Smoky Corn Salsa

It is corn season.  You should make this recipe with fresh corn.  Buy a half a dozen ears at the farmer's market, or pick them from your garden, or beg some from your neighbor.  Husk it.  Remove every last piece of silk so people won't think there is blond hair in your salsa.  Grill the cobs on the barbecue for a few minutes then scrape off the kernels into a big bowl.  Roast some sweet red peppers on the grill until they are black and charred.  Put them in a bowl, cover and let steam so you can peel the skins off.  Chop them up and add them to the corn.  Clean a bunch of green onions, toss with olive oil and grill them on the barbecue.  Dice those up and add them to the mix.  Proceed with the recipe.  Start early because this salsa will take you all afternoon to make.  Not interested?  Same here.  I tried it this way and it was fantastic (thank you Bon Appetit).  But let's get real.  Most of us don't have two hours to make a side dish.

So let's pretend it's January and you really want smoky corn salsa.  Buy some Bird's Eye Super Sweet Frozen Corn and a jar of fire roasted red peppers.  Proceed with the recipe and in just minutes you can have smoky corn salsa.  It's just right with grilled chicken or fish,  tortilla chips, or as a filling for burritos or quesadillas.

Smoky Corn Salsa

adapted from Bon Appetit

3-4 cups sweet corn

½ cup diced red pepper

½ cup diced roasted red pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 or 2 bunches of green onions, thinly sliced, greens discarded

1 ½ tsp. ground cumin

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

½ to 1 teaspoon (or more) adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chiles

2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

salt to taste

Place frozen corn, red pepper, roasted red pepper, lime juice, adobo sauce and cilantro in a large bowl. Let rest until corn is defrosted.

In a small skillet heat olive oil until shimmering.  Add green onions and stir until slightly softened, about one minute.  Add ground cumin and minced garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Remove from heat and add to corn mixture.  Stir gently to combine all ingredients.  Add salt to taste and let rest for about 30 minutes before serving.  Keeps well in the fridge for several days but is best served at room temperature. 

Notes on the recipe:

The key to the smoky flavor is the sauce from the chipotle peppers.  Add as much or as little as you like, but start slow because it's pretty hot.

Diced avocado and tomatoes are also good in this salsa, but add them in right before serving and don't plan on saving the leftovers.  Well, if there are any leftovers.