Corn and Strawberry Salad with Goat Cheese
Sometimes I’m a big dummy. When I first brought home the cookbook Eataly from Eataly, in New York City, I marked a salad recipe that really intrigued me. It was a corn salad with strawberries and goat cheese.
Now, I didn’t happen to notice that there wasn’t any corn in the photo of this salad, I just thought the idea of corn and strawberries together sounded good.
What isn’t available to me at my “small town” grocery store, are exotic vegetables, including lettuces, like corn salad. What??? When I researched it, corn salad is another name for lamb’s lettuce and mache!!!
Which then explain why there’s no corn in the photo. And, it turns out there’s no corn salad in all of Oklahoma. So I used small romaine hearts instead just for something green, and indeed used corn as well. And next spring I’m going to grow corn salad.
Corn Salad with Strawberries and Goat Cheese
Definitely adapted
Makes 4 hearty salads
10 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
10 good-sized basil leaves, chiffonaded, plus extra for garnish
5 tablespoons extra virgin oil, divided
Salt
White pepper
4 flatbreads or naan
2 small romaine heartS, sliced thinly
1 – 15 ounce can whole corn, well drained
1 pound strawberries, sliced
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
Salt
White Pepper
In a bowl, mix together the cheese and basil. In a separate bowl, mix together 3 tablespoons of oil with a pinch of each of salt and white pepper. Break up the flatbread and brush the pieces with the seasoned oil.
Arrange a few pieces of flatbread in individual bowls, then add some romaine, corn, and some sliced strawberries.
Top with spoonfuls of the cheese and basil mixture, followed by the remaining flatbread, corn, strawberries, and cheese.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining oil, balsamic vinegar, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad, and serve.
Overall, I loved the salad. The basilly goat cheese was fabulous with the corn, strawberries and lettuce. The seasoned pieces of flatbread were delicious.
The only part I didn’t like was when the dressing got onto the flatbread pieces, they mushed up.
So next time, I will toss together the lettuce, corn, and strawberries with the dressing, then add the cheese and flatbread pieces.
I served the salads with chilled Lillet.
I really love the corn and strawberries together – two different kinds of sweetness.
Arugula could definitely be substituted for corn salad, if you can’t find it either.
And as far as mixing the basil into the goat cheese, I’d much rather chiffonade a lot of basil and mix into the lettuce, corn, and strawberries, and then simply crumble the goat cheese. It’s funny, I’ve had trouble with the Eataly cookbook recipes before!
About the Author: Chef Mimi
Corn salad or lamb’s lettuce? Oh my…I know it as valeriana in Italian 😊 and I simply love it but from when I’m in Singapore I was never able to find it 😣
However even with Romain lettuce and real corn, it looks so great! 😋😋 the combination is very particular 😉😋
It did work out well. I have heard of mache, but also can’t get that. It was probably from a restaurant menu. Very good, though!
I’d have thought the same thing as you! I’ve never heard of a green that was called corn salad. But I like you used actual corn for this.
It did work out well. Kinda funny, though!
I’ve never heard of corn salad as a green leaf before. I think rocket, strawberries and corn (off the cob) sounds perfect. Time to give the Cookbook a miss from what you’ve said.
I have had problems with another recipe as well, but at least the final salad turned out well!
This is a lovely celebration of the summer’s harvest. Love the peppery taste of arugula in a salad with all of your other ingredients. Delicious!
Thank you! It really was delicious, even though it was missing the corn salad!!!
My first thought was that corn and strawberries don’t overlap in season – then I got to the part about mâche. Ahhhhh… corn salad. Silly of me. I love mâche and we can get it occasionally here. Trader Joe used to carry it all the time – so good with avocado and a simple oil and herb vinegar dressing. But use added corn anyway, you clever woman. Now that it is fresh corn season here, It would be fun to try with that – and I am sure I can still fnd a few strawberries somewhere.
Here, there’s corn early. I definitely didn’t use early spring strawberries, but it worked. I know what you mean, though, I’m usually very seasonally oriented. Although canned corn is a decent sub!
