Late Summer Salad with Esquites

Submitted by Kimberly Long

No one submitted a recipe this month so I decided to take photos of and share as I finish up this month's newsletter and do my work lunch prep for the week.  This salad keeps really well in the fridge for a week, and is tasty enough that I am okay eating it 5 (6 including today) days in a row, so I suspect it would keep well in a cooler on a river trip.

I usually add a mini avocado or individual packet of quacamole to top the salad on the day I eat it.  Today I cooked a mess of chilcken marinated in lime juice and cilantro.  I have also made it with leftover flat iron steak and vegetarian  with black beans or some cumin stovetop toasted chickpeas.  

Ingredients

• Large package of salad greens of choice
• 3 ears of fresh corn
• Bunch of cilantro
• Pint of grape tomatoes
• 1/2 White or yellow onion
• Crumbly white cheese (queso fresca, cotija, or feta)
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Tajin or lime/chili seasoning
• salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Optional Ingredients

• Avodado or guacamole to top

• Chips or tortilla strips

• Protein of choice (grilled chicken or flat iron steak)

Directions

• Cut the corn off of the cob and place in a large bowl.  
• Shave the leaves off of a small bunch of cilantro.  This is my least favorite part. I cook with a lot of cilantro and hate "shaving the leaves" off the stems. If you know a quick, non tedious way to do this, I would love to hear your secret.  Mince the cilantro and add to the bowl with the corn.
• Thinly slice 1/2 of an onion and add to the bowl. 
• Add the lime juice, olive oil, and viengar to the bowl (Esquites is traditionally made with a mayonnaise-based dressing.  I like a lightly dressed salad so use a simple oil, vinegar, lime juice version.  Feel free to alter as you like).  Mix together.

• Add the Tajin and salt/pepper to taste.  
• Cut the grape tomatoes into quarters of eigths (or however you like).  Add the tomatoes and crumbled cheese (I use a quarter round of questo fresca, probably a 1/4 of a cup) and toss gently.
• Divide the salad mix into bowls or plates.  Top with the esquites mix and whatever else you would like.  
• Enjoy!