1-2-3-GONE! Or ‘How to make a salad disappear!’  Want to hear more magic words?  How about;  Ready in 15 minutes or less…   I am very lucky to have been graced with a bounty of lovely, ripe tomatoes so early in the season.  I’m heading out of town this weekend (to Charleston, so I foresee some southern cooking in my future) and I needed to use some of my fresh tomatoes before I go.  I also happened to have some young, white corn that is so sweet and tender that it can be eaten raw, right off the cob.  Now that is good corn!  With these ingredients, I couldn’t really go wrong.  I tossed them together in a salad with baby arugula and avocado, then drizzled them with a yummy jalapeno vinaigrette that is loaded with fresh basil and cilantro.  But it’s really about the tomatoes and the corn, so don’t hold back.  I served this to a group of men, watching the NBA playoffs last night and almost didn’t get a chance to take photos.  Luckily I managed to snap a few before they all descended.  I served the salad with corn tortilla chips which were a great pairing. (Alas, no photos…They were too quick.)

But corn is a carb!  Fear not my carb-avoiding friends.  Corn is a high quality, slow digesting complex carbohydrate and a great source of vitamins, minerals and fiber.  Corn has high amounts of insoluble fiber — meaning, the kind of fiber that goes through the body intact and gets things going in the bowels (You didn’t read that here!)  Insoluble fiber has been shown in research to help feed the “good” bacteria in our gut which is very important in our over-processed world.  Corn is also gluten free which makes it a good choice for those avoiding wheat and wheat products.

TIPS:  Consider serving the salad in individual glass jars or small bowls. This is a great use of leftover corn on the cob, either grilled, steamed or boiled.  Just slice it off the cob and you’ve got the start of a great meal!  I love the Jalapeno Vinaigrette.  It’s just slightly spicy and the fresh herbs give it a pesto-like quality which is really delicious on this salad.  If you like food really spicy, add a second jalapeno or include some of the seeds.   I also added fresh mozzarella because I had a large crowd of hungry men to feed, but it’s not really necessary.  The real stars here are the fresh, ripe vegetables.

ARUGULA, CORN AND TOMATO SALAD WITH JALAPENO VINAIGRETTE

2 cups fresh baby arugula
3 ears fresh corn (or 2 cups frozen corn)
3-4 large tomatoes (or combination with cherry tomatoes)
1-2 avocados
6 oz fresh mozzarella (optional)

JALAPENO VINAIGRETTE
1 large jalapeno pepper
1 cup fresh herbs (basil and cilantro)
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsn fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp salt

• Wash and dry arugula and place in a large serving bowl

• Shuck corn and cut the kernels off the cob using a sharp knife. If the corn is young and sweet, put it right into the salad.  If it’s a bit chewy you can steam.boil or pan fry it for a few minutes.  Let it cool before you put it in the salad.  You can also grill the corn first (before you cut it off the cob, shucked or unshucked).

• Chop tomatoes into a medium dice.  Cut cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters. Add to salad.

• Cut mozzarells, if using, into medium sized cubes.

• Chop avocado into a medium dice.  Add to salad.

• Put all vinaigrette ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.

• Drizzle salad with vinaigrette and toss to combine.  Serve with tortilla chips if desired.