Recipe #5: Katie's Roasted Corn Salad

Recipe: Katie's Roasted Corn Salad

Source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Time: 1 hour

Ease: 3

Taste: 10

Leftover Value: 7

Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Keep it in the Strainer!

This recipe is kind of special for The Orange Strainer.  In my very first post where I introduced the blog, I briefly wrote about Katie's Roasted Corn Salad, specifically, the beauty of its remnants.   

Because I said no substitutions, I gritted my teeth together and bought a red pepper instead of a green one.  I swore off red peppers for a long while because I was convinced they gave me the most lethal heart burn.

But I decided to forgive them and try again.

Most importantly, I decided to stick to the rules.  

I'm going to say this is hands down my favorite way to enjoy vegetables.  This corn salad is so amazing that people flock from all corners of the house the moment it is finished being made.

Since I have yet to learn to grill on the outdoor grill, I decided to 'grill' my veggies in the broiler.  This works just as well as an outdoor grill, and saves on going in and out of the house.  I was able to put one item in the oven while chopping up another.

The chopping, that is the painful part of this recipe.  There is oh, so, so, SO much chopping do be done.

But again, oh, so, so, SO worth it.

The veggies involved in this mouthwatering corn salad are: corn, red onion, yellow squash, red bell pepper, and tomatoes.  

The dressing is as simple as olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, salt, and garlic whisked together.

If you have a fancy gizmo for getting corn off the cob, then I applaud you.  However, this is the only recipe I have where I need to strip the cob of its corn so I refuse to purchase something to help me do it.

Although usually two cobs in, when my table, bowl, and floor are covered with kernels, I regret this stance.

  

Hidden underneath this pile of tomatoes, squash, and corn, I promise, is a red pepper and a gorgeous red onion.

Let's take a moment to consider why they even call a red onion red.  I really think purple is getting a raw deal here.

Oh my gosh.  Oh my gosh.  Oh my gosh!!!  This salad is perfection.  Please, please, please, do yourself a favor, and buy the Tostitos scoops to go with a salad like this.  Those chips were made for this salad.  Or...this salad was made for those chips.    

And here is my favorite part.  You can eat it right away and it will be a little lukewarm or put it in the fridge and let it chill for a few hours and eat it cold.  Either way it is delicious.  Both ways it is a completely different experience.

And, have I mentioned, I love it so?