Sweet Corn Salad Wraps

I took both grandchildren to the beach this week. David dropped them off at seven in the morning — Ethan buzzing with the energy of a child who has been promised ocean, Sophie wide-eyed and clutching a stuffed bear that goes everywhere she goes. Jennifer packed a bag with the military precision of a mother who has learned that a day at the beach with two children under four requires provisions sufficient for a small expedition.

The beach was ours by eight. Long Island in late July — the sand already warm, the water still cold enough to make you gasp, the seagulls performing their eternal audit of every sandwich within a quarter mile. I spread the blanket and anchored it with the cooler and settled Sophie in the shade with her bear, and then Ethan and I went to the water.

He held my hand. He is three and a half and the ocean is enormous and he held my hand with the grip of a child who trusts his grandmother to stand between him and every large thing in the world. The water was cold. He screamed with joy. He jumped waves — small waves, ankle-high, but to a three-year-old they might as well have been tsunamis. He jumped and screamed and held my hand and the morning was perfect, which is not a word I use lightly, because I am an English teacher and I know that perfect means "without flaw," and this morning had no flaw. Zero. I checked.

For lunch I brought tuna salad on challah. The tuna salad is Sylvia's — canned tuna, mayonnaise, celery, a squeeze of lemon, a crack of pepper. It is not fancy. It is not trying to be fancy. It is beach food, designed to be eaten with sandy fingers and no pretension, the food of summers at Orchard Beach in the Bronx, where Sylvia would unwrap sandwiches from wax paper and distribute them with the efficiency of a woman who could feed a family of four from a cooler the size of a breadbox.

Sophie ate avocado that I mashed with a fork on the beach blanket. She is fourteen months old and eats avocado with the enthusiasm of a baby for whom every texture is news. She got avocado on the bear. The bear did not complain.

I wrote about beach days on the blog — about how the best meals are the ones eaten in impractical places: on blankets, in sand, with the sound of water and the taste of salt and the specific joy of a meal that exists outside the kitchen, outside the table, outside everything except the moment. Sylvia's sandwiches tasted better at the beach. Everything tastes better at the beach