Mexican Street Corn Salad

I recently took a trip to Austin for work and I was blown away by the culture, food, and music that add so much life to the city. For dinner one night, I went to La Condesa and had probably the best Mexican meal of my life. The restaurant focuses on using seasonal, fresh, sustainable ingredients and incorporating them into authentic and inventive dishes. One of my favorite things that I had was actually a simple side of Mexican street corn - which is a grilled corn on the cob rubbed with chile powder and queso fresco cheese, topped with a squeeze of lime. The only issue was that it was quite messy! I thought, why not try to recreate it off the cob, and add some texture to it with some pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds). This was a big crowd pleaser at a recent BBQ we had.

Mexican Street Corn Salad
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Serves 8 as a side dish

6 ears white (or yellow) corn, husked
4 oz. queso fresco cheese, crumbled
1 c. raw hulled pumpkin seeds
2 t. ancho chile powder
Kosher salt
Extra virgin olive oil

Heat up the BBQ to high heat. Rub the corn with olive oil, then grill for approximately 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until they get some nice color to them. Set aside to cool for a few minutes. In a large bowl, cut the corn off the cob (I find a serrated knife works best). Add the queso fresco, pumpkin seeds, chile powder, and a pinch of kosher salt. Stir to combine, taste for additional seasoning, then serve.