Fresh corn on the cob is given a quick blanch for this salad, an easy yet valuable technique that takes away the starchy flavor and brings out the natural sweetness in the kernels. A cool, light buttermilk dressing is spiked with sour cream, garlic and black pepper for creamed corn vibes without the heaviness. Crisp cucumbers add crunch and pair beautifully with the herbaceous dill; feel free to use any soft herb, like chives, parsley, tarragon or basil. Make the salad a few hours ahead to allow all of the flavors to meld.
Sweet Corn Salad with Buttermilk Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 8 ears fresh corn, shucked
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 small cucumbers (such as Kirby or Persian), quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced (2 cups)
Directions:
Set up a large bowl of ice water. In a pot of salted boiling water, blanch the corn until the raw flavor is gone and corn is bright yellow, 2 minutes. Drain and transfer corn to the ice water and let cool. Drain well, then cut kernels off the cobs. (You should have about 8 cups of kernels.) Discard cobs.
In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, sour cream, dill, shallot and garlic. Season with salt and pepper; whisk until smooth.
Add corn and cucumbers to the dressing. Season with salt and pepper; toss to evenly coat. The salad can be made a few hours ahead and kept refrigerated. Bring to room temperature and toss well before serving.
Total time: 30 minutes, serves 6-8.
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