Grilled Corn and Arugula Salad with Smoked Tomato Vinaigrette

By: Joanne Weir


  • Yield: 6 Servings
  • Cuisine: American
  • Course: Side Dish


Ingredients

  • 3 ears corn, fresh, in the husk
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1/2 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 cups arugula, stems removed (about 3 bunches)
  • 3/4 cup imported black or green olives
  • 1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, red and yellow, halved (8 ounces)
  • 3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

  1. Prepare a charcoal grill.
  2. Grill the corn and peppers 4 inches from the coals, turning occasionally, until the skins of the peppers are black, the corn husks are black, and the corn kernels are light golden when the husk is pulled back, 6 to 10 minutes. Remove from the grill and transfer the peppers to a paper or plastic bag, close tightly, and let cool for 10 minutes. Let the corn cool.
  3. Remove the husks and silk. Cut the kernels from the cob and set aside. Scrape the charred skin from the pepper with a knife, then seed and stem the pepper. Reserve pepper flesh separately.
  4. In a blender, puree the pepper, tomato, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, strain through a fine mesh strainer, and reserve.
  5. On individual serving plates, divide the vinaigrette evenly among the plates. In a large bowl, toss together the corn and arugula and distribute onto the plates. Garnish with olives and cherry tomatoes. Shave the Parmigiano over the top. Serve immediately.