Summer Potato Salad

It's almost Memorial Day, which means lots of barbecues and cookouts for the next three months. Burgers and steaks and hot dogs are delicious, but they need some sides. You can always cook off some corn or slice some watermelon, but what about potato salad? There's always the creamy, mayonnaise-slathered classic potato salad, but I wanted something a little lighter and fresher. This potato salad is full of fresh summer produce like corn and tomatoes tossed in a light and lemony dressing, all complemented by bright, fresh basil. It's really easy to make and will surely be the perfect accompaniment to your main course. And when you're done with the savory dishes, try some Yogurt Berry Pie, Strawberry White Chocolate Mousse Tart, or Ginger Peach Smoothies.

Most of the salad is raw, but you need to cook the potatoes and corn. I leave the potatoes whole when I boil them so that they don't get overcooked and fall apart when I add them to the salad (but be gentle even if they are still somewhat firm; they will smush or flake). I fish them out of the water with a slotted spoon and leave the water boiling for the corn. Cooking the corn in the potato water doesn't have too much of an effect, but it improves the texture and gives it a slight saltiness from when I salted the water before. I toss everything together except the potatoes so that I break up the corn kernels (which tend to stick together when I cut them) and the onions; everything is also nicely coated with the dressing. I add the potatoes last so that they retain their shape and don't get in the way of everything else, since they are a little bigger.

1 lb Red Fingerling Potatoes
5 Ears Yellow Corn (3 lbs)
1 Pint Grape Tomatoes, Halved
2/3 Cup Diced Red Onion (1 Small)
1/2 Cup Lightly Packed Chiffonaded Basil
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
Juice of 2 Lemons

Place the potatoes in a pot of salted water and boil until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Scoop out and place in a bowl of ice water.

Cut each ear of corn in half and place in the boiling water from the potatoes. Boil for 5 minutes or until tender. Scoop out and place in the bowl with the potatoes.

Cube the potatoes. Cut the kernels off the corn. Whisk the oil and lemon juice together. Toss the corn, tomatoes, onion, basil, and dressing together. Gently fold in the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.

Serves 12
Recipe Adapted from Dave Lieberman