Corn & Black Bean Salad

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

Presoak the 1/2 pound dried black beans (equal to 1 cup) in 5 cups water overnight, or at least 8 hours. When ready, rinse the beans in fresh water (throw out the water they were soaking in), then follow the cooking directions on the bag of beans. Make-ahead tip: You can cook the beans up to 3 days in advance and store them in a sealed container in the fridge.
After the beans are cooked, or right before they’re finished cooking, prepare the corn. Remove the husk and silk, and boil the corn for about 3 minutes, until the kernels are soft.
Let the corn ears cool, then using a chef’s knife pointed downward, cut the kernels off of the cobs in a lengthwise motion, exercising caution.
Place the cooked beans and corn kernels in a large bowl. Add the chopped tomatoes, shallots, scallions, chives, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, and kosher salt and pepper. Mix well and serve.

For a smoky flavor, roast or grill the corn with the husk on but the silk removed. To do that, just peel back the husk, remove the silk, brush some Fairway Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the corn, and pull the husks back over the ears. Wrap each ear in aluminum foil and roast the corn in an oven for 500 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes, or grill it on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, turning to get all sides.
When squeezing limes, use a fork (or a reamer, if you have one) to get the most juice out of them. Cut the lime in half horizontally, pierce the fruit with the fork, and rotate the fork clockwise as you squeeze the lime juice into a bowl.
3. Fresh corn and cooked dry beans taste best in this dish, but when fresh corn isn’t available, or you didn’t think ahead to soak the beans, you can use frozen corn that’s been defrosted and warmed up, as well as canned black beans. Remember to drain the beans and rinse them thoroughly, which will also reduce the sodium content.

Chef’s Note: Try to finish this dish during the meal, because the salad will lose its fresh flavor with refrigeration.