Crab and Corn Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette

Free weekends at home without some special event or out-of-town guests come at a premium this summer. While I love travels and house guests, blogging during the week with a full time job poses a challenge. I’ve talked with other bloggers about getting ahead and having four or five posts in the works, and they agree with me that getting ahead never seems to happen. I’m always struggling just to keep up. This would be one of those weeks.

Last weekend, I bought some beautiful local, organic tomatoes at my neighborhood farmer’s market. I like tomatoes and I use them all year long in salads, but I love the local variety that I can find this time of year. There’s no comparison in the flavor of these tomatoes.

After the food orgy that we had last weekend, I’m still trying to keep things light. The tomatoes that I got over the weekend waited patiently in my vegetable bowl, and a salad of crab and corn seemed to be the perfect way to feature them. A simple pesto vinaigrette gave the salad the perfect summer flavor.

These tomatoes stuffed with crab and corn salad tossed with pesto vinaigrette make a delicious pre-dinner appetizer, a side dish with grilled steak, or a light lunch.

Crab and Corn Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• For the dressing:
• 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoons prepared basil pesto
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup grape seed oil or other neutral oil
• For the corn:
• 2 ears fresh corn, shucked and silked
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• For the salad:
• 8 ounces lump crabmeat
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1 cup grilled corn kernels
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped basil leaves, plus additional for garnish
• 8 medium small tomatoes, Instructions
• For the dressing:

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, honey, pesto, salt, and pepper. Continue whisking and slowly add oil until well combined.

For the corn:

1. Brush corn with olive oil. Heat grill or grill pan to high heat. Grill corn over high heat until kernels are browning. Continue to turn corn until all kernels are slightly charred.

2. Remove from grill and cool completely. When cooled, slice kernels off of cob using a sharp knife.

For the salad:

1. Combine crab, bell pepper, onion, avocado, corn, and basil. Add dressing to taste.

2. Cut the top 1/3 off the tomatoes off and remove entire contents with a spoon, leaving only the shell of the tomato. Fill each tomato with crab and corn salad. Garnish with additional basil and serve immediately.2.2

http://www.southernboydishes.com/2014/06/27/crab-and-corn-salad-with-pesto-vinaigrette/

I grew up in small town Mississippi eating traditional southern fare.A lifelong foodie, I started cooking and experimenting with food at a very young age. I started Southern Boy Dishes as a creative outlet and a way to share my love of food.

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