My new-found love for avocados has me making fresh guacamole at least once a week, but I’ve been wanting to try something different. One hot summer morning, I found ripe avocados, tomatoes, and a few ears of fresh corn in the pantry and a recipe was born. I roasted two ears of corn in the oven early in the morning before the summer heat became unbearable, then cut off the kernels and threw everything else together, tasting it as I went along until I got it just right. The original plan was to enjoy it with a nice piece of salmon or some store-bought rotisserie chicken, but it was so delicious, I tore open a bag of restaurant-style tortilla chips and ate a whole bowlful all by itself.  Don’t skip the cumin; it gives the veggies a nice flavor boost.

INGREDIENTS
2 ears of fresh corn (about 1 1/4 cups of kernels)
1 plum tomato, diced
1 small red onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 small ripe avocados, cubed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
1 ounce cilantro, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon lime juice
kosher salt

Optional:
crumbled feta cheese

TOOLS
cutting board
chef’s knife
medium (3-quart) bowl
measuring cups and spoons

METHOD
1. Set oven to 350 degrees. Roast corn in its husk for 30 minutes.
2. When corn is cool enough to handle, slip off husk and silk, then cut off the kernels and place them in bowl.
3. Add all other ingredients, except avocado. Mix well.
4. Add avocado and lightly toss.
5. Add more seasonings, to taste. Optionally, sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese.

NOTES & TIPS
• I prefer the flavor and bite of fresh roasted corn but you can substitute cooked frozen corn as long as you don’t cook it too long. Avoid canned corn as it can be too mushy.
• This recipe calls for plum tomatoes, which don’t produce a lot of juice.  To keep the salsa from getting too soupy, avoid using other types of tomatoes.
• Chop and incorporate avocado just before serving to keep it from turning brown.
• If you want a little more heat, toss a little bit of the chopped jalapeno pepper membrane and seeds into the mix.

READY IN
15 minutes

YIELD
2 – 4 servings