Grilled Corn, Basil, and Tomato Salad

As I mentioned yesterday, last weekend I made dinner using my CSA veggies. Included in the bundle were 3 ears of corn and some basil. I also saw grape tomatoes on sale at Fairway (my local, awesome supermarket!), and decided to make one of my favorite nutritious and delicious combinations: Grilled Corn, Basil, and Tomato Salad.

Ingredients:

• 3 ears corn, shucked
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Fresh basil leaves, torn

Directions:

1. In a pot of boiling water, cook corn for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
2. Spray a grill pan or outside grill with nonstick spray and heat on medium-high heat. Grill corn for 10 minutes, turning every couple of minutes until all sides have grill marks. Remove from grill and set aside to cool.
3. Once corn is cool enough to touch, use a paring knife to cut kernels off cob into a medium bowl. Be sure to cut very close to the cob to use as much corn as possible. Add tomatoes to bowl.
4. In a small dish, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Add to corn and tomatoes and toss to mix.
5. Before serving, add torn basil leaves and toss corn salad once more.

The dressing on this salad is very light to allow the flavors of the fresh ingredients to shine!

The truth about corn:

Corn gets a bad rap, but it actually has many nutritional benefits. Whole corn is a whole grain and a good source of dietary fiber, the B vitamins folate and thiamin, and antioxidants vitamin C and lutein.

How do you like to eat corn?