Corn And Tomato Salad With Fried Okra Croutons - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Salad
4 cups corn, fresh kernels
2 tomatoes, large seeded and chopped
2 scallions, thinkly sliced (white and green parts)
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme, fresh or 1/2 teaspoon a pinch thyme, dried
fresh ground black pepper
Fried Okra
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 lb okra, fresh cut into 1/4-inch rounds
frying oil

Preparation

Place the corn kernels in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on high power for 1 minute: stir, and microwave just until crisp-tender, up to 1 minute longer. Toss the corn in a mixing bowl with the tomatoes, scallions, and parsley.
Whisk the sugar and 1/4 tsp salt with the vinegar in a small bowl until dissolved. Then whisk in the olive oil and thyme leaves until the dressing is thick and well blended. Pour the dressing over the salad, tossing to coat it well. Season with pepper, and additional salt if needed. Set the salad aside to allow the flavors to mellow while you fry the okra.
Combine the cornmeal, salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl, and toss the okra slices in the mixture. Warm 1/3 inch of oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat.
Drop a cornmeal-coated okra slice into the hot oil to test the temperature. When it sizzles energetically, add half of the remaining okra, without crowding. Fry until ver crisp and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spatula and place them on paper towels to drain. Repeat with the second batch.
Just before serving, taste the salad and adjust the seasonings if needed. Top each dish of salad with a generous mound of fried okra.