Friday, October 1, 2010

Arugula Salad with Raw Sweet Corn and Cherry Tomatoes



For health reasons, I went on a raw vegan diet recently. I know it doesn't sound too enjoyable, but on the contrary, I've actually discovered lots of delicious raw foods and I am also rediscovering how much I love salads! Plus, my digestion has improved greatly and I'm feeling more energetic lately, among a lot of different signs that my health is improving. I even found out a few days ago that red meat passes so slowly through your digestive system that often it ends up rotting in your intestines before it's fully digested (though much of this can be prevented by adding more fiber via fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet). That's not to mention a fact well known by now that regular consumption of red meat significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and even cancer. I also found out that fresh fruits and vegetables have natural enzymes in them that aid your body in digesting them efficiently, whereas cooked fruits and vegetables have had much of their nutrition cooked out of them. Suffice it to say, now that I've learned all this, I will probably be eating much less red meat after the raw vegan diet is over, despite the fact that I love red meat and used to eat it all the time (at least once a day). And although meat does contain protein, which is important to a balanced diet, nuts are a healthier source of protein since they don't contain the high levels of unhealthy saturated fats found in red meat and instead contain high levels of healthy fats, such as monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and omega-3 fatty acids.

There are actually certain foods I prefer raw and other foods I prefer cooked, but corn is definitely one of those foods I prefer raw. Corn is so flavorful in its raw state that I prefer to eat it raw than eat corn on the cob the traditional way. Cherry tomatoes are also incredibly flavorful in its raw state and lose much of its flavor once cooked. Remember not to refrigerate the cherry tomatoes since it will lose its flavor quickly and the flesh will turn mealy and unappetizing; just store them in a cool place. The original recipe called for Sweet 100 tomatoes, a type of cherry tomatoes, but any type of cherry tomatoes will do. The combination of sweet raw corn and sweet cherry tomatoes is bliss!

Arugula Salad with Raw Sweet Corn and Cherry Tomatoes
From The Zuni Cafe Cookbook

Ingredients:
• 4-5 ounces Sweet 100 or other small, ripe cherry tomatoes (or about 1 cup or 25 tomatoes)
• 2 very young, small ears white corn (or about ½ cup kernels)
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1 small shallot, finely diced
• 4 ounces arugula, carefully washed and dried
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Stem, wash, and dry the tomatoes and cut them in half. (The serrated bread knife is especially good for cutting tomatoes, so if you eat tomatoes frequently, it's a worthwhile investment.)
2. Shuck the ears from the corn and remove all the silk. Trim the tip from each cob but don't remove the stalk as it makes a convenient handle. Holding the cob at an angle, use a sharp knife (such as a chef's knife) to slice off the kernels, placing the blade flat against the ear and sliding it smoothly down the length of the ear. You'll want to remove the kernels at their bases without removing any of the actual cob itself. Rotate the ear after each slice, until all the kernels have been removed. Crumble the kernels between your fingers so as to separate any clusters.
2. Combine the oil, vinegar, shallot, and salt and pepper to taste. Place the arugula in a salad bowl and toss with enough vinaigrette to coat the leaves well. Scatter the cherry tomatoes and corn kernels over the arugula, add the remaining vinaigrette, and lightly mix. Taste, and correct the oil, vinegar or salt. The vinaigrette shouldn't be too acidic so as to overpower the sweetness of the corn and cherry tomatoes. Serve immediately.

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