What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Bright Ideas: Esquites Mexican Corn Salad! Living so many years in the Corn Belt of the United States, is it any wonder I get nostalgic thinking about cornfields? Once asked, while I was dating, “Where would you like to retire?” My quick response was “On an acre of land overlooking cornfields at sunset.” Imagine the puzzled look I got as the guy shrugged his shoulders and walked away. Obviously he had no idea what I was talking about. It’s the rich smell of corn, its tingle of sweetness mixed with the earthy muskiness that saturates the senses. I don’t even mind shucking sweet corn. Gently pull back the luscious leaves. Inside are golden rows of plump kernels, dewy and sweet, with a crown of blond silky tendrils. Funny how the journey changes. Now I live in Florida, where cornfields have been replaced by orange groves. Sounds like it’s time to meander down the road to the citrus farm. Perhaps I can inhale the fresh tangy aroma of orange groves at sunset.
ESQUITES MEXICAN CORN SALAD
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 ears fresh corn, shucked, kernels removed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and stemmed, chopped
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions:
Warm vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering in an iron skillet. Add corn kernels. Season with kosher salt and garlic powder. Allow kernels to cook until charred on one side, approximately 2 minutes. Toss corn, stir, and repeat until charred on second side, approximately 2 minutes longer. Transfer charred corn kernels to a mixing bowl. Add crumbled Cotija cheese, chopped scallions, fresh cilantro, jalapeño pieces, mayonnaise, lime juice, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine. Serve immediately.
snapshotsincursive 
Looks wonderful and tastes even better!
Joanna
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Absolutely a taste of late summer/early fall. 🍃🌽
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I wonder what Cotija cheese is. Guess I’ll look it up.
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I found it at a small Mexican grocery. It’s similar to a feta, if that helps. 🤔
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[…] Esquites Mexican Corn Salad […]
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Corny….but good. 😜🍃🌽
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Yum, this looks really delicious.
I can imagine what the orange groves smell like at sunset when they are in flower. You will have to spy, and report back!
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Good idea! 🤔
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Hope all is well with you and yours Gail.
As for this recipe, succulent! And I’m not being corny.
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We are safe from Hurricane Ian. Actually, we were the 1% in our county who did not lose power. That’s a miracle in itself. We did lose internet and cable, but fortunately for awhile we used my husband’s transistor radio (that he’s had since middle school) to hear the news until they also lost power. I’ve never been so terrified! 🙏🏻🍃
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I bet!
Glad to hear everyone is well.
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Thank youuuu. 🙏🏻🍃
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Oh, yum, that’s an interesting salad idea, corn Mexican style cotija cheese… yum
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It was a pleasant surprise! 🍃🌽😋
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😁
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Third time’s the charm? When I log onto your blog, it shows me “Related” blogs, two of which are the repeat of September 23, 2021, and May 13, 2018. 😂
Good things come in threes, though, so guessing this third time must be even better!
❤️& 🙏, c.a.
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Yes. I have had challenges. Hurricane Ian being the most recent. Thankfully I had scheduled posts in queue. 🙏🏻🍃
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Yeah, knowing you were in the Sunshine State, you were prayed for a little extra along with some other friends, both on the west and east coasts of Florida.
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Thank you. We are blessed. 🙏🏻🍃
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