One of the best things about summer, once you hit July and complaints about the heat start, is sweet corn. The local stuff, not the kind trucked from who-knows-where days before you see it at the grocery store in late spring. No thanks, I will wait. Eagerly, even anxiously. I am the same way with peaches.
Garrison Keillor has been quoted as saying, “Sex is good, but not as good as fresh sweet corn.” No comment.
This salad makes a great, light summer meal or starter that highlights fresh sweet corn and tomatoes. I appreciate that there is no added fat.
Once the corn is cooked, which can be done in the cool of the evening the night before or in the early morning, you and your kitchen stay cool. I like using the imitation crab products (brands include Trans-Ocean and Louis Kemp) made from pollock. It doesn’t taste exactly like crab, but it is easy to use in recipes — you don’t have to feel around to remove cartilage and shell — and is quite affordable.
This dish was inspired by a Pinterest recipe from joyphenix.com for a pseudo ceviche that she used as a dip with tortilla or pita chips. I changed it up, adding fresh sweet corn, substituting the red onion with green onion, and using chopped parsley instead of cilantro. I also tampered with seasonings.
This salad is best at its freshest, but it will keep several days. Just be sure to add avocado only to the part you will consume that day. Brown is not a color you want in this. And aren’t the colors beautiful?
SUMMER ‘CRAB’ SALAD
2 8-oz. packages imitation crab in flakes or chunks
4 ears cooked sweet corn, kernels scraped off
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
Small handful fresh parsley (I like Italian, or flat leaf), minced
1 large or 2 small bunches green onions, minced, including some of the green
Juice of 2 or 3 limes, to taste
1 to 2 tsp. kosher salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
2 avocados, chopped (add last, shortly before serving)
Open seafood packages and drain out any liquid. Separate chunks or flakes into bowl. Toss with corn kernels, tomatoes, parsley and green onion. Squeeze the juice from two limes over the salad, add salt and toss. Taste. Adjust with more lime juice or salt and pepper as desired. Chill.
Add avocado just before serving and toss salad again. If you like, sprinkle with a little Tapatio or other hot sauce. Nice with a crusty bread.
I think we got four or five servings out of this.
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