Grilled Corn and Sweet Onion Salad

Grilled corn and sweet onion salad is what we make when the market gets ahead of us. Corn and Walla Walla sweets overlap for a short stretch every summer, and putting both on the grill before they go in the bowl brings out a smoky sweetness you won’t get from raw corn. The dressing is two things whisked together, olive oil and Honey Ginger white balsamic, and the ginger adds a little warmth underneath all that sweetness without taking over. It’s good warm, it’s good at room temperature, and it sits happily on a table for a couple of hours while people pick at it.

Ingredients

6 ears sweet corn, husked
2 medium Walla Walla sweet onions, cut into ½-inch rounds
3 tablespoons Persian Lime Olive Oil, plus more for brushing
2 tablespoons Honey Ginger White Balsamic
½ cup crumbled feta or cotija, optional
¼ cup chopped cilantro or basil
Flaky finishing salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat the grill to medium high. Brush the corn and the onion rounds lightly with olive oil.

Grill the corn about 10 minutes, turning every few minutes, until charred in spots and tender. Grill the onion rounds 4 to 5 minutes per side, until soft and browned at the edges. Keeping the rounds intact makes them easier to flip.
Let everything cool enough to handle. Cut the kernels off the cobs into a large bowl and roughly chop the onions, then add them in.

Whisk the 3 tablespoons olive oil with the balsamic and pour it over while the corn is still a little warm so it soaks in.
Add the herbs and the cheese if you’re using it. Finish with flaky salt and pepper, taste, and add more balsamic if it needs brightening.

Serve warm or at room temperature. It holds up fine on a table for a couple of hours.