Sometimes it takes a village. Isn’t that how it goes?  This week’s definitely spectacular summer salad has been a community effort. My prediction: you’re going to love it.

Shortly after arriving in Aspen, just barely having gotten unpacked and organized, a friend and I jumped in the car and drove to Denver to see the Yves Saint Laurent Retrospective at the Denver Art Museum.  The exhibit, a sweeping march through the designer’s forty years of creativity, opened in Paris before going to Madrid, with a last stop in Denver.

The show was well worth the four-hour drive to and fro. Betty and I enjoyed, after my eight-year absence from Colorado, our two wonderful days together. As usual, much of our discussion revolved around food. My friend is no slouch when it comes to cooking and baking.  In fact, Julia sat at her table a time or two, so I’m always interested in what she has to say. She inspires me.

 

Before returning to Aspen, she suggested we detour to a little-known European bakery in Avon. What a discovery! Their coconut macaroons? I wish I’d bought more. The baguettes. Oh là là. Continuing on our culinary tour, her next stop was Gypsum where the only Costco in the High Country is located. Yes, if you live in the mountains, it’s a 135-mile round trip to a Costco. So if you’re passing by, you stop.

That’s where I bought a pound of crab meat.

 

After returning to Aspen I received this e-mail from my Nevada neighbor, Michelle. “I know you are looking for good salads for the summer. I am making this tonight, it is so delicious! I substitute cilantro for the basil and serve it over Bibb lettuce leaves, sliced tomato and sliced avocado. I used a red jalapeño pepper and it was just hot enough. That and some good crusty bread makes the perfect meal! “

The nearby El Jebel grocery store had just stocked fresh ears of corn. (Don’t you love these towns’ names?) I needed fresh spices but my neighbor, Karen, had already urged me to harvest her overabundance of herbs.

So that’s my story and the reason this week’s Summer = Salads recipe is Chilled Corn and Crab Salad. 

 

For my purposes I wanted this salad to be more about the crab than the corn.  However, being Iowa born and bred, I urge you to make the extra effort (and, mess) and use fresh corn. I substituted a sweet petite mini pepper for the Thai chile because I didn’t want the heat, just the color. Like Michelle, I used cilantro instead of basil.

 

This salad seems so clean cut to me. It looks nutritious and acts healthy. Although there are many ways to serve this dish, I served one plate rather plainly, accompanied only by corn cakes garnished with guacamole. For the guacamole, I never stray from Rosa Mexicano Restaurant’s recipe. (The corn cakes are the upcoming FFwithDorie recipe which you’ll read about later this week.) For the other luncheon plate, I piled the salad onto farmers market  tomato slices.

 

This would be a mighty tasty and luxurious addition to any buffet table, potluck dinner or picnic. It’s a salad that can be transported quite easily – thrown in a Ziploc bag, stashed in the cooler. It won’t wilt, break apart, or get its feelings hurt. Hopefully, you’ll agree this is a yummy addition to your summer salad list.

 

Chilled Corn and Crab Salad

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, September 2007, and Michelle Morgando.

Serves 6 Luncheon Portions/12 Potluck or Buffet Portions

Ingredients

3-4 tablespoons olive oil or grapeseed oil

3 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 5-6 ears of corn)

1 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 sweet petite mini red pepper, diced

16 ounces lump crabmeat (about 2 cups)

2 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1-2 teaspoon coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

 

Directions

1. Heat 1 to 2 teaspoons oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add corn and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in onion. Let cool to room temperature.

2. Whisk together lemon juice and sugar. Drizzle in remaining tablespoon plus 1 teaspoons oil, whisking until combined.

3. Combine corn-onion mixture, pepper, crabmeat, and cilantro. Fold in lemon dressing. Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Cover, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes, preferably 2 hours. Serve plain or garnished with cilantro leaves or guacamole. Enjoy.