2020 is turning out to be much different than expected for most of us. So far this year, we have had to reconcile ourselves to the reality that hand sanitizer and cleaning products are not always going to be available. Fortunately, the hand soap, toilet tissue, and paper towel shortages we saw in the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak are a thing of the past. Disinfecting wipes are still on the “nowhere to be found” list. I understood why yeast and flour became harder to find a few months ago and am thankful that those items are currently back on the shelves. While I don’t get why prepared horseradish is unavailable and why pickles are being rationed, I can live without those products in the short term.

Even accepting some new realities of life due to the pandemic, there were some things inherent to Summer that I was counting on and looking forward to. One of them was the abundance of sweet corn on the cob being available at farmer’s markets and food stores. Of the two farmer’s markets that we frequent, one is canceled for this year and while the other is still being held, a few of the vendors we patronize are not in attendance this season. For those reasons, I was counting on the local grocery store to supply the corn I needed for this recipe. I was shocked to discover no overflowing bins of sweet corn in the produce section at the closest store. Due to supply issues, the only fresh corn that was available last week was prepackaged. Luckily, that corn worked just as well in this recipe and it was a delicious accompaniment to the turkey burgers we were having for dinner that night. This was excellent both warm & cold!

Corn Salad with Hot Honey-Lime Dressing

Corn Salad with Hot Honey-Lime Dressing (adapted from bonappètit,com) Makes 8 side dish servings

Ingredients:

• 4 ears of corn, husked
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
• 2 avocados, cut into 3/4″ pieces
• 1 serrano chile, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves with tender stems, chopped

Preparation:

Set the grill to medium-high heat. Brush the ears of corn with butter.

Brush the ears of corn with the melted butter.

Season them with salt and pepper.

Season the corn with salt & pepper.

Grill the corn, turning the ears occasionally, until the kernels are very tender and charred in spots, about 10–12 minutes.

Grill the corn.

Let the corn cool slightly, then cut the kernels from the cobs.

Cut the kernels from the cobs.

Whisk the lime juice, honey, Sriracha, garlic, and salt together in a large bowl to combine.

Combine the ingredients for the honey sauce.

Whisk it together well.

Add the corn, avocados, chile, and cilantro to the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Season the salad with salt and pepper.

Mix the corn, chile, cilantro & avocado in the honey sauce.

Serve warm or chilled. Keep any leftovers tightly covered and chilled.

A great Summer side dish!

This dish was well worth the search!  ~Linda

Corn Salad with Hot Honey-Lime Dressing (adapted from bonappètit,com) Makes 8 side dish servings

Ingredients:

• 4 ears of corn, husked
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
• 2 avocados, cut into 3/4″ pieces
• 1 serrano chile, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves with tender stems, chopped

Preparation:

Set the grill to medium-high heat. Brush the ears of corn with butter and season them with salt and pepper. Grill the corn, turning the ears occasionally, until the kernels are very tender and charred in spots, about 10–12 minutes. Let them cool slightly, then cut the kernels from the cobs.

Whisk the lime juice, honey, Sriracha, garlic, and salt together in a large bowl to combine. Add the corn, avocados, chile, and cilantro to the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Season the salad with salt and pepper. Serve warm or chilled. Keep any leftovers tightly covered and chilled.