RCP: Embarrassing Corn Salad

[Mike Filigenzi]

This recipe has a heavy "Des Moines church social" vibe to it, as the main ingredients are canned. Therefore, it's one that a dedicated foodie might not want to cop to. Nonetheless, it's pretty darn good stuff. It's vegan and gluten free, too! I've made it a couple of times and it's been a hit with everyone who's tried it:

1 can corn
1 can black beans (drained for sure, rinsed if you want)
3 stalks celery, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup (or so) cilantro, chopped (more if you like cilantro, less if you're Cynthia)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 or 4 big spoonfuls of prepared salsa, spicy as you want, with more added to taste
salt and pepper

Throw it all in a bowl. Mix. Chill. Eat.

Of course, you can make it more foodie-worthy if you want, so when I made the last batch, I used corn from our farmers' market that I grilled in the husk and then sliced off the ears. I also added smoked sea salt. Was this better? Yep. Was it all that much better? Nope. This recipe takes advantage of the fact that canned corn really isn't that bad and canned black beans are quite good. You could alter it a number of ways to add a little complexity or interest, but I don't think this would make it significantly better.

[Carl Eppig]

Not embarrassed; sounds great!

[Carrie L.]

That sounds like "Cowboy Caviar," which I make a lot (for informal gatherings) and serve with tortilla chips. Always a hit.

[Karen/NoCA]

Nothing wrong with that recipe Mike, and it is darn good....I've had similar myself. Since I am a tweaker, I always try to use fresh stuff, but when it comes to canned beans, I find them just as good, if not better than their dried version.

I will say however, I am such a fan of charred corn cobs on the grill, I have a collection of excellent salad recipes using them. Making one tomorrow, in fact.

[Shaji M]

Mike, that actually sounds really good.
Karen, I have been lately adding charred corn to our salads. It makes old favorites even better, especially if you "cheat" and add mango/peach salsa to the oil/vinegar dressing!!
-Shaji

[Karen/NoCA]

Mike, that actually sounds really good.
Karen, I have been lately adding charred corn to our salads. It makes old favorites even better, especially if you "cheat" and add mango/peach salsa to the oil/vinegar dressing!!
-Shaji

Wow, a great tip, thanks! Yummy!

[Frank Deis]

Well, bucking a trend here, I will say "CANNED CORN??!?!?! NOW?? YUCK!"

You can buy good corn, I'm sure of it.

Do you know the Mexican dish, "Elote"? Very easy and very delicious.

You want Cotija cheese but failing that use parmigiano or romano.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mexican-co ... cob-elote/

Not the best recipe but cheese + corn = delish.

PS I see you tried it with fresh grilled corn as well. C'est bien!

[Mike Filigenzi]

Well, bucking a trend here, I will say "CANNED CORN??!?!?! NOW?? YUCK!"

You can buy good corn, I'm sure of it.

Do you know the Mexican dish, "Elote"? Very easy and very delicious.

You want Cotija cheese but failing that use parmigiano or romano.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mexican-co ... cob-elote/

Not the best recipe but cheese + corn = delish.

PS I see you tried it with fresh grilled corn as well. C'est bien!

The canned corn works darned well in this application. I will say, though, that the biggest improvement in the grilled corn version is in the texture of the corn. It's not a huge improvement but it's definitely noticeable. There's a slight improvement in the corn flavor, but with all of the other flavor elements in this, it gets a bit lost.

[Jenise]

Well, bucking a trend here, I will say "CANNED CORN??!?!?! NOW?? YUCK!"

You can buy good corn, I'm sure of it.

Do you know the Mexican dish, "Elote"? Very easy and very delicious.

You want Cotija cheese but failing that use parmigiano or romano.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mexican-co ... cob-elote/

Not the best recipe but cheese + corn = delish.

PS I see you tried it with fresh grilled corn as well. C'est bien!

The canned corn works darned well in this application. I will say, though, that the biggest improvement in the grilled corn version is in the texture of the corn. It's not a huge improvement but it's definitely noticeable. There's a slight improvement in the corn flavor, but with all of the other flavor elements in this, it gets a bit lost.

When fresh is too much trouble, why not default to frozen? Much better than canned.

[Mike Filigenzi]

Well, bucking a trend here, I will say "CANNED CORN??!?!?! NOW?? YUCK!"

You can buy good corn, I'm sure of it.

Do you know the Mexican dish, "Elote"? Very easy and very delicious.

You want Cotija cheese but failing that use parmigiano or romano.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mexican-co ... cob-elote/

Not the best recipe but cheese + corn = delish.

PS I see you tried it with fresh grilled corn as well. C'est bien!

The canned corn works darned well in this application. I will say, though, that the biggest improvement in the grilled corn version is in the texture of the corn. It's not a huge improvement but it's definitely noticeable. There's a slight improvement in the corn flavor, but with all of the other flavor elements in this, it gets a bit lost.

When fresh is too much trouble, why not default to frozen? Much better than canned.

That's definitely an option, although IMHO, there's not a big difference for the purposes of this dish.

[Ted Richards]

Well, bucking a trend here, I will say "CANNED CORN??!?!?! NOW?? YUCK!"

I'm with you. I find canned corn inedible, but I love fresh and frozen corn as long as they're not sweet.

[Carl Eppig]

I love fresh and frozen corn as long as they're not sweet.

Yuk!

[Dale Williams]

thanks, did this with grilled corn, thought pretty good!