½ medium red onion, finely diced
¼ cup white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ears sweet corn, shucked
8 ounces orzo pasta
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced into ¼-inch pieces
1 ½ cups torn leaves of sweet basil or lemon basil
Stir the red onion, vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper together in a large mixing bowl. Let it sit while you continue with the recipe, allowing the acidic ingredients to mellow the raw bite of the onion.
Hold the ears of corn upright on a large cutting board and cut off the kernels, being careful not to cut so deep you shave the cob. They should give you about 5 cups of kernels.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the orzo and when it is just tender, after about 8 minutes, add the corn kernels to the pot. Cook until the water boils again, then drain in a colander, and rinse with cold water.
Stir the olive oil in to the bowl with the dressed onion. Toss in the pasta and corn, red bell pepper, and basil until evenly combined. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
Yield: 10 servings
Recipe from The Herbal Kitchen by Jerry Traunfeld
Linda
