Roasted Corn and Tomato Salad

We had the most beautiful 4th of July weekend this year–I hope everyone else did too! Some dear friends invited us out their family house on Lake Tahoe, which is just beautiful.  These friends also happen to be foodies–some of our favorite people to cook, eat, and drink with–and they gathered several other like-minded, semi-gluttonous couples for the holiday weekend. Everyone took turns cooking, so what followed was several days of hiking through the spectacular scenery and lounging in the sun by the lake, punctuated by cocktail hours and long, decadent feats.

In short, my ideal get away. Heaven!

I thought I’d share one of the meals Greg and I put together during this weekend over the next few posts. It’s a meal of summer comfort foods that’s pretty easy to scale to whatever size group you happen to be feeding.

First up is a simple roasted corn and tomato salad–just a few ingredients that come together to form a sum greater than its parts. This is one of those dishes where you don’t need to get too hung up on the exact quantities. Use what you have and feel free to vary the seasonings.

When it comes to cooking the corn, the cobs will roast well whether you peel the husks and silks in advance or wait until the end as I did here–I find the husks to be useful handles to hold the hot corn while shucking.

A shot from a hike in Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe

Roasted Corn and Tomato Salad

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

7-8 corn cobs
32 oz (2 pints) cherry or grape tomatoes
½ cup sliced green onions
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
5-6 oz cotija cheese or queso fresco, crumbled (Omit for a vegan version)
Chipotle BBQ Rub blend or Chili powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.

2. Line up on the corn cobs on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the corn is soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes until possible to handle.

3. While the corn is in the oven, slice the cherry tomatoes in half  and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Distribute the green onions on top and drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss lightly. Once the corn comes out of the oven, transfer the tomatoes and green onions to the oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes minutes, or until the tomatoes and the juices have begun to concentrate.

4. Once the corn is cool enough to handle, pull back the husks and remove the silks. Shuck the kernels into a large bowl.

5. Add the tomatoes and green onions to the corn once they’ve been removed from the oven. Add the cheese and season with additional salt, pepper, and chipotle rub or chili powder to taste. Serve warm or at room temp.




Check out the rest of this dinner's menu with Greg’s Cheddar and Green Onion Smashed Potatoes and Chipotle-Coffee BBQ Ribs.