corn salad
• noun
The mildly nutty, tender dark green leaves of the corn salad plant, cultivated and consumed raw as a salad vegetable.
"She prepared a delicate winter appetizer using fresh corn salad, toasted walnuts, and a light citrus vinaigrette."
A small annual plant (Valerianella locusta) of the honeysuckle family, native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia, possessing characteristic spatulate leaves.
"The farmer sowed corn salad as a hardy winter cover crop that could be harvested before the spring planting."
Word Nuance & Usage
In botanical and culinary contexts, 'corn salad' refers to a specific leafy green plant (often marketed as mâche), which can cause confusion for those expecting a dish primarily composed of sweet corn kernels.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.