Labor Day Dining | Heirloom Tomato and Sweet Corn Salad Recipe
Disclosure: Top Local Diner is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
There is absolutely nothing else in the culinary world quite like biting into just picked sweet corn still radiating warmth from the late August sun or slicing into an incredibly heavy deeply colored heirloom tomato that smells intensely of the garden.
The peak summer produce harvest makes Labor Day the absolute perfect time to aggressively celebrate these fleeting summer staples. When vegetables are at the absolute zenith of their flavor minimal manipulation is the best approach. The goal is not to mask these ingredients with heavy sauces but rather to enhance their natural brilliance with careful technique high quality salt and bright hits of acidity.
This remarkably simple incredibly colorful salad brilliantly highlights two of the undisputed stars of the late summer harvest. Raw sweet corn is not only perfectly safe and delicious to eat but it is absolutely packed with delicate nutrients and offers the purest expression of corn flavor possible.
Ingredients
- 6 large ears of fresh sweet corn, shucked
- 2 large incredibly ripe heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 4 oz sharp sheep milk feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 small delicate shallot, very finely chopped
- 1/4 cup high quality sherry vinegar
- 3 tablespoons local honey
- 1 teaspoon sharp Dijon mustard
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light olive oil
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh summer herbs (basil, parsley, tarragon, dill, or mint)
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
Macerate the Shallot: In a small bowl combine the finely chopped shallot with the sherry vinegar. Let this mixture sit undisturbed for exactly ten minutes to briefly pickle and soften the sharp raw bite of the shallot.
Build the Vinaigrette Base: Vigorously whisk the honey and Dijon mustard into the shallot and vinegar mixture.
Emulsify the Dressing: Slowly add the olive oil in a very thin steady stream whisking constantly and aggressively until the dressing is completely emulsified and thick.
Finish the Vinaigrette: Stir in the chopped fresh summer herbs. Season the dressing very aggressively with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Prep the Corn: Carefully cut the raw vibrant kernels off of the corn cobs directly into a massive mixing bowl. Next use the dull back of your chef knife to aggressively scrape down the bare cobs extracting all of the sweet milky liquid directly into the bowl with the kernels.
Assemble the Salad: Add the roughly chopped heirloom tomatoes to the bowl with the corn. Gently crumble the feta cheese directly over the top.
Dress and Serve: Pour the emulsified honey herb vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss everything very gently to combine. Serve immediately at room temperature.
Chef's Pro Tips
Do Not Cook the Corn
If you manage to secure truly fresh corn directly from a farm stand it is often so tender and sweet that cooking it is entirely unnecessary. Eating it raw provides an incredible crunch and the purest expression of sweet corn flavor.
Extract the Corn Milk
Never skip scraping the cobs with the back of your knife. The thick starchy liquid trapped inside the cob is packed with incredible flavor and acts as a natural thickener for the vinaigrette.
Never Refrigerate Tomatoes
Absolutely never store a beautiful heirloom tomato in the refrigerator. Temperatures below fifty degrees Fahrenheit will permanently destroy their delicate flavor compounds and render their flesh unpleasantly mealy.