Mexican street corn (aka elote) salad
plus a late summer farm / life update
During my first pregnancy a few years ago, I learned the hard way that farming in the heat/humidity in North Carolina in August while in your third trimester is *crazy*, so going into this pregnancy, I was like…ABSOLUTELY NOT.
The biggest change I’ve made this time around has been deciding to skip our 2023 Fall CSA season. When Sawyer was born in September 2021, we somehow (?!) didn’t miss a beat and pulled off a full 12-week Fall CSA (mostly thanks to the support from my amazing team) – but in order to have a successful fall growing season that year, the month of August was non-stop hustling to prep + plant our fall crops, while still keeping up with harvesting all the summer bounty, all while being very, very pregnant. And we made it happen, but barely.
So right now, I’m 29 weeks along and we have just 1 week left in our CSA… and it feels AWESOME. For the past few days, everyone on my team has commented on how (apparently, uncharacteristically) relaxed I seem. And you know what? They are totally right.
It’s only now, with one week remaining in our official growing season (and with heaps of gorgeous veggies still flowing in from the field), that I’ve allowed myself to take a deep breath, chill out, and *not* constantly worry about having enough produce to fill our weekly boxes, getting our fall beds prepped, and making sure we plant everything on time for a consistent succession of veggies for the fall. While I LOVE farming and can’t imagine doing anything else, I honestly didn’t realize how much stress I carry during the farm season, and I am wildly grateful for this time to slow down and rest before our baby girl arrives. (I even took a NAP yesterday. In the middle of the day! Who even am I?)
As this season winds down, I’m finding myself much more inspired to be in the kitchen, and I’m excited to continue sharing new recipes and techniques to help you eat like a farmer through this newsletter. Speaking of which, keep scrolling for an all-time favorite summer recipe… Mexican Street Corn (aka Elote) Salad!
PS – While our CSA is on pause for the fall, rest assured that I’m still planting a small fall garden this year for our family, so there will still be *lots* of veggie inspiration and gardening lessons coming your way this fall. To receive *every* new recipe, tutorial, monthly giveaway, plus get access to the full recipe archive and garden resource library – consider becoming a paid subscriber to Eat Like a Farmer! As a paid subscriber, you’re helping support our farm in this season when our CSA is on hiatus, which allows me to continue this work and to keep pouring into this growing community. :)
It’s CORN season, finally! On our farm, corn isn’t ready to harvest until early August, and even then, it’s a short harvest window that only lasts about 2-3 weeks. So when corn is in season, I’ll find an excuse to eat it at every meal.
Today I’m sharing my personal spin on elote, a traditional Mexican street food featuring charred corn on the cob topped with a creamy mayo sauce, cotija cheese, lime, spices, and fresh cilantro.
While I love digging into corn straight from the cob, sometimes you don’t want to deal with getting all those corn bits stuck in your teeth.. ya know?
Enter this recipe for Mexican Street Corn (aka Elote) Salad, which features all the classic elote ingredients, but instead of throwing the corn on the grill, you first remove the kernels from the cob and cook them in butter until they are gorgeously charred and caramelized. Sooo you get all the incredible elote flavor, but without making a total mess / having to floss afterwards? YES PLEASE.
Keep reading for the full recipe, which is available to ALL subscribers this week.
Mexican Street Corn (aka Elote) Salad
Serves 3-4
INGREDIENTS
For the salad
3 tablespoons butter
5-6 ears fresh corn, shucked, kernels removed (about 4 cups corn kernels)
Kosher salt, to taste
1 heaping cup finely shredded purple cabbage
⅓ cup finely diced red onion or shallot
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
½ jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
¾ cup Cotija (or feta) cheese, crumbled
For the dressing
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 lime’s worth of juice)
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
PREPARATION
Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add the corn kernels, season to taste with salt (start with ½ teaspoon salt), and cook, tossing occasionally, until the corn is nicely charred all over, about 8-10 minutes total. Keep in mind that for the corn to get a nice char, you don’t want to stir *too* frequently… allow the corn to sit in the pan for a few minutes at a time before tossing again. Transfer the charred corn to a large bowl.
While the corn is cooking, make the dressing – combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Add the chopped purple cabbage, red onion (or shallot), jalapeno, and most of the cilantro (reserve a bit for garnishing), and most of the Cotija (or feta) cheese (again, reserve some for garnishing) to the bowl with the corn.
Pour the dressing over the large bowl with the corn + veggies and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
To serve, garnish with the remaining fresh cilantro and Cotija (or feta) cheese. Best when enjoyed warm, but it’s delicious at room temperature too.
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