Sweet Corn, Cucumber, Basil, and Lime Salad

A Bright Pair of Midsummer Vegetables

The tightly edited flavors of this salad are the work of my wife, Kimberly. The colors are pale but cheerful, an emblem of freshness. The idea is equal amounts of corn and cucumber, but for any of the ingredients, except perhaps the ginger, the proportions are a matter of taste and what you have. And there’s no good way to measure basil, in addition to some being much more aromatic than other. Salting and draining the sliced cucumbers lets you dress the salad a little in advance: mix the slices with salt and set them in a colander (or in a bowl and later eliminate the liquid).

corn kernels sliced from about 6 boiled and cooled (even chilled) ears, making about 4 cups

about 700 gr (1½ pounds) cucumbers, peeled, halved or quartered (if they’re large), and sliced, making about 4 cups — salted (about ¾ teaspoon salt) drained for half an hour, unless you dress the salad just before you serve it

about ¼ cup lightly compressed basil leaves, torn or cut in small pieces

90 ml (3/8 cup) freshly squeezed lime juice, from 3 to 4 limes

60 ml (¼ cup) excellent, fresh-tasting olive oil

¼ teaspoon peeled and microplaned (or very finely chopped) fresh ginger

salt and black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a salad bowl, grinding in the pepper and mixing well. Taste and add salt as needed. Serves 4 to 6.