Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   3      tablespoons   Vegetable oil
   2      cups          Diced portobello mushrooms
     1/4  cup           Sherry wine vinegar -- to 1/2
   4      cups          Roasted* corn -- to 5
     1/2  cup           Reconstituted sun-dried -- tomatoes
   1      cup           Diced poblano chilies
   1 1/2  teaspoons     Minced roasted* garlic
   1 1/2  teaspoons     Chipotle en adobo**
   1      teaspoon      Salt -- to 1 1/2
   1      teaspoon      Chopped fresh cilantro
   1 1/2  teaspoons     Chopped fresh marjoram

Preparation:

This full-flavored salad also was adapted from the original of Red Sage restaurant. Heat oil in a large saute pan and add mushrooms. Over high heat, saute until lightly browned. Add the sherry vinegar to deglaze mushrooms. Set aside to cool. Mix the cooled mushrooms with the roasted corn, sun-dried tomatoes, poblano chilies, garlic, chipotles, salt, cilantro and marjoram. * Roasting corn over an open fire adds an extra smoky note. Soak ears while still in their husks in cool water for 30 to 60 minutes. Let excess water drain off and then place the whole ears - still in their husks - around the edges of medium-hot fire. Do not put them directly over the flames. Roast them for 20 to 30 minutes, turning often, until done. Cool slightly, peel off husks and then cut kernels from the cob. The ears can also be roasted in a hot oven (350 to 400 degrees) for about 15 minutes. Garlic also can be roasted on the grill on in the oven. Cut enough off the top of a whole, unpeeled head to barely expose the tops of the individual cloves. Drizzle on a little olive oil and grill or roast until soft. ** This canned product - available in Hispanic markets ~ can be difficult to find in area supermarkets but Red Sage's Mark Miller provided a recipe for a homemade version in his "The Great Chile Book," written with John Harrison, (Ten Speed Press, 1991). In a medium sauce pan, combine 7 to 10 medium-sized dried chipotle chilies, stemmed and slit lengthwise, with 1/3 cup sliced onion, 5 tablespoons cider vinegar, 2 cloves of sliced garlic, 1/4 cup ketchup and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add 3 cups water and simmer, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The mixture should reduce to about 1 cup. This will keep, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator for several weeks. Puree portions as needed, removing seeds by straining puree through a siev

Nutritional Information:

111 calories, 14 gm carbohydrates, 0 mg cholesterol, 727 mg sodium, 3 gm protein, 6 gm fat, 1 gm saturated fat As Appeared in The Washington Post (05/31/95); Reformatted by Sheri Pierce