Perfect Summer Salad
This salad takes fresh summer ingredients, sweetcorn and green beans, and balances all that healthy goodness with a large amount of finely grated cheese! Delicious! You can cook both the beans and sweetcorn in advance and just finish the corn at the last minute. You may also put the salad together ahead of time, and serve at room temperature,
Palmers Deli Recipe.
I was asked to make this side as part of a tennis lunch, by my lovely friend Louise. She had tasted something similar at Palmers deli, and was curious to see if I could come up with a recipe. I kept it simple and just combined the basic ingredients, giving you the option of a little chilli flakes. Now that I am looking at the recipe again I think a little lime juice would also boost the flavour. Just a little!
Mid west Influences?
I included this dish in my homage to American Cooking when I catered The Darien Community Association Art Lecture Lunches. Another recipe from the Mid West, well not really but I was thinking anything with sweetcorn (sadly not as high as an elephant’s eye) and cheese was keeping in spirit with the theme.
To try and up the level of authenticity I used regular green beans, but my preference would always be for Haricot Vert, or french green beans. The trick in either case is not to overcook them, but take them from the heat whilst still al dente. They can always be cooked slightly more in a pan or skillet but once overcooked they are generally beyond redemption.
Ingredients
- Pack of Green beans
- 3 Ears of Corn, Roasted - a great way to use those leftover barbecued cobs or a total acceptable cheat, Trader Joes does a frozen roasted corn
- Large Knob of Butter
- Handful Of grated Manchego Cheese
- Chilli Flakes - optional
- Squeeze of lime
Instructions
- Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add green beans and cook for 3-4 minutes, until beans are cooked, but still have some bite. Refresh under cold water so beans retain their green color, but stop cooking.
- I cooked the ears of corn by boiling then for 7-8 minutes and then finishing then in a hot oven until they were fully cooked. But hey I am a Scot talking to Americans so please just cook them any way you please. Another option is to grill the corn. This really gives a great depth of flavour.
- Remove the corn from the cob.
- Heat the butter in a skillet until foaming.
- Add the corn and cook for a few minutes, until lovely and buttery.
- Add a squeeze of lime juice.
- To serve, layer the green beans on a platter.
- Top with the hot buttered corn and immediately top with the grated cheese
- Add chill flakes if desired.
- Add salt and pepper and serve.
That's me in the corner
