I should have grown up on a farm. I knew it then, I know it now, and WHY DIDN’T MY PARENTS MOVE FOR ME? Now that I’m a bit past 10-years-old, I understand why they didn’t succumb to my pressure to move into the country {along with my never-ending pressure for them to have another baby}… but I maintain that I was born for farm life. I don’t need anything massive, but big enough for a massive garden. And an orchard. And a few cows, pigs, chicken, goats, sheep, ducks, etc. Is that too much to ask? I have years of manual labor under my belt, so I’m not afraid to get my boots dirty!
Despite growing up in the city, I do think of myself as somewhat of a country girl. I loved living in Bozeman, which is much smaller than Portland, and spent as much of my time as possible during college and my early 20’s living in a tiny tiny town in rural Colorado. I absolutely loved it! Sure, I missed the culture and convenience of a big city, but living in the country has some major benefits. Like the lack of noise. And abundance of land. And access to the outdoors. And a community feel. And FARMS. And FARMHOUSES! Oh my gosh. My imagination just sprinted out to the side there and now I’m picturing gorgeous wooden farmhouses with plenty of windows and beautiful floors. That’s a tangent for another day.
Even though my parents still refuse to buy me a farm {come on, parents!}, being home with my Mom has given me ample access to produce. I mentioned yesterday that she has a massive garden/orchard, so pretty much everything you see on TKP for the next month will probably be straight out of the garden. Right now she has corn, tomatoes, kohlrabi, herbs, carrots, onions, chard, other greens, beets, plums, apples, beans, squash — and much, much more. Where do I even start!?!?
This recipe came from her saying “we need to use the corn TODAY!” So, use the corn I did! But not without first totally trashing it up into delicious Mexican street corn! Have you guys ever had elote? It’s basically corn with butter/mayo, chili powder/paprika, and cheese. Usually cojita, but I had a heck of a time finding it {to be fair, I was shopping at the Asian supermarket}, so I used parmesan instead. It worked just fine, but I’ll stick with cojita in the recipe! Then I had tons of basil to use up, and a never-ending stream of tomatoes. Into the salad they go!
As for the farro — have you guys tried farro yet? We had an out-of-this-world farro salad at the wedding we attended last weekend, which sent me on a farro-finding mission. I’ll warn you: you might also be seeing tons of farro, because I AM IN LOVE. That texture! I can’t get over it! It’s the perfect chewiness! If you want a satisfying textural experience: eat farro. It’s amazing. And quick to cook! It takes about 20 minutes, so you don’t have to worry about planning ahead here.
As with nearly every recipe I post here, please improvise and add whatever veggies you have on hand! Peas or shredded carrots would be delicious in here! I even considered throwing in some black beans, but got lazy and kept those out of the mix {this time!}.
- 1½ cups uncooked farro, rinsed
- 4 ears corn, husked
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- ¼ tsp each salt + pepper, plus an extra 1 tsp salt
- 2 jalapeños
- 2 Tbsp butter, softened
- 2 Tbsp mayonaise
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chile powder
- ½ cup cotija cheese, crumbled and divided
- 2 limes
- 3 green onions, diced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- ⅓ cup fresh basil, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Cook the farro according to directions {bring 3 cups of water to a boil, add the farro and reduce heat to a simmer, cook for 20 minutes or until desired chewiness}. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork when ready.
- Meanwhile, use 1 Tbsp olive oil to brush the corn and season with ¼ tsp each salt and pepper. Wrap the corn in a layer of foil and grill, over high heat, turning frequently. I used my gas stove for this. All in all, cook the corn for 8-10 minutes. Check one of the husks to see if it's done, and don't be afraid to blacken it!
- When the corn is done, let cool for 10 minutes before proceeding. Meanwhile, combine the butter and mayonaise in a small cup. Stir will, then brush over the slightly-cooled corn. Combine the smoked paprika with the chili powder and sprinkle over the buttery corn. Sprinkle the cheese over the corn, as well.
- As the corn continues to cool, assemble the salad by pouring the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus juice from two limes, over the farro. Toss to coat, then ad the diced green onions, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped basil, and cilantro. Cut the corn kernels off of the cob, and add to the salad. Add any remaining butter/mayonaise and paprika/chili powder mix you have. Toss well, and serve warm or cold!
My goodness. I think we are cut from the same cloth. I have always believed a farm is where I should be. And this corn is what I would be eating!
Thanks, Abbe!
Such a great idea for salad! Pinned 🙂
Thanks, Marla!!
This salad looks amazing! And your pictures are beautiful. Well done Mary!
Thanks, Lindsay!!
This salad looks wonderful!
Thanks, Marla! We certainly enjoyed it!
We made this for dinner tonight, delicious!
Yay! I’m glad you liked it!
What is the purpose of the mayo in this recipe?
In traditional Elote, mayo is spread on the corn before the seasoning is sprinkled on — so I wanted to keep it in there!