Corn Fresh from the Farm! Garden Fresh Taco Salad

Corn, one of the sweetest of summer vegetables and it’s my favorite.  It’s one of the true signs of summer for me.  But lately, I have been doing a lot of cutting the corn off the cob because my kids are either losing their teeth or new ones are barely growing in.  Because of this new routine, it has put me in the mood to try some new recipes that require cut corn!  Here is a family favorite:

Garden Fresh Taco Salad

• 2 cups Romaine lettuce, shredded
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup fresh cut sweet corn
• 2 tablespoons shredded 2% reduced-fat Mexican-Blend cheese
• 2 tablespoons tortilla strips (a great topping for these salads)
• 1 grilled chicken breast tender (half the size of a full chicken breast)
• Fresh cilantro, to taste
• Salsa, to taste (for dressing)
• Plain, non-fat, Greek yogurt (for dressing)
• Sides: grilled pineapple and crusty bread spread with a roasted red pepper Greek yogurt spread

1. Layer all ingredients in order given through cilantro.
2. Mix salsa and Greek yogurt together, equal parts to make a flavorful dressing that happens to contain protein and calcium!

Serves 1.

Source: Jen Haugen, RD, LD

Growing up on a farm, our meals at the table reflected the seasons.  And when early August arrived, so did the sweet corn.  This was one of my favorite times of summer.  Even though picking it out of the field, walking out of the field with itchy arms, shucking the bags and bags of corn and giving the husks to the pigs was a lot of work, the reward came at the kitchen table – eating it.

A local sweet corn farm, Honey Tree Farms (named because it used to be a bee farm), owned by Steve Williams, recently opened it’s barn doors to allow myself and ABC 6 Morning Show Co-Anchor to tag along on a recent harvest for a Fresh & Simple segment.  This was an opportunity to showcase the work the farmers do on a daily basis to bring food to our tables.  Steve has 25 acres of sweet corn which is all picked by him – by hand – to give us the freshest, best corn possible.  According to Steve, he picks approximately 1200 ears per hour and he has quite the system.  Once the corn is picked, it is cooled so it lasts longer and stays sweeter longer.  Steve was so gracious to let us on his farm and enjoy his corn – which you can find exclusively at Austin Hy-Vee.  Here are some behind the scenes pics (I also have to credit my intern for a day – McKenzie Besel for her photographing handiwork!):

It was a very hot day, Steve gets up early in the morning to start picking corn to beat the midday heat.

Steve’s daughter drove the tractor down the rows while Steve picked the corn.  Think assembly line – field style.

Getting ready to talk “how to grill up sweet corn”!

How you know it’s a good ear?  Check for fullness of the kernels on the ear and cornsilk that isn’t completely dry on the end of the ear.

A little chili-lime butter over the hot corn – sweet with a little kick!  Just add a little chili powder, cumin and lime juice to softened butter.

Watch the full segment for grilling information and get the recipe for Basil Butter over Grilled Corn!

Related articles

• Zesty Sweet Corn Refrigerator Relish (blogher.com)