Corn, lovely sweet corn, is still the topic of this week’s column. Last week I grilled dozens of ears, and still have more left from the harvest. I froze a few, shared some with neighbors and grilled a few more. My husband comes home from work and eats one before dinner for a healthy snack. Corn is like gold in my house.

I sell my garden produce at a farmers’ market in Sulphur Springs, but I never bring corn with my vegetables. I explain to the customers who purchase eggs, tomatoes, okra, cucs, zucs, eggplant, yellow squash and freshly baked breads that my husband has declared the corn his own. One lady asked, “Do you not have enough to sell?” I replied, “As far as my husband is concerned, there will never be enough corn.” So, there you go.

I managed to pull aside half a dozen ears for the following recipe. It is the perfect summer-time salad that keeps well in the fridge and is the hit side-dish at any barbecue or cookout. It goes well with just about everything, and is even great alone for a light dinner.

Corn and Black Bean Salad
6 ears of corn, grilled and cut from the cob
2 15-oz. cans black beans (low sodium)
4 cups tomatoes, diced
1 cup red onions, diced
4 tsp. garlic, minced
1 lemon, zested
2 lemons, juiced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. fresh oregano, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
3 avocadoes, diced
3-4 jalapeños, minced

Mix the first 12 ingredients together and marinate in the fridge for up to 4 hours. I substituted a can of pinto beans instead of one of the black bean cans. That’s just the way I like it. I also like my avocadoes firm, so I cut them and add them right before serving. The jalapeños are a must for me, but one family member doesn’t handle them well. Trust me, life is often better when you slice them on the side and add them to your own salad if you want the heat.

Please try this delectable salad. It serves many. Go to a local farmers’ market and pick-up as much of the local produce as possible. Subsidize with canned or grocery-store produce as necessary. But seriously, this dish is fresh, easy to make and so good for you and the entire family. Sunday night, I served it with sliced roasted chicken breasts. It was delicious.