[MM Monday] Corn Salsa

*Welcome to a MM (Meatless & Marathon) Monday post! Starting in August, my "meatless" Monday posts will also include updates as I train for my first marathon! This challenge is part of my 2013 Personal Goals (check out my progress here). I will be running the Anthem Richmond Marathon on November 16th.*

Meatless
Does anyone else feel already feel the looming chill of fall? It's only mid-August, which means at least another month and a half of warm summery weather. Hopefully.

Thankfully, there's still plenty of summery produce to correct my negative thinking. You know me, I eat in the moment. And in this moment, there's sweet corn everywhere! I almost always have frozen corn in the freezer, but fresh corncobs are simply unbeatable. I've been roasting mine in the oven, but I wish I could be grilling them...one day, I'll be a grown-up with a yard and grill.

One of my favorite ways I've eaten this year's corn is in this corn salsa---a recipe inspired by one of the only chains I still allow myself to go into. The paleness of my corn and lack of fresh cilantro leaves don't do the recipe justice. It's great stuff, I swear!



I also wish I could offer you a better name than "corn salsa" for this recipe...but that's just what it is! The name kind of eludes to the simplicity of the recipe too, i.e. super easy. Just toss and stir, stir, stir and then maybe let it sit half an hour. I loved this by the chip-full and in some restaurant-inspired burrito bowls. You should do it too.

Marathon
Last Tuesday's early, long run did not start off well. You see, I came home Monday night to find the temperature of my apartment close to 90 degrees. We tried tinkering with the thermostat and unit, but there was no fixing it; so the sleep we got was very minimal and not very good. Thank goodness for the wonderful route! We started near Tredegar and made our way to Floodwall Park, where there's a pathway situated on the southern flood wall of the James River. If you're in Richmond and have never been, I encourage you to. It's a gorgeous view, especially as the sun rises.

After a mediocre week of running, Saturday was certainly a surprise: This weekend marked my entry back into running double-digit miles! The temperature was mid-60s and low humidity...I felt like I could've run for h-o-u-r-s, but 10 miles was the stopping point. I know the weather had a lot to do with it, but I was still really excited at my average pace of 9 minute/mile. This week we're in recovery mode before pumping up the mileage more next week. It's funny how much I can feel myself mentally and physically resisting the rest. Coming off of Saturday, I'm so ready to keep pushing on!

Corn Salsa

Adapted from How Sweet It Is

Servings: ~4 cups

4 ears of sweet corn
1 jalapeno, seeds removed and finely chopped
Juice from 2 limes
1/3 cup chopped onion (I use white to avoid red onion stink-breath!)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (I used ~3 tablespoons Gourmet Garden cilantro)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

• Cook corn by either roasting or grilling; then allow it to cool to room temperature. (I roasted in the oven--husks on--at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.)

• Cut corn off cob and place in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir a lot, until well combined. Add more lime and/or spices according to personal preference. Salsa is best after it has had time to chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Store covered in the fridge for about 1 week.