If I had to list recipes that remind me of summer most, corn salad would definitely be in the line up. My mom has been making Ina’s famous corn salad for years and it’s one of my favorites. Inspired by one of Ina’s best recipes, I wanted to take a whack at writing my own corn salad recipe. I tested this recipe a lot. In fact at one point I think Robby specifically asked me to stop making corn salad. He’d had enough! After rounds of testing and compiling some of my favorite summer ingredients into a salad, I had found a winner. My Charred Corn Salad with Basil Vinaigrette will be featured in an upcoming BBQ episode, but I highly suggest that you get a sneak peak at cookingchannneltv.com. I love this recipe and have made it at least half a dozen times already.
One of the main goals for me on Kelsey’s Essentials is to inspire home cooks to get creative in the kitchen. Once you learn an essential technique or recipe, the options/variations are endless. I implemented my advice this weekend as I made a variation of my own corn salad. I made this exact same recipe but just swapped the basil for cilantro. We had tacos for Sunday dinner yesterday and by swapping out the basil for the cilantro it ended up being the perfect flavor profile for the meal. It was so simple and I loved the opportunity to play with the recipe a little bit. I had Robby pat me on the back.
Do you find yourself taking risks with recipes in the kitchen? Are you willing to cook from the hip and experiment a bit here and there? This is one of my favorite things about cooking and I hope that I can inspire viewers to do the same!
p.s. Do you love my ghetto fabulous way of charring corn sans grill?! I’m not sure about the safety of the method, so take my tip with a grain of salt.*
I JUST made a corn salad that I’m in love with and should have up on my blog tomorrow! I was planning to cook the corn, but was pinched for time so I cut it off the cob for a quick salad. It’s definitely like heaven (and summer) in a bowl!
I’m so glad that you love the salad as much as I do! Can’t wait to check out your blog. xo Kelsey
I have been facing my “kitchen fears” and experimenting more with recipes. For a gal who couldn’t cook her way out of a paper bag years ago, this is a big step… and you are right -the essentials are key. Looking forward to seeing the BBQ episode!
Aly- great to hear from you! I’m a regular visitor to Cooking Stilettos. I think you’re fabulous! Thanks for stopping by! xo Kelsey
corn salad–you know my secret shame. can’t wait to try the corn/basil combo since all my corn salad recipes are on team cilantro. i learned to cook the day after i said “i do,” so it’s taken me a while to get comfy with cooking from the hip, but lately i’ve had a lot of fun with using my imagination, and more often than not it’s been well-received.
and fish’s eddy! i pine! i also made a visit right before we pulled the NY plug… i could spend hours in there. best place for quality NY loot, for sure.
Kelsey- loving your corn charring technique. Not everyone has access to a grill so what a great idea! For those in condos or apartments that want some nice char marks, what a brilliant idea! Look forward to trying the infamous corn salad lol.
Cheers!
Robyn
Made the charred corn-cilantro version and we LOVED it! Amazing that day and then next couple of days following. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Your blue Le Creuset is very cool. Is that the 5.5 qt? I’ve been debating on getting one and wondering which size to get.
5.5 qt.