Another summer has almost come and gone, but before we bid it farewell, I’ve got a bright, colorful salad that’s perfect for Labor Day, made with summer corn. With a combination of heirloom tomatoes, garden-grown jalapeno peppers and fresh lime juice, this salad comes together quickly, and has all the textures that make a dish sing: crunch from the bell pepper, creaminess from the avocado, sweetness from the corn and a little heat from the jalapenos. The dressing is made with fresh lime juice, garlic and olive oil, then seasoned with chipotle Chile powder. 

The salad can be served all by itself on a buffet table, as a topping with roasted fish or grilled chicken, as a side dish, or even alongside salty tortilla chips for dipping. This delicious recipe is inspired by Ina Garten, from her Cooking for Jeffrey cookbook. I hope it will become a mainstay on your table, as it has on mine. The key is to season the salad well with plenty of salt and pepper, and don’t skip tossing the avocados in lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. So long, summertime.   

Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser is a private chef, speaker, culinary TV personality, and author. Featured in Forbes, on ABC and Food Network, she is a Georgia Southern University alumna and an honors graduate of the Savannah Culinary Institute. Visit RebekahLingenfelser.com, like Some Kinda Good on Facebook or follow @SKGFoodBlog on Instagram and YouTube.

Tex-Mex Corn and Avocado Salad and Lemon

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 3 ears corn, shucked 

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

• 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved 

• 1 orange bell pepper, cored, seeded, and 1/2-inch-diced 

• 1/2 cup medium-diced red onion 

• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and ribs removed, minced 

• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime zest 

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 3 limes) 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil 

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic 

• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder 

• 2 ripe Hass avocados, large-diced 

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 2-3 sprigs of cilantro, minced

Directions

Grill the corn for 5 to 7 minutes, until chargrill marks begin to form, and kernels are tender. Cool for 5 minutes and cut the kernels off the cob. Place the kernels in a large bowl with the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and jalapeno peppers.  In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, Chile powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss. 

In a separate bowl, gently toss the avocados and lemon juice together, making sure the avocado is coated in lemon juice. Add the avocados to the vegetables, sprinkle with salt and black pepper, and carefully fold together without breaking up the avocados. Sprinkle again with salt and top with cilantro. Serve cold or at room temperature.