Pan Roasted Corn and Tomato Salad

Some of the old recipes, the ones I remember fondly from when I was a child, are hard to come by. Recipes for Squash Pancakes, Southern Green Beans, Cooked Kale, Collard Greens or Fried Corn, the stuff we ate as weeknight fare, don’t show up in any of my old cookbooks. If you turn to the vegetable section in those you will find mostly casseroles: Broccoli Cheese Casserole, Green Bean Casserole, Squash Casserole, even Eggplant Casserole. Those were company style vegetables, recipes calling for lots of butter, cheese, cracker crumbs and, almost always, Campbell’s soup.

Those casserole recipes don’t appeal to me much these days. What I crave is the comfort of old fashioned home cooking without an excessive amount of added fat, salt and artificial ingredients. I want vegetables like we ate fresh from the garden on a daily basis.

Take, for example, a simple skillet of Fried Corn. I remember Aunt Hen cutting the corn from the cob and how I was intrigued by the way the kernels stuck together in clusters. I remember that the frying browned the corn a little, but did she add onion? How much pepper and bacon grease were added to the skillet? No matter how I adjust these basic ingredients I can’t seem to match the flavor I remember. Nor do I know how to update the recipe to a more modern tasting version of Fried Corn that still hits on at least some of the flavor notes that set off my nostalgic comfort food endorphins.

In a great stroke of good luck, while catching up on my blog reading, I found a post at Eat. Drink. Think. about Mark Bitman’s recipe for Pan Roasted Corn and Tomato Salad. Reading through it I had to smile! This recipe’s title made me think of succulent fresh corn, heat seared and simply dressed. Imagine my surprise when I recognized in it the makings of the Fried Corn from my childhood, updated.

Of course Aunt Hen never added avocado, chili peppers or lime juice to her Fried Corn, but this recipe for Pan Roasted Corn and Tomato Salad does make use of one staple from her kitchen; it uses a fair amount of bacon grease to season the corn. Since I just can’t seem to get the seasoning right for a basic pan of plain old Fried Corn I decided to give this slightly more embellished version a try.

Am I ever glad I did! It turned out to be wonderfully full-flavored but not too fussy. Good hot or at room temperature, the taste is fabulous and in there somewhere there is enough of a hint of the real thing from my childhood to satisfy. This is what we called good eating! Give it a try. I think you will like it as much as I do.

Pan Roasted Corn and Tomato Salad

from Mark Bittman

¼ lb. bacon, diced

¼ – ½ cup red onion, chopped

4 large ears of corn, cut from the cob (2 to 3 cups)

1 or 2 small chile peppers, seeded and minced

Juice of 1 lime

2 cups tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped

salt and black pepper

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to brown.

Add the onions and cook until they begin to soften, approximately 5 minutes.

Add the corn and chile peppers. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the corn begins to brown, approximately 5 more minutes.

In a large bowl mix together the lime juice, tomatoes, avocado and corn mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in cilantro.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

10 Comments

  1. I love your corn salad! corn is sssooo great in salad 🙂

  2. Oh man I love this kind of food, fresh and yummy to eat.

  3. This is a great updated recipe but I like the idea of your fried corn. I have always made corn on the cob but never thought to take it off the cob and fry it. My family would love that!

  4. roasted corn, juicy tomatoes, cremay avocado, and verdant cilantro. this simply couldn't be better.

  5. Oh my goodness, this sound good. How will we survive when the tomato crop is gone? I hate to think about it.

  6. the southern hostess

    This looks so fresh and tasty! Perfect.

  7. Ungourmet – This is a brilliant salad in color and flavor. And so easy, just as BB promised!

    Bunny – You really should make it. I know you'll like it!

    Michelle – This is a great transitioning-into-fall recipe. It has fresh harvest flavors, a dash of lime for summer refreshment and some chiles to warm things up.

  8. OH MY…what a perfect recipe for this time of year! I can almost taste it and the colors are gorgeous!

  9. Oh my word does this ever look good! I've never seen a corn salad like this before, I'm glad you found it cause now I'm gonna make it too!!

  10. I love your zippy version of corn salad! It's so pretty and full of color! Nice!

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