processor with the remaining sour cream and lime juice. Purée mixture until smooth. Add salt to taste and milk or water to thin if desired.

Get a recipe for a killer chile-braised pork that's great with this sauce.