With Ryan on the road for an eleven day road trip, I got a head start last Thursday putting together the recipes I had made to post this week. Over the last few weeks, I have been putting together my first Cooking in Red Socks Dinner Party, which you are all invited or welcome to host yourselves. A week full of recipes to prepare for one big get together, starting with appetizers and ending with a delicious dessert. I looked in the calender to see when the posts would fall, and…. WAIT, IT’S ALMOST MAY ALREADY?! I don’t know if it’s because of baseball season, or just that time really flies, but here we are entering my favorite month of the year. The dinner party will have to wait a few weeks, because this week is time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! In honor of this festive holiday, I will be posting a week’s worth of Mexican inspired recipes that will make great additions to your own celebration.
I am starting this series with a post for Poblano Corn Salad. It is incredibly simple to make but the taste is sweet and delicious. Grilled corn matches up to smokey (not spicy) poblano peppers. The corn’s sweetness is exemplified by the caramelized onions, and creamy queso fresco makes it a hearty side dish to stand beside traditional braised meat dishes. The lime vinaigrette adds a desired acidic component, and all of these combining elements make for a perfect accompaniment to a Mexican meal.
Makes: 4 side servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes
4 ears of corn, husks removed
4 tbs vegetable oil, divided
2 poblano peppers, stem and seeds removed and cut into small dice
1 small white onion, small dice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 – 3/4 cup queso fresco
2 limes, halved
4 scallions, minced
- Preheat you grill to high. If you do not have a grill available, you can preheat your oven to high broil.
- Lightly drizzle about 2 tbs of the vegetable oil over the corn, using your hands to coat it evenly. Season with salt and pepper.
- Grill the corn for about 3 minutes per side so that it starts to caramelize and some parts start to turn dark brown or even black. Remove when finished and set aside until it is cool enough to touch.
- While the corn cools, heat a saute pan on medium heat. Add the remaining oil and the onion, garlic, and poblano peppers. Saute for 5-7 minutes, or until the onion starts to turn translucent. Remove from the heat and put into a serving bowl.
- Use a sharp knife to remove the corn kernels from the stem. I actually prefer the rustic look when the corn is stuck together in chunks, which can be achieved with a little less knife precision. Add the corn to the peppers and onions.
- Toss the corn mix with the queso fresco and scallions. Squeeze the 4 lime halves into the salad and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm, or on the warm side of room temperature.
Cooking In Red Socks 