Corn and Lentil Summer Salad

Summer has arrived! It’s hot and steamy and I’m actually happy about it. After the cold and rain we had for past month I’m ecstatic to be using the central AC these days. Food wise, hot days require cold salads and this corn and lentil salad is good for when summer is in full swing.

First, it uses leftover corn on the cob. I know this can be rare in some families, but I always seem to get an extra few ears at the market. Just can’t beat that dozen price sometimes! Second, it can easily be made ahead of time and pulled out when you’re ready to eat. If you have leftover corn then the only real cooking you need to do is simmering some lentils, which takes about 15 minutes. After that it’s just a matter of mixing in things which go well with corn and lentils, like some red onion, parsley, and some lime juice.

One ingredient I hadn’t intended to add was the smoked pork sausage. As I was pulling things out of the fridge I saw some smoky jagerwurst I made last week and thought, oh yeah that’s going in. As I’ve written before, lentils NEED sausage. Of course you can omit the sausage if you’re looking for meatless salad, perhaps grill the leftover corn to get some char and smoke flavor. As always, what I put down here serves only as a roadmap, especially when it comes to salads!

This quickie corn salad came together beautifully and tastes great. The lentils give it substance; sweetness from the corn; garlic, saltiness, and smoke from the jagerwurst; crunch from the red onion; and a crisp, bright acidity from the lime juice. Sometimes I don’t meld the flavors well and one or two ingredients get lost in the others, but in this particular case I can taste each one in every forkful. I’d say the ratios are near perfect. Definitely a keeper and I can see Cheryl ordering this up whenever we have leftover corn over the next month or two!

Corn and Lentil Salad (about 6-8 servings)

• 2 C cooked corn, cut off the cob
• 2 C cooked lentils
• 1 C diced smoked sausage (like jagerwurst) or bacon
• ½ C Red onion, diced
• ¼ C Parsley, chopped
• Juice from 3 limes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil

In a large bowl combine the corn, lentils, red onion, parsley, crushed sumac berries, and mix well. Squeeze in the lime juice and mix. Drizzle olive oil in to taste, and mix. Salt and pepper to taste, then chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.