Tomato, Avocado and Corn Salad

Growing up, our family ate 2 kinds of salad. The first was a bowl of torn lettuce, a jar of Kraft Thousand Island dressing, and if we were lucky, a box of seasoned croutons. This was the standard vegetable side that was served whenever we fired up the grill. On the rare occasion that a heatwave would pass through northern Canada, my mom would make a big batch of potato salad that we would feast on until it was cool enough to cook again. It was an indulgent mix of potatoes, shrimp, eggs, carrots and celery.

Fast forward many years. I’ve eaten many more salads by this point, but always in a restaurant. In fact, I don’t think it ever occurred to me to try making a salad at home. It seemed daunting—like there was a secret formula for choosing and mixing the right components.

And then my friend Rachel came to visit. One evening, we hit up a grocery store where she bought a random assortment of vegetables. I think there were some tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash. Maybe a carrot or two. All of which were efficiently chopped into bite-sized pieces and tossed into a bowl.  There was a sprinkle of salt and pepper and possibly some lemon juice.  It was shockingly careless and random—and for me, one of the most tasty and eye-opening experiences.

Since then, I’ve been following her example. A handful of seasonal produce, chopped and tossed together. There isn’t so much as a recipe, but I’ve found that I particularly like the combination of tomato, avocado and roast corn.

Tomato, Avocado, and Corn Salad, Chopped

Makes 4 servings

½ large avocado

1 large tomato or 1 cup of cherry tomatoes

1/3 cup of frozen roasted corn

lemon juice to taste (around 1 tsp)

1 tbsp yogurt (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

garnish with basil leaves (optional)

1. Thaw frozen corn. You can also use regular frozen corn and briefly blanch them to remove some of the starchiness.

2. Chop avocado and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces

3. Toss corn, avocado and tomatoes together. Sprinkle with lemon juice, salt and pepper. For a richer, creamier salad, mix in some yogurt. Garnish with chopped basil leaves.

There’s no denying that this is an unattractive salad. The yogurt coats everything and masks the vibrant colours. The same components however, can be used to make a composed salad. Same taste, just all prettied-up.

Tomato, Avocado and Cord Salad, Composed
More or less the same ingredients described above

1. Mash together the avocado, salt, lemon juice and yogurt to form a smooth cream. You can add more yogurt for a thinner cream.

2. Arrange all the components on a plate and season with additional lemon juice, salt and pepper