Fresh Corn & Cherry Salad with Sweet Cucumber Vinaigrette

I remember years ago, seeing a salad in an old Cooking Light magazine that used blueberries, bananas, and strawberries atop a bed of field greens with grilled chicken along for the ride. Fascinated, and thinking it must be a splendid combination, seeing as how it was published in a magazine and all, I tried the recipe on for size at the baby shower thrown for a pal.
Perhaps the idea for the salad worked in the laboratory or professional’s home kitchen, but it was downright horrid when I tossed it together for my party. The bananas turned mushy. They simple don’t belong outside their skin for more than a minute or so. The dressing was too thick. It was all a chunky mess and I wasn’t about to ever attempt that salad again.
That salad is not this salad. But this salad was inspired by that salad from ever so many years ago. It’s a rather strange combination…cherries and corn. But, good gravy, it is a fine, fine combination and you won’t be the least bit sad for having tried it. Toss it all together with a light Sweet Cucumber Vinaigrette, and you’re sure to love this salad as much as I did, when I sneaked it’s remains straight from the bowl and into my mouth, even though we were serving it to a room full of friends last Sunday afternoon.

Fresh Corn & Cherry Salad with Sweet Cucumber Vinaigrette
Simple and full of everything you want to taste in these first days of summer, I love this salad for it's ease, flavor, and utterly addictive combination of fruits and veggies. Watch out, Michelle Obama, this is one salad that may just make healthy eaters out of us all! A beautiful addition to your Memorial Day picnic or potluck plans. Especially good when served alongside Easy Kalua Pork and rice.
Ingredients:
FOR THE SALAD:
6-8 cups Baby Arugula & Spinach
20-30 cherries, pitted and sliced in half
2 stalks celery, diced
2 ears fresh corn, with kernels sliced off
1/2 vidalia onion, sliced
Optional: 1 grilled chicken breast, dicedFOR THE CUCUMBER VINAIGRETTE:
1/2 cucumber
2 tablespoons diced vidalia onion
juice of 1 lime & 1 lemon
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or sugar)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup light olive oil
salt to taste
ground white pepper to tasteDirections:
FOR THE SALAD:
Toss all ingredients together.FOR THE CUCUMBER VINAIGRETTE:
Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until pureed. If using an industrial-strength blender (like a VitaMix), just pop the entire cucumber--skin and all--right inside. It's easier that way, and lends a beautiful pale-green tinge to the vinaigrette. If using a standard blender, peel the skin from the cucumber before adding it to the blender.










stefania on May 25, 2011 at 3:03 am
Una fresca e bella insalata ✿
Yammie @ Yammie's Noshery on May 25, 2011 at 5:47 am
Mmm. I love fruit in salad! Blueberries, strawberries, oranges, peaches, apples, raspberries… Sometimes all I’ve got is a fruit salad with a few stray greens after all’s said and done.
Chaya on May 25, 2011 at 7:22 pm
Love this salad. As a corn lover, this delicate salad with corn is sure to be a winner.
Katrina on May 25, 2011 at 11:16 pm
So tasty looking! Yum!
Alysa (InspiredRD) on May 27, 2011 at 4:38 pm
Sounds like the perfect summertime salad. Can’t wait to make it!
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