The end of August is almost here, hard to believe that summer is getting to its end (sniff). If we want to look at the bright side thou, that means fresh corn, yeah! This past weekend the Sun Prairie Corn Fest took place and I had to go get my hands on some good corn. I get lots of it! There are few recipes I make with fresh corn but then of course, we all like to just take a good bite of the corn on the cob, yum! I also cut the kernels off the cobs of the uncooked corn and freeze it, to use in later recipes. At my house one of the most requested, and must say, favorite recipes I make is the Venezuelan corn pancakes called Cachapas, we eat them for breakfast. My kids devour them!!!

Sun Prairie Annual Corn Fest

I’ll save that recipe for a later post. I thought I should go easy and share this amazing grilled corn salad that I’ve made to go with fish and don’t seem to have enough of it. Easy and fresh, it’s a splendid side dish or simply scoop it out with tortilla chips as a corn salsa. I’ve also put it on top of my fish tacos. It doesn’t matter how you decide to eat it, if you love corn, you just can’t go wrong with this recipe. I am using Cotija cheese, a Mexican white cheese that resembles Venezuelan white hard cheese (I buy it to go with the Venezuelan corn pancakes); you can easily substitute for Feta cheese too. Now if you are ready to eat some refreshing, citric and delightful Grilled Corn Salad, let’s get started. Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 4):

4 ears of fresh corn, husked
2 Tbsp. butter
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup ground Cotija cheese
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash of black pepper

In a large bowl, mix the sliced shallot and jalapeño with the lemon juice and set aside. In a microwave safe cup place the 2 tablespoons of butter and cook for 30 seconds until melted. Using a pastry brush spread the butter on the ears of corn. Grill them over medium-high heat, turning occasionally to get all sides charred, about 8 to 10 minutes. You want to get a good char and yet still have the corn be tender and juicy. Let cool until is safe to handle.

Cut the kernels from the cobs. Add kernels to the bowl with the hot pepper and shallot. Add cheese, cilantro, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine. Serve as a side dish with fish, chicken or grilled meat. You could make this salad up to one day ahead and refrigerate, in which case add the cheese right before serving.

Recipe adapted from the Global Grilling issue of Bon Appetit.

Cook’s Notes: * I use a mandolin to get perfect thin slices for my salads. ** To cut the kernels off the cob I use a plate with thick edges and a ramekin upside down to elevate the corn and get all the kernels on the plate.