Corn & Black Lentils Serrano Pepper Salad

Leftover corn on the cob that had been grilled the day before…hummmm, what to do with it?  So I head to Fresh Market to pick up some things.  In the recesses of my brain I’m still thinking of the leftover corn.  I spy the can of black lentils…why not use them with the corn?  Now many recipes use black beans, but black lentils…hummm, works for me!  This is the kind of ‘salad’ (if you can call it that) that gets better after 24 or 48 hours…actually, Ben, my head taste tester, was so enthralled and enchanted with this dish that he’s asked for a repeat…that’s big considering that I’m always cooking something new each and every day!

Serves:  4-5

What you need:

3 large ears of fresh corn

4 tbl butter

1 ½ tsp cumin

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 can drained and rinsed black lentils (you could substitute black beans)

½ cup diced English cuke (skin on)

½ cup sliced green onions

½ cup diced green pepper

1 cup sliced baby mini multi-color peppers (red, orange, yellow)

1 medium Serrano pepper (seeds removed) and diced

½ cup chopped fresh basil

1 lime (juice and zest)

5 tbl olive oil

What you do:

In a medium heavy cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat, add corn and fry for about 15-20 minutes.  Add cumin, salt and pepper and toss, blend and scoop into a large mixing bowl.

Add remaining ingredients tossing after each is added.  Finally add lime juice, zest and olive oil and mix well.

Cover, refrigerate and allow to rest for at least an hour before serving.

©Alice D’Antoni Phillips  Ally’s Kitchen