Photographer: Con Poulos. Stylist: Michele Cranston.
This grilled corn salad makes the most of in-season fresh corn and asparagus, with ripe tomatoes and creamy buffalo mozzarella. Drizzled with a bright and zingy pistachio mint pesto, this corn salad will disappear in minutes as part of your spring and summer feasts.
Ingredients
Method
PISTACHIO MINT PESTO
Blend or process ingredients until smooth; season to taste.
Place asparagus and corn in a large bowl; drizzle over olive oil, toss to coat. Season.
Cook asparagus and corn on a lightly oiled heated chargrill pan or barbecue flat plate until slightly charred (asparagus still bright green). When cool enough to handle, cut kernels from the cob with sharp knife in chunks.
To serve, layer tomatoes on a platter, season with salt and pepper. Top with asparagus, corn, mozzarella and basil; drizzle with some of the pistachio pesto.
How to pick the best cob for corn salad
The husk of fresh corn will be bright green and tightly wrapped against the cob. The tassels sticking up out of the top should be brown and tacky to the touch. If they’re dry or black, it’s an old ear of corn. Sneak a peek at the kernels to check they are bright yellow, plump and free of any black spots. Store fresh corn in the husk in the fridge in a sealed plastic bag. Best consumed within 3 days.
How to prepare corn on the cob
To remove silks easily, trim the root end from the cob, place on a plate and microwave for 2 minutes (for two cobs of corn) then gently slide the husks and silk off the corn.
For a no-mess way to remove the kernels, place the cob, tip down, into the centre of a bundt tin. Then, safely holding the stem, run a serrated knife down the sides to release the kernels from the cob into the tin.
