corn & haricot-vert salad

after years in the kitchen, i can put together some meals without much thought at all: mexican, italian, indian . . . it's routine to cook the reliable standards that complement each type of cuisine. so, these days my ambition is to add a new dish to my repertoire every time i plan a dinner party.

this corn and haricot vert salad was added to a mexican menu of braised garlic-cumin chicken, brown rice, avocado slices, black and green olives, and homemade tortillas with salsa. i decided to eliminate the heavy pot of beans that i usually make, and serve instead a lighter, brighter dish. this salad is crunchy, sweet, and tangy, and it is a good compliment to garlic chicken.

corn & haricot vert salad

• 6 ears of boiled corn

• about 1 lb. of haricot vert (or green beans)

• 1 orange bell pepper

• salt & pepper

• white pear balsamic vinegar

• olive oil

• grated manchego cheese

blanch the haricot verts and let them cool. while the corn is boiling, broil the bell pepper until the skin is blackened. then, let the corn and pepper cool. remove the skin, seeds and membrane from the pepper, and chop it. cut the corn from the cob, and cut the haricot vert into 1/2" pieces.

put the corn, haricot vert, and chopped bell pepper into a large mixing bowl. toss with the vinegar and olive oil, season with salt and pepper and serve the salad topped with grated manchego cheese.