We had our first grilling class of 2012 at The Lark Inn last Sunday evening and it was a great success!  Since everything . . . I mean everything was grilled, it brought out the male counterparts to the ladies who usually come to our cooking classes!

We learned early on in doing our cooking classes that people anticipate them most of the day before they come.  What happens when you anticipate good food?  That’s right . . . you get hungry!  People showing up for our classes were hungry when they got there.  To not have anything for them to nosh on and to have them prepare food for an hour before they got to eat anything was shear torture. After that first class, we learned to always have appetizers our for our guests when they arrive.

This recipe is really quite simple and you could roast the corn in the oven . . . but if you have a grill . . . why would you want to?!?!  The smoky flavor adds so much more depth to the corn it truly is worth the effort.

Ready?  Let’s make Grill Roasted Corn Salsa!

GRILLED CORN SALSA

PREP: 15 MINUTES

GRILL TIME: 37 MINUTES

SERVES – 8

Ingredients

• 10 large ears corn, husked
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 vine-ripened tomatoes, about 1 pound total
• 1 cup diced red onion, 1/4-inch dice
• 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or more to taste
• 1/2 cup julienne fresh basil leaves

Directions

Brush the corn liberally with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Grill, turning every few minutes, until light gold all over and cooked, about 12 minutes. Let cool and cut off the kernels. Discard the cobs.

Core the tomatoes and cut a small X on the bottom of each. Brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place on the grill, X side down, away from direct heat. Cover the grill and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften but are not cooked all the way through (or they will melt through the grate!), about 15 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then peel. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze out the juice and the seeds through a sieve into a bowl. Reserve the juices and chop the flesh.

Put the onions in the non-reactive medium bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Let marinate until the color changes, about 10 minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, onions, basil, and 1/3 cup olive oil to the corn. Toss well. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper, and remaining vinegar. The salsa is best eaten the same day but will keep, covered and refrigerated, a day or so.

Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos.

Now the best part . . . ENJOY!!

Thank you as always for following me.  It is an honor for me to share!

Kris

For more information about cooking classes at The Lark Inn in Cottonwood Falls CLICK HERE