Corn salad bursting with summer freshness.
We grew up in a ten-unit apartment building in a neighbourhood of similar buildings. Our parents bought that building with my aunt and uncle soon after arriving in Canada. It wasn’t a picture-perfect suburb — no white picket fences or manicured lawns — but it was full of life. Neighbours tended balcony plants, headed to work, or walked to the corner fruit shop. Children filled the streets and yards; from dawn you could find a kid outside kicking a pebble, waiting for others to join the game.
Our building shared a wide driveway with the next building, and the back yards were separated only by a low chain-link fence. As kids we hopped that fence all day, moving between yards depending on our game. Our yard was mostly concrete with a garden patch reserved for our parents — perfect for chalk hopscotch or improvised games. The neighbour’s yard was grassy and ideal for soccer, badminton, or simply lying on our backs and watching the clouds, imagining the next adventure.
We were part of a real community. Children felt comfortable asking another parent for a glass of milk, help with shoelaces, or advice on the best hiding spot. Most parents were first-generation immigrants, many from Greece, working long hours to build a life here. Everyone needed help sometimes, and everyone pitched in.
One of our favourite summer activities was an impromptu barbecue or corn roast. When fresh corn was on sale someone would buy a huge bag — sometimes 50–60 ears. We’d sit in a circle and race to shuck the corn, comparing whose husking was the neatest and calling dibs on the perfect ear. Of course, the chosen ears usually went into the same pot, but that didn’t matter when you were biting into juicy kernels with butter running down your chin. Those were good days.
Now, when I prepare corn for this salad, I often shuck it alone and take a few quiet minutes to remember those summer afternoons.
Helpful hints
Fresh corn delivers the best flavour for this salad, especially in summer. While frozen corn works in a pinch, grilling fresh, boiled corn briefly to add char enhances its sweetness with a subtle smoky note — a step well worth the effort. You can peel cucumbers or leave the skin on; garden cucumbers often stay unpeeled for extra flavor and texture. Kalamata olives are sometimes sold pitted, but if yours include pits the easiest removal method is to either cut the pit out with a paring knife or press the olive gently with the flat side of a chef’s knife to open the seam and remove the pit.
Grilled corn, cucumber and feta salad
Equipment
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Outdoor grill optional
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Medium size bowls
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup corn niblets (from about 4 ears of grilled corn, or frozen corn niblets)
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1/3 cup crumbled Greek feta
- 1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped mint
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped basil
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
For the dressing:
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 2 ½ tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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If using fresh corn, remove the husks and boil the ears for 10 minutes. Briefly grill the boiled corn to get light char marks. When cool enough to handle, stand an ear upright and cut the kernels off the cob with a sharp knife, moving from top to bottom until the ear is bare.1 ½ cup corn niblets
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If using frozen corn, cook according to package directions and let it cool.
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In a medium bowl combine the cooled corn niblets, diced cucumber, sliced green onions, crumbled feta, chopped Kalamata olives, and the fresh herbs. Gently toss to combine.
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Whisk the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and olive oil in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until well coated.
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Season with salt and pepper to taste. This salad is best served soon after dressing so the corn stays bright and the cucumber crisp.
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Enjoy!