Recipe by Chef Cindy
Grilled corn and zucchini are abundant in the summer season so why not make the Best Grilled Corn & Zucchini Salad. This spicy grilled corn salad recipe gets a kick from the Jalapeño combined with the refreshing flavors from lime & cilantro!
Is it best to grill corn "in the husk or without"?
It's best to "shuck" the corn and put it directly on the grill for this recipe. Although grill marks look great, they tend to dry out the corn a bit. Since the grilled corn is added to a salad, the other ingredients add the moisture needed.
In general, though, grilling corn in the husk is the best! Remove the silk strands from the cob by pulling back the husks enough to reach the silks. Once removed, pull the husks back in place. Soak the corn in water for 15 minutes to 1 hour before grilling to keep the husks from burning or catching fire. The husks help keep in moisture while cooking.
Is grilled corn considered healthy to eat?
Yes! Corn is a natural source of magnesium, with sweet corn offering 26 mg per 100 grams and popcorn supplying 21 mg per serving. At least half of your magnesium resides in your bones, so diets high in magnesium, have been shown to increase bone density and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis in women after menopause.
Sweet corn provides fiber and is notoriously hard to digest - hence seeing it the following day in our stool! But with that being said, it does add bulk to help food move through your stomach, intestines and out of your body. This can help prevent constipation or diarrhea.
What is the environmental impact of growing corn?
According to a recent article published on phys.org, the U.S. is one of the most productive countries globally for corn, growing more than 4.46 tons per acre farmed. In the 2018-19 growing season alone, U.S. farms produced more than 366 million metric tons of corn, generating $14.5 billion in revenue. The U.S. is also one of the world's most significant fertilizer users, applying more nitrogen and phosphorus per acre than its high-yield agricultural counterparts in the European Union.
But using fertilizer doesn't just cost farmers and governments money. It also comes at an environmental cost. A large portion of the global greenhouse gas emissions caused by agriculture—24% of global emissions in 2010 and 10% of U.S. emissions in 2018—comes from fertilizer production. This means that steps taken to reduce fertilizer use will also help address rising greenhouse gases.
Practices like regenerative agriculture, which restore soil fertility on lands actively being farmed, will also reduce fertilizer use costs and environmental impacts. Healthier, more fertile soils can also capture more carbon, hold more water and keep excess nutrients from running off into ecosystems that can't handle them.
This doesn't mean you have to stop eating corn. The solution is to support regenerative farms, buy local and organic whenever possible, and get involved with organizations fighting to protect our soil - Kiss The Ground.
Are you interested in learning more about Regenerative Farming? Then read Regenerative Farming Goes Beyond Sustainability shared by one of our contributing writers on our community page.
If you would like to read the original recipe post from chefcindy.com, click on the link below:
Grilled Corn & Zucchini Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing
Ingredients
Salad:
- 2 large zucchini
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 corn on cob
- 1 tablespoon celery salt
- 8 cherry tomatoes cleaned & halved (or quartered)
- salt & pepper
- 4 oz crumbled feta cheese optional
Dressing:
- 2 limes juiced
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon - 1 teaspoon diced jalapeno
- 2 - 3 garlic cloves roasted & chopped
- ½ cup cilantro cleaned & chopped
Instructions
- Fire up the grill to a low heat. Pre-heat oven to 325°.
- Clean & cut the zucchini into quarters by halving them lengthwise. Halve each section one more time. Cut each strip into 1 inch quarters. Place zucchini into a bowl. Mix well with 2 tablespoon of olive oil and salt & pepper to taste.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread zucchini (*and garlic) on baking sheet and roast for approximately 20-30 minutes.
- While zucchini is roasting in the oven, shuck the corn. Rinse under running water to remove the remaining silks. Dry with a paper towel or cloth.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoon of olive oil over the corn and spread evenly with a pastry brush (or hands). Sprinkle with celery salt.
- Place on heated grill and rotate every 5-7 min until golden brown.
- Remove corn from grill. When cooled enough to handle, cut the corn off the cob.
- Remove zucchini from the oven. Place zucchini & corn in a bowl and mix together. Add tomatoes.
- Chop garlic.
- For the dressing: Whisk the oil in with the lime juice. Stir in the jalapenos, garlic & cilantro until well combined.
- Drizzle on top of the salad and stir until combined. Season with more salt & pepper to taste (feta cheese optional).
- Place in a serving bowl. Top with a few whole leaves of cilantro and it's ready to serve!
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