Food Network Scholar: Grilled Corn and Blue Cheese Salad

Television Feasts

I am a home cook who backyard gardens and has a serious closet addiction to the Food Network. I envision visiting the world in my own kitchen.

From Julia to Giada, I am a bi-product of the quirky world of anything food television. At age 10 I wanted to lunch with Julia; at 12 I thought sitting at Graham Kerr's table would be bliss; in college I was a diligent voyeur student of Jeff Smith's; and as a newlywed I envisioned myself being Martha. Then the sky opened up and violin music played in the background when I discovered an entire family of food shows on the blossoming food network. Twenty years later I am still a home chef with a backyard garden, yet in my head I am a trained chef who has eaten her way around the world, tasted all things exotic, competed in many challenges, judged the best of the best, and have a circle of friends which includes Emeril, Bobby, Rachael and more. I like to learn and challenge myself simply for the pleasure of all things food. I am a student of the University of Food Network and my textbooks, exams and extra-curricular activities all stem from channel 39.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Grilled Corn and Blue Cheese Salad

I chose a Bobby Flay recipe for tonight. I had grilled corn this weekend and planned ahead to make this delicious salad. It not only made use of what I had available, it really captured the true taste of summer! You serve this room temperature, however, I am thinking it will be just as tasty tomorrow cold. This recipe is a keeper for any of you that buy corn and have leftovers. It is sweet with corn and Vidalia onion, salty and savory with the blue cheese, and fresh and clean with basil and tomato. Seriously a perfect summer side. If you don't keep rice wine vinegar on hand, use a mild vinegar such as a white wine vinegar. Basically you need it for the acid, not the sharp vinegar taste.

Grilled Corn and Blue Cheese Salad
printable recipe

1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. sugar
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
8 ears of corn, grilled, kernels removed
1/2 c. sweet Vidalia onion, sliced thin
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
8 oz. crumbled blue cheese

Tip to easily remove corn from cob without making a mess. Use a bundt pan. Hold the corn in the center, and as you cut down the kernels fall into the pan! Wallah!

Combine the vinegar, basil, sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and oil in a bowl. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. You can easily do this in a blender as well.