Every year, my friends ask me, "So what are you making for the 4th of July?"Every time, I answer cluelessly, "Uhhh...Grilling?"
I was not planning on writing up a "special" recipe for today. To be honest, I've never made anything special for the holiday before...Not even a single red, white, & blue dessert...There weren't many non-Filipino dishes at my family's July 4th BBQ's. (Quite frankly, the only difference between those get-togethers and a regular Filipino cookout was that we'd watch fireworks at the end of the night. Insert irony joke here.) So, this year, I finally decided to get a little patriotic with my produce!
Red cherry tomatoes, white corn, and blueberries are the stars of this salad. A warm bacon and lime vinaigrette tops it all off! But, whether for Independence Day parties or not, this is a vibrant and tasty dish that can be enjoyed all Summer long!
The main ingredients are things that you often load up on during the summertime (c'mon, we're all guilty of buying a ton more berries than we should have...), and corn is just one of those absolute essentials for Summer gatherings at my house. (My road trips between Sacramento and the Bay Area aren't even complete without a stop at Pedrick Produce for some fresh corn on the cob! Driving down the highway, all you see are fields and fields of the tall stalks.)
I usually steam up a big pot for all of my guests. (Imagine the cartoon depictions of eating an ear of corn super fast. That's totally us.) If you've steamed or grilled a few for your BBQ or picnic, snag one to use in this recipe. Give your guests a couple of options for how they'd like their corn!
I always look forward to buying the white variety at this time of the year. It's so sweet and crisp, and it pairs nicely with the naturally sweet-yet-tart tomatoes and berries.
Just for presentation's sake, I like to cut the blueberries in half. I can't resist that contrast of colors!
And, speaking of colors...Once everything is thrown together in a bowl, it's easy to see the inspiration for this recipe. A beautiful combination of red, "white", and blue!
When it came to making the dressing for this salad, I knew that I needed something to round out all of the sweetness. My solution?
B-A-C-O-N. Bacon! 'Merica!
The slices of smoky, cured pork belly...with the help of some bright, herbaceous cilantro and freshly squeezed lime juice...give this salad just the right harmony of flavors.
Blueberry Corn Salad with Warm Bacon-Lime Vinaigrette is perfectly refreshing for hot, sunny days. Add it to your salad rotation this Summer! :)
Blueberry Corn Salad with Warm Bacon-Lime Vinaigrette (serves 4-6)
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Ingredients:
1 cup Fresh Blueberries, halved
1 cup White Corn Kernels (from 1 steamed ear of corn)
6 Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
5 slices Bacon
2 tbsp Bacon Fat
1/2 Small Yellow Onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)
2 tbsp Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
2 tbsp Chopped Cilantro
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the blueberries, corn, and cherry tomatoes. Set aside.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, then also set aside. Reserve 2 tbsp of the bacon fat rendered in the skillet.
- Add the diced onion to the pan and saute until slightly caramelized. Scrape at the browned bits at the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
- Next, turn off the heat and pour in the lime juice. Sprinkle in the chopped cilantro and ground pepper. Stir to combine.
- Finally, pour the warm vinaigrette over the blueberry-corn salad. Crumble the cooked slices of bacon and add the pieces to the salad. Stir to evenly combine all of the ingredients.
- Serve with grilled meats! Enjoy!
