I've read that to be a good blogger you shouldn't wing it, that you must have a production schedule. This has proven to be especially true for Tea and Fog because I have to juggle both the schedule of posting and the schedule of actually cooking recipes, sometimes recipe testing multiple times until I get it right. As someone with a full time job that is not food blogging, I have to treat my production calendar as a bible if I want to keep to a two posts per week schedule (that no one is holding me to but I.can't.stop.). These days that means looking three months ahead to make sure I have a plan for every post, or cooking way too many recipes on a weekend in preparation for a few weeks of work travel. 

But sometimes, it's still nice to be a little spontaneous! As I type this on a keyboard sticky from this past Saturday's rigidly planned cooking marathon, I'm feeling a little proud that this particular recipe wasn't planned in advance, that I basically just threw some ingredients together the other night, took a bite, and then did whatever the eating equivalent is of a double take. Because without any thought other than, "Hmm, this sounds like it might be good together," I cobbled together a non-recipe that is one of the best things I've tasted in a while. 

Is this a salad? Or is it a salsa? Or is it maybe a sort of guacamole? I don't really know, because I suppose you could eat it as any of those things, but I ate it with a spoon, so I'm going to call it a salad. 

However it's called, it's definitely good, with sweet, crisp raw corn kernels and chunks of avocado tossed with lime zest, lime juice, and a bit of cotija cheese, then finished with some fresh chives and a hit sea salt and black pepper. You will not find a simpler side dish for these last weeks of summer, when corn is abundant and perfect enough to eat as is, no cooking required. 

Raw Corn & Avocado Salad

• 2 ears of corn, shucked
• 2 avocados, cut in half and pitted
• 1 lime
• a small bit of cotija cheese
• a handful of fresh chives
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Cut the kernels off of the corn and transfer to a bowl. Spoon out the flesh of each avocado and cut into chunks, then add to the bowl with the corn.
2. Zest and juice the lime and add to the corn and avocado, then crumble in the cheese into the mixture.
3. Mince the chives and add to the bowl, then season with salt and pepper and toss. Adjust seasoning as needed and serve.