Sunday, May 25, 2008

SOUTHERN LIVING'S GRILLED CORN SALSA

As promised, I've made a batch of the original salsa to compare with my friend, Sara's version. Below is the photo of Sara's salsa, and you can see immediately that hers is juicier. And the juice is so delicious!
Guy was bothered by the charred grilled vegetables, especially the onions, but I actually preferred cooking the onions this way because it's easy and I can digest them that way. (When onions are cooked, the enzymes are at least partially destroyed, making them easier to digest.) The other difference is that the SL recipe is very mild. There's just not enough heat for me. After it sat overnight in the fridge I tasted again and it was still too mild. So I added a minced serrano pepper (they're a little hotter) and some hot sauce, and now it has more kick. I'm not sure why mine didn't turn out hot enough, because Sara said she doesn't add extra hot peppers. The bottom line is I've crowned Sara the salsa queen and told her she can make salsa for me any time, because hers is absolutely the best. That being said, this is a good salsa recipe, one that would please just about anyone. Even if you don't make it as well as Sara, you will still be happy with the results. I'm printing the original SL recipe with no changes below; but I did not use cumin, and Sara doesn't use it either. I'm just not sure I would like that flavor in the salsa and I didn't want to ruin a batch.

Southern Living's Grilled Corn Salsa
Rating: 8 out of 10
3 ears fresh corn
1 large sweet onion, cut into 1/2" thick slices
1 red bell pepper, halved
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lime juice
Garnish: fresh cilantro sprig

GRILL first 3 ingredients, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350F-400F) 8-10 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally. (I soaked the corn in water in a plastic bag for about 15 minutes before grilling, and left the ears in their husks.)
CUT corn kernels from cobs. Coarsely chop onion and red bell pepper halves.
COMBINE grilled vegetables, tomato and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl; cover and chill 2 hours or up to 2 days. Serve with chips, grilled chicken, fish or beef. Garnish if desired. Yield: 5 cups. Prep: 20 min., Grill: 10 min., Chill: 2 hrs.

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