Kitchen Curious: Make this crunchy summer salad, a delicious reward for little effort
When assembling a salad, I usually don’t follow a recipe. It’s simply a matter of using what’s on hand while attempting to balance color, texture and flavor. But while flipping through Joshua McFadden’s “Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables” (Artisan Books, 2017) for inspiration the other day, the stunning photo for Corn and Tomato Salad with Torn Croutons screamed, “Eat me! And don’t change anything!”
McFadden’s melange will be especially satisfying to folks who seek crunch in every bite. The croutons are key. You can use store-bought ones, but it doesn’t take long to make your own and they’ll taste far superior. Also, his technique of soaking sliced scallions in ice water is a good one. A trick that he uses only for salads — not cooked recipes — the water bath tempers their bite and crisps them up. Lastly, he prefers to eat the corn kernels raw but notes that the cobs could be grilled first. My trick to beat the heat and save some time: keep them in the husk and zap them in the microwave.
“This is a perfect hot-summer midweek meal, for which so little effort is required for such delicious reward,” writes McFadden.
Little effort. Big reward. We all deserve that right now.
- Kernels cut from 3 ears sweet corn, plus scraped from the cob (about 2 cups total)
- 1 pound tomatoes (all shapes and colors), cored and cut into wedges or chunks, or whatever looks pretty
- 3 to 4 scallions, trimmed (including 1/2 inch off the green tops), sliced on a sharp angle, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes and drained well
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups Torn Croutons (recipe follows)
- 1/2 cup pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 handful basil leaves
- 1 handful mint leaves
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Put the corn, tomatoes and scallions in a large bowl. Add the vinegar and toss gently to mix. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss. Taste and adjust the seasoning so the salad is nice and bright.
- Add the croutons, pistachios, pecorino, basil and mint and toss again. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Moisten with 1/3 cup olive oil and toss again. Taste and adjust. Serve lightly chilled or at a little cooler than room temperature. Serves 4.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 348 calories (percent of calories from fat, 45), 13 grams protein, 38 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 18 grams total fat (4 grams saturated), 9 milligrams cholesterol, 336 milligrams sodium.- 2 large, thick slices country loaf (about 4 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Heat the oven for 400 degrees.
- Tear the bread, crust and all, into bite-size pieces. Toss the torn bread with the olive oil and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.
- Spread the croutons on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake until golden brown, checking every 4 to 5 minutes and moving the outside croutons to the center of the pan so they cook evenly. Don’t let them get rock hard; leave a little bit of chew in the center. The total baking time will depend on the type and density of bread you’re using, but most likely will be 10 to 20 minutes.
- Slide onto paper towels to absorb any extra oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Store the croutons in an airtight container. Makes about 2 cups.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 1/2-cup serving: 135 calories (percent of calories from fat, 51), 3 grams protein, 14 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 8 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 125 milligrams sodium.Excerpted from “Six Seasons” by Joshua McFadden (Artisan Books). Copyright 2017.
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About the Author
Ligaya Figueras is the AJC's senior editor for Food & Dining. Prior to joining the AJC in 2015, she was the executive editor for St. Louis-based culinary magazine Sauce. She has worked in the publishing industry since 1999 and holds degrees from St. Louis University and the University of Michigan.
