Cold Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Salad

With the 4th of July just past, there is no question that summer is here to stay, and summer means corn. What would summer be without corn on the cob? Answer: sad, very sad.

I was invited to a potluck over the weekend and needed to bring a side dish. My roommate had left me behind corn and peppers in the fridge before leaving to go home for a couple weeks, so I needed to get creative with these main mediums sitting on the second shelf, and hence this salad was born.

This cold corn and roasted pepper salad is a perfect pairing for grill fare or tacos. It's refreshing, due to the cider vinegar and lime combo, and crisp, due to the cold crunch of the corn. I love me some freshly cracked pepper so feel free to add less, or add a shot of tabasco for some heat.

All of the health experts are always saying to "eat your colors", so you've got your reds, yellows, and greens covered with a helping of this dish. You don't have to make this salad, but please promise me that you will at the very least have some corn this summer!

Cold Corn and Roasted Pepper Salad
yields 8 side servings

Ingredients:
3 ears of corn, shucked
1 large red pepper (I used 1/2 red and 1/2 yellow since that's what I had on hand)
1/2 cup diced green onion
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice from 1/2 lime
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons freshly cracked pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook corn with the lid covered for ~ 5 minutes. Meanwhile, roast the pepper (You can do this on the grill, but I cheated, since it was over 100 degrees outside, and just put the pepper on my stovetop gas burner, on low, rotating every few minutes). Let the pepper and corn cool.

Slice the corn kernels from the cob and dice the pepper and green onion. Toss the corn, roasted pepper, green onion, cider vinegar, olive oil, lime juice, sea salt, and pepper all together in a bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

Enjoy.