Just-right blend of sweet/tangy in this colorful, healthy salad that brightened our Fourth

A whole artillery of wonderful foods helped make our 4th star-spangled in every way. Difficult to know where to start, but Black Bean & Corn Salad certainly lit some fireworks among our taste buds. To Hubby and me this seemed to be the quintessential picnic salad. Those plump, almost candy-like tomatoes from the heart of our garden were right in the big middle of all the corn and black beans. Fresh, fresh, fresh!

Other items that contributed to the wonder that was this salad were red peppers, green onions, avocado, and cilantro. A lime-olive oil-garlic marinade in which the veggies bathed in the fridge overnight made just the right blend of slightly sweet/tangy. It was great with our slow-cooker chicken/sweet potato stew (more on this latter item in a later blog) that we carted with us to our place at the lake, but we also could envision it alongside burgers, grilled chicken, or other picnic fare.

The recipe for this enjoyable dish appeared among the pages of our Garland Messenger community newspaper. I simply was browsing through and mulling over hometown news when suddenly a colorful page of food dishes and their how-to’s appeared. After the weekend we spent experiencing Black Bean & Corn Salad, I certainly was thankful for that colorful page.

Black Bean & Corn Salad

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels

1 avocado—peeled, pitted, and diced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

6 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a small jar place lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt (or salt substitute), and cayenne pepper. Cover with lid; shake until ingredients are well mixed. In a salad bowl combine beans, corn, avocado, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Shake lime dressing and pour it over the salad. Stir salad and refrigerate. Allow to marinate for several hours or overnight. Makes 10 servings.