People have been bringing me tomatoes (and tomato soup – thanks Concetta!) all month. Hooray for end of summer produce! Last week at the farmers market I found fresh corn, garlic and basil and decided to put them all together. First I made a pesto with basil, pecans, parmesan, garlic and olive oil, then I added the pesto to chopped corn, tomatoes and onions. Yum!
Homemade pesto is so easy and versatile. Traditionally made with pine nuts, you can also use walnuts or pecans. You can toss any leftover pesto into warm pasta, or serve it over mashed potatoes like they do at La Buca. Try this recipe and let me know what you think…
Pesto, Corn and Tomato Salad
First make your pesto:
- One bunch of fresh basil (about two cups of packed leaves)
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup pecans
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
If you have the time and would like a great arm workout, chop all ingredients by hand. Otherwise place basil, garlic, nuts, and cheese in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Slowly add the olive oil until the mixture is incorporated. Taste it to see if you need any salt (the cheese may be salty enough) then add salt and pepper to taste, stir to combine.
Now assemble your salad:
- 2-3 ears of fresh corn
- 4-5 tomatoes
- 1/2 of a large red onion
Boil corn for 5-10 minutes and let cool. Meanwhile chop tomatoes into bite size pieces and finely dice your onion. Once the corn is cool enough to handle take a sharp knife and carefully slice off the kernels. Mix your corn kernels, tomato and onion together. Add pesto to taste (you may have some pesto leftover. Spread it on sandwiches, use it as a veggie dip…).
I served my corn salad over a bed of arugula and shredded chicken for a delicious farmer’s market lunch!
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Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.