End Of Summer Corn and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

• 4 ears of corn, shucked, OR 2 cans sweet corn (if fresh is not available).
• 4 ripe avocados, peeled, pits removed, and 1/2-inch diced chunks
• Juice of 1 lemon or half of a cup
• 6 Campari tomatoes, cut in fourths
• 1 lb mozzarella cheese, cubed
• 1 bunch cilantro, finely minced
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 clove minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. For fresh corn: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. An easy way to tell when it's done by how quickly it dries when you lift a cob (with tongs) out of the water. A cooked cob is a hot cob, and it will steam dry within just a few seconds. You shouldn't need to cook fresh corn longer than 5 minutes.
2. Drain, then immerse the corn in ice water to stop the cooking.
3. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, making sure to get as much of the whole kernel as you can, and place them in a large bowl.
4. If you are using canned corn. Simply drain the 2 cans of corn and pour into large bowl. You may rinse it, however I have never found the flavor of canned corn to be distracting in any way.
5. Add diced mozzarella and avocados.
6. Slice and add the tomatoes to bowl.
7. Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, 2 pinches kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic together in a small bowl and pour into the large bowl holding the other ingredients. Toss well.
8. Add finely minced cilantro and add to your bowl. Toss well once again.*
9. Lastly, sprinkle cayenne powder over the top of the salad. This allows the heat from the cayenne powder of the salad to be seen. Not only does this make for a beautiful presentation it allows me to give my husband his need for spice while also being able to serve it to my children by spooning them a portion from the bottom.