Our social media team often sees posts from alumni around the country who are hosting send-offs for new students or other Bowdoin-related celebrations.
Often those parties feature polar bear cakes, lobster, or the Bowdoin log, but recently this Bowdoin Dining favorite salad caught our eye—it’s the perfect introduction to the deceptively simple and highly delicious food that awaits every new Polar Bear.
Ingredients
- 6 ears fresh corn, shucked
- 1 English cucumber, chopped
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ tablespoon lime zest
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
Lightly steam the ears of corn, cool them until safe to handle, and cut off the kernels. (Alternatively, you can cut off the kernels first and then lightly blanch them—in either case, make sure the corn does not overcook and stays crisp.)
Combine the corn, cucumber, blueberries, onion, jalapeño, and all but 1 teaspoon of the cilantro in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, zest, olive oil, honey, cumin, and remaining 1 teaspoon of cilantro.
Toss the dressing gently with the corn mixture. Allow to marinate for 1 hour, refrigerated. Garnish with additional lime if desired.
DID YOU KNOW?
Cucumbers really are cool. The inside of a cucumber can be up to 20 degrees colder than the air temperature outside. The phrase “cool as a cucumber” comes from that discrepancy, and it’s one of the reasons (they also have antioxidants and lots of water) that they work so well to soothe puffy eyes.
Bowdoin Dining Services serves meals made from scratch by a staff of talented culinary professionals.
This story first appeared in the Spring/Summer 2026 issue of Bowdoin Magazine. Manage your subscription and see other stories from the magazine on the Bowdoin Magazine website.
