Fire Roasted Corn Salsa

Mild winters aside, two of the things I miss most about living in California is having a backyard with a BBQ and getting a jump-start on summer’s first produce. This year I was lucky enough to spend the past month at my parents house in Napa. During that time, I shot photos for two cookbooks, disappeared into the mountains for a weekend, drank some beer, and did a lot of soul-searching.

This fire roasted corn salsa came together effortlessly as a side dish for my Carne Asada one night, and it quickly became a favorite condiment over the next few days. The sweetness of the corn is intensified by fire-roasting it, which also brings out some earthy popcorn-like flavors.

Crispy and mild, this non-traditional salsa goes with everything from chips to tacos. It also makes a great side salad to accompany a meat or fish dish. I even used some the next morning to make a vegetarian breakfast sandwich. I just sauteed the corn salsa with some olive oil before scrambling in some eggs and cheese. This was served in an english muffin with sliced avocados, salt pepper and a squeeze of lime.

I was serving this alongside some spicy food, so I didn’t add any chili peppers, but if you want some heat, just mince some serrano or jalapenos and throw them in.

Fire Roasted Corn Salsa

3 ears sweet corn shucked
1/4 red bell pepper, minced
1/4 small red onion, minced
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

Grill or broil the corn over high heat until it is speckled black on all sides, rotating each ear to make sure it roasts evenly. Allow the corn to cool enough to handle. Use a sharp knife to remove the kernels of corn into a bowl, then add the bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, salt and dried oregano. Stir to combine, taste for salt and adjust to taste.

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