Upper Arlington resident Carol Carothers enjoys cooking for family and friends, and one of her favorite recipes is a somewhat unusual marinated corn salsa. Carol considers cooking as more of a hobby than a requisite chore, and says she loves to entertain. With three teenagers in the family – Justin, 19, Bradley, 17 and Nicole, 14 – the Carothers children usually have a group of teenage friends in tow at the house, or Carol is entertaining many of their parents, with whom she has become friends.
Like many UA neighborhoods, the Carothers’ street has annual block parties residents look forward to each year. The summers mean it’s time for the Independence Day party on July 4. The street is blocked off, and most of the neighbors get together to enjoy a little slice of Americana called the potluck dinner. At Christmastime, the same neighbors participate in a festive progressive dinner loaded with traditional and non-traditional dishes.
Party-goers at these festive events often request Carol’s marinated corn salsa, considered her “signature” dish. She has been making it for years, she says: the recipe originally came from a friend in Westerville. Carol notes the recipe is much better when made with fresh Ohio corn, but in a pinch (or out of season) frozen corn works just fine.
Marinated Corn Salsa (makes 8-10 servings)
Salsa
1 avocado, ripe, reserved
1 red pepper, chopped
16 ounces fresh or frozen corn (about four or five ears), husked and cut from the cob
2 cans (4 ounces each) black olives, sliced
1 small red onion, diced
Mix corn, olives and onion in medium bowl. Set aside and proceed to the marinade.
Marinade
¼ cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup olive oil
Mix all ingredients in medium bowl. Whisk in olive oil slowly to emulsify. Pour marinade over salsa, and marinate in refrigerator at least 1½ hours, preferably overnight, if possible. When ready to serve, chop avocado, and toss with marinated salsa. Serve with tortilla chips.
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