Grilled Corn Salad with Avocado and Vine Ripened Tomatoes

Summer is a great time to stretch our limits with salads beyond lettuces. The fruits and vegetables that peak in the heat are all worthy of providing hearty, flavorful, and mouth watering side dishes worthy of taking center stage. That is part of the reason people tend to eat lighter and healthier during the summer months. Even though menus this time of year at home and in restaurants feature grilled meats, burgers, and other fatty foods, we tend to pair them with fresh and satisfying vegetables and salads that steal the show.

This salad made with grilled corn and fresh vine ripened tomatoes is one of those dishes that outshines what it is there to compliment. It is a delightful combination of crunch, sweetness, and tang harmonized by vegetables that are both raw and grilled. It is scrumptious. Serve it with grilled fish, poultry, meats, or something like portabella mushrooms for vegetarians. It would also be delicious served on a bed of lettuces; bibb lettuce, arugula, or romaine would be the best choices.

I wrote a post recently about grilling fresh corn. In that post, I suggested wrapping the corn in parchment paper and aluminum foil before putting it on the grill. That is a great thing to do when corn is not at full peak and the produce people clean the husks away from the cobs for more alluring displays. But when corn is heaped high in farmer's markets and produce bins at the grocery store reflecting summer's harvests, there is too much for them to tackle and most of the corn is fully wrapped in its husks. Grilling corn in its natural wrapping is the absolute best way to do it. It is simple, efficient, and produces the best results.