Tomato, Bacon and Corn Salad

Tomato, Bacon and Corn Salad

This super-summery salad is all about big, bold bites — juicy tomatoes, sweet corn, creamy avocado and crispy bacon. It’s tossed with nothing more than a generous squeeze of lime and a little reserved bacon fat for extra richness and smokiness. Plenty of cilantro (or another herb of your choice) keeps it fresh. It’s hearty enough to be dinner, but also plays well with anything grilled, roasted or just eaten outdoors. Some thick toast on the side could make this a full meal.

Yield: 4 servings

8 ounces bacon

1 large lime

2 small avocados

10 ounces ripe tomatoes

Salt and pepper

1½ cups fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears of corn) 

Roughly chopped cilantro, to taste

Place the bacon in a large skillet, turn the heat to medium and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 8 minutes, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Keep the rendered bacon fat. Finely grate the lime’s zest and set aside.

Halve and pit each avocado, then cut each half in half again to create quarters. Remove the skin and place the avocado pieces on a serving platter. Cut the tomatoes into large bite-size pieces (halves or wedges) and arrange on the platter, then cut the lime in half and juice one half over everything. Season with salt and pepper.

To a large bowl, add the bacon, breaking it into smaller pieces. Add the corn, cilantro, reserved lime zest, 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat and the juice of the remaining lime to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste, toss and spoon over the tomatoes and avocados.