It was yet another learning experience for me! I’m going to try and grow corn salad next spring, but I still liked the corn and strawberries together!
I was thinking silly as we as I also thought corn and strawberries to be a strange combo. But then, I too realized it was mâche. I’ve never know it as corn salad. Anyway, then you Miminized the recipe in your style and we did end up with strawberry and corn salad. I love the idea. I will be trying this one before our local strawberries go away.
I really did like strawberries and corn together. They’re both sweet, but somehow it worked, especially with all of the other wonderful ingredients.
Interesting combination of corn and strawberries…looks summer fresh and delicious and nicely served on naan bread;))
All of the ingredients work really well together. I’d just put it together in a different way…
What a lovely and elegant salad Mimi! I absolutely love this corn and strawberry combo yum! I’m sure corn salad would be amazing with strawberries, but I’m glad that you interpreted it as a corn and strawberry salad, because what you’ve created here is absolutely delicious!
It really did work out well, and I’m sure I’ll make it again. The flavors are fabulous.
Thanks! It really was.
Such a pretty salad and so flavourful. I’ve never tried the corn and strawberry combo, will need to give this a try when I find local strawberries again.
It’s really good, I think! Especially mixed up with the other wonderful ingredients.
You’re right. Everything about this salad worked well, even without the corn salad! I’ve ordered seeds…
Ok “corn salad” is new to me. The greens, anyway. Love to learn something new. But this salad, with the actual corn, looks and sounds delightful! I’ve recently seen corn combined with blueberries, but Im thinking strawberries add a bit of welcome acidic flavor to the party! lovely recipe, Mimi!
Oooh, I never would have thought of corn and blueberries. Fabulous idea! This salad really did turn out well, even without the corn salad!
You do realize that now, someone is going to be searching for recipes online, come upon yours, and go, “Where’s the corn salad? She actually used corn in the salad?” Hahah. I love corn in salad! When it’s in season, I always toss it into whatever green salad I’m making. I have never paired it with strawberries, though. I also love that you included flatbread in your salad. It sounds so refreshing.
The components were all really good together, I’d just put them together in a different way. And you’re right, corn is good tossed into just about anything! And I’m not above using canned corn. Corn salad. Who knew?!!
Oh my gosh only you could make this combo of corn and strawberries look and sound so delish!! The chipmunks ate all my different varieties of lettuce. *sigh* I’ll have to refigure fencing and give it another go…it does better when the weather cools off a little anyway, so maybe it’s not too late for you!
Oh no! That’s terrible. We live in the country and I’ve only had one bad summer when somebody would take one bite out of every ripe tomato. Every day. Otherwise I’m pretty lucky. It’s so hot here that I’ve never bothered with lettuce, but I did buy some corn salad seeds! I’m determined to see what it tastes like!
I have never heard it called corn salad…it’s charming!
And confusing!
I loved the back story to your original recipe Mimi. I really do like mâche and have heard it referred to as lambs lettuce or lambs tongue lettuce but never as corn salad. I also appreciate how you have critiqued the cookbook version and your suggestions. It sounds like their recipe was a version of an Italian panzanella salad but using flatbread instead of day old bread. As to the flatbread, perhaps baking them like you would in a fattoush bread salad. No matter what, you have given us a creative new summer salad to try. 😊
Thanks, Karen. I’ve just been reading about maps! This is a great salad, however it gets put together. Good ingredients. I had definitely never heard of corn salad before!
Sounds like a happy little mistake if you ask me! And goat on anything is delicious in my book. You have inspired me to try this, thanks!
thanks! I’m still intrigued about corn salad. Looks like I’ll have to grow my own, but the rest of the ingredients were really good together!
I would have thought the same thing. Your version looks delicious.
Ha! Corn salad. Who’d have thunk?!!
“Definitely adapted” LOL! I’ve never seen corn salad, either. I’ll try your arugula suggestion. This looks summertime fabulous!
I think it would work with any lettuce, really, like a pretty mesclun.
Love the results! Such a beautiful and bright summer salad. I’m in! :-) ~Valentina
It was really good. I loved the flavors, colors, textures.
Sign me up.
Yes! It came out really well!