We are in the middle of our first summer heatwave, and it’s a doozy! Our cool, temperate spring just turned this town into a furnace that will last well into next week. Meanwhile, I spend most of my days indoors—not my cup of tea—though I’m getting a few things done. I just keep hoping my garden can handle a few more days of this increasing heat.
This is what I consider salad season, and it’s a good time to enjoy the beautiful produce available. However, my homegrown lettuce is now bolting, so it’s a matter of ’use it or lose it’. My tomatoes aren’t ready yet, and neither are my cucumbers, so I still rely on the farmers’ market for the best-looking (and tasting!) veggies.
Corn is now in season and is no better tasting than this time of year. I’ve learned to love using corn in a salad, and using it Mexican-style seems to bring out its innate sweetness.
A trick I learned last year when making a similar salad is to butter, season the corn, and wrap it in aluminum foil to grill it. The butter is saved and used in the dressing when the corn is finished cooking. It adds an extra layer of flavor that I find delicious.
The dressing is good and tangy, too. It has a jalapeño in it, and a good trick to know is that I added it with a microplane. Breaking it down in that way brings out more flavor. No microplane? Just mince it.
The good news is that neither the corn nor the shrimp must be cooked very long—we’re just heating up the corn, and the shrimp only needs about 3 minutes to turn pink. I didn’t season the shrimp before grilling it, mainly because I wanted to taste its fresh sweetness. The tanginess of the lime in the dressing also plays well with the shrimp.
Grilled Corn Salad with Shrimp
For the Salad
- 2 ears of corn, husked and silk removed
- 2 Tbsp butter
- ~ 1 Tbsp Tajín or other chili-lime seasoning
- 1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 4 cups lettuce, torn or cut bite-sized
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 cucumber, sliced thin
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup black beans (optional)
- A large handful of mint leaves
- A large handful of cilantro leaves (unless you hate it)
- 3 scallions, sliced thin
- ¼ cup cotija cheese
For the Dressing
- 1 Tbsp lime zest
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt & pepper to taste
- The butter drippings from the grilled corn
Smear 1 tablespoon of butter on each ear of corn, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Tajín. Wrap each ear in foil and set aside.
Toss the lettuce with the herb leaves and cucumber and arrange it on a platter. You can do this ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until it’s time to grill the shrimp and corn.
Measure the dressing ingredients into a jar or other container and have it ready when the corn is grilled.
Heat the grill to hot.
The corn should go on first because it will take longer than three minutes to heat up. I put the shrimp in a grilling basket, but you can also put them on skewers.
When the shrimp is done, pull everything off the grill.
Carefully unwrap the corn, pour any melted butter into the dressing container, and shake or whisk it into the dressing.
Allow the corn to cool for a few minutes, then cut the kernels off the cobs. If you are using black beans, mix the corn and black beans together before arranging them on top of the salad. Then, arrange the shrimp on top of them. Slice the avocado and arrange it on the salad.
Finish it by adding a good sprinkle of cotija cheese, scallions, and any additional mint and/or cilantro. Pour the dressing over all and serve.
Serves about 4.
