Eating corn raw, straight from the cob is one of summer’s pleasures. Perfectly sun-sweetened tomatoes are another. Paired together on a bed of peppery wild arugula with fresh basil and doused in a bright red wine vinaigrette and I’d say you’ve got yourself a winner of a summer salad. Naturally sweet without any coaxing from a stove top or grill, corn becomes the star of the show here. If you want to add some protein go ahead and toss in some fresh mozzarella, or burrata—grilled chicken would be delish, as well.

Ingredients:

2 ears fresh corn

1 pint grape, cherry, or pear tomatoes, cut in half

16 oz. wild arugula, washed and dried

2 tablespoons fresh basil, torn or chiffonade

Salt and pepper to taste

Red Wine Vinaigrette—really, as with any vinaigrette, it’s just a simple ratio of 3:1—3 parts extra virgin olive oil to 1 part acid, in this case red wine vinegar. Always liberally season your dressings with salt and pepper. Toss over the salad when ready to eat.

Directions:

Cut corn from cob. I find the best way to do this is is to invert a small bowl into a large bowl and place the corn on the top of the inverted bowl. This allows your kernels to fall into the larger bowl without having them bounce all over the counter top. Cut tomatoes in half, tear or chiffonade the basil and toss with the corn. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wild arugula and enough vinaigrette to coat the salad greens, tomatoes, and corn. Toss well and eat with gusto!