Grilled Corn Salad with Feta, Walnuts, & Shallot

Serves 6.

Pairs with: Chardonnay

Notes from Heidi: There are a few ways to tackle the corn in this salad, depending on the season – and how ambitious you’re feeling. If fresh corn is in its prime, throw the cobs on a lightly oiled grill and char them a bit. That smoky sweetness is hard to beat. You can also boil the corn for a few minutes if you prefer, or, in a real-life “it’s Tuesday and I’m making do” moment, frozen corn works too.

The day I made this, fresh corn wasn’t looking its best, so I used frozen sweet corn and gave it a quick char in a frying pan. It worked well, although next time I’d probably skip that extra step and just let good sweet corn do its thing. But when corn is in season? Grill it. No question.

I tossed in some fresh basil & parsley for extra colour and a little lift, and it was a great addition. Fresh mint or dill would great too, depending on your mood (or what’s looking lively in the herb drawer).

I’m a hot pepper fan, but my family is less enthusiastic about surprise heat, so I swapped in sweet red pepper instead of chili. No regrets — it was delicious.

And don’t skip the walnuts. Seriously. They bring the crunch that makes the whole salad come together. Without them, it’s a bit like a dinner party without the interesting guest.

Want to turn it into a meal? Add grilled shrimp, chicken, or steak and call it dinner.

Ingredients

• Canola oil, for grill grates
• 1 lime, zested, then halved
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 red chile pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 shallot, chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ears corn, shucked
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta

Directions

1. Set up grill for direct cooking and heat to medium-high. Once hot, clean and lightly oil grates with canola oil. Combine lime zest, olive oil, chile pepper, and shallot in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until charred, 3 to 5 minutes. Grill lime, cut side down, until charred, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Squeeze juice from lime into bowl with zest (you should get about 2 tablespoons). Cut kernels from cobs and toss with grilled lime vinaigrette. Fold in walnuts and feta.

Recipe Source