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Mayo Clinic Recipe

         I found this healthy recipe, suggested by the Mayo Clinic, for those potluck picnics or summer dinners. Especially, if you don't know what else will be served, you will know that at least one dish will be low calorie and good for you.

         They called for cherry tomatoes, I used grape tomatoes because they were on sale. They called for red onion and frozen corn; I used regular onion, but cut back the quantity because it was a hot Bermuda type onion, and fresh corn on the cob. They called for basil, fresh and chopped; I used my homegrown young plants and cut them up with kitchen shears. To see the original recipe, look up Mayo clinic corn and tomato salad on any search engine.

         Three cups of corn equals about 4 or 5 ears of corn. Cutting it off the cob leaves big squares of kernels. I also scrape the cob to get some of the grit you would eat off the cob but that the knife misses. Halve the tomatoes and toss in with corn. Add a tablespoon of chopped onion and a quarter cup of chopped or cut basil. The basil makes it so sweet without the calories.

         In a small bowl, pour a quarter cup of low-fat or light ranch dressing. Stir in one tablespoon of rice vinegar which looks as though it's going to curdle the dressing, and stir. Add one eighth teaspoon of black pepper. Stir and pour slowly over corn mixture. Toss until it's well-coated. The dressing will be very thin, and the salad will look as though it doesn't have dressing. Let it sit or chill for a while before serving.

         It is so delicious! The tomatoes are sweet, so the fragrant basil adds to that. The corn makes it crunchy. The vinegar gives it a wonderful tangy flavor. My family ate it up. Once you make it, you will want to try variations, but bear in mind, it's supposed to be natural and healthy.