Corn Chowder Salad

Corn chowder salad

This salad, which can be served warm, room temperature, or cold, is kind of a deconstruction of one of my very favorite soups.  We always try to freeze several containers of sweet corn kernels at the height of summer to insure the regular appearance of corn chowder on the winter table.  We all really enjoyed this version, too; pretty quick to put together, and everything keeps its fresh summer taste.  As fall weather draws near, this is a treat.

 Two notes: we aren't fans of raw red onion, so I substituted these pickled onions (replacing both the onions and the vinegar in the original recipe) to good effect.  Also, to make this meatless, I think some crumbled feta or another salty cheese would be an excellent substitute.


CORN CHOWDER SALAD
from The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook by Brent Ridge, Josh Kilmer-Purcell, and Sandy Gluck

serves 4

2 teaspoons olive oil
3 slices bacon (about 2 oz.), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 lb thin-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
salt
3 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 6 ears)
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
red pepper flakes

Pick-up full o' sweet corn over at Village Farms

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat.  Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel to drain.  Eyeball the fat left in the skillet; if it looks like less than 2 tablespoons, add a little more olive oil to make up the difference.

Add the potatoes to the skillet and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the bell pepper, season with salt, and cook, tossing occasionally, until the pepper and potato are tender, another 5-7 minutes.

Add the corn and cook until piping hot, 3-5 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and add the onion, vinegar, and cooked bacon.  Season with salt and hot pepper flakes and stir to combine.  Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.