How to build a picture-perfect summer trifle salad

Trifles are terrific. They don’t require hard-to-find ingredients and draw lots of accolades for barely any work. They look the part whether it’s a laid-back family get-together or a soiree on the patio decked with string lights.

A mixed veggie trifle is more about construction than cooking. It will embrace just about any type of raw summer vegetable, which is sliced, diced or grated and assembled in a clear glass bowl over a layer of bread and drizzled with a delicious dressing.

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SUMMER TRIFLE SALAD

This salad looks dramatic when served in a trifle or large clear glass bowl. If some of the produce are from your garden, you have one more reason to brag. The salad can be assembled the night before. Just cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Savory cornbread (recipe follows)

1 small red onion, optional

1/2 teaspoon sugar

4 cups packed shredded romaine lettuce, divided

2 1/2 cups boiled corn kernels

3 cups mini peppers, deseeded and sliced into coins

4 mini cucumbers, sliced into coins

16 ounces cherry tomatoes

Dice the red onion into small cubes. Dissolve sugar in a bowl of cold water. Add onion, making sure the cubes are covered with water. Let them sit for 15 minutes. Drain the water and place diced onions on paper towels and pat them dry. Set them aside.

In a trifle or glass bowl, place the cornbread wedges in a single layer, cutting pieces to fill the gaps.

Top with 1 cup of shredded romaine lettuce.

Evenly spread the corn kernels on top of the lettuce followed by a layer of the diced onion.

Top with another cup of shredded lettuce.

Arrange the sliced pepper along the side of the bowl, alternating colours, and spread the rest evenly on top of the lettuce.

Add the third cup of shredded lettuce on top of the peppers.

Arrange cucumber slices along the side of the bowl and spread the rest evenly on top of the lettuce.

Add the last cup of shredded lettuce on top of the cucumbers and lightly press down,

Arrange cherry tomatoes on top of the lettuce as the final layer.

Serve with your desired dressing.

SAVORY CORNBREAD

The question whether cornbread should be sweet or savory often leads to spirited discussions. But for a trifle salad, the savory version is the definite choice.

1/3 cup canola oil, plus some for greasing

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 (14.75-ounce) can cream-style corn

1/4 cup pickled jalapenos, diced

2 tablespoons minced shallot

1 teaspoon garlic salt

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 1/4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a deep pie dish with oil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, cream-style corn, jalapenos, shallot and garlic salt.

Add oil, eggs and cilantro and whisk again until fully combined. Add half cup of cheddar cheese and gently stir.

Pour into the prepared pan and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 33 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center shows moist crumbs.

Let the cornbread cool and then slice it into wedges.