Dilled, Crunchy Sweet-Corn Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

For the salad:

• 1 clove shallot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 3 ears of fresh, uncooked corn, the kernels scraped from the cobs with a sharp knife (about 2 3/4 cup)
• 4 Persian cucumbers, quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 long red sweet pepper, seeded, ribs removed and diced
• 1 small handfull fresh dill (about 4 smallish sprigs), minced
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• crumbled Feta cheese, rinsed, as a garnish

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2/3 cups plain European style thin yogurt, stirred
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons minced Vidalia or other sweet onion
• 1 small clove garlic, minced and mashed with a pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

1. Salt the shallot slices in 1/2 t. salt and allow to sit about 20 minutes to draw out any harshness. Rinse well with water and pat dry with a paper towel. In a large bowl toss the corn kernels lightly to separate them, add the shallot and the remaining salad ingredients and toss again to combine.
2. In a smaller bowl combine the buttermilk, vinegar, onion, yogurt, and garlic and whisk to combine. Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking, until amalgamated. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.
3. Serve the salad slightly chilled, garnished with the feta cheese. Pass the dressing separately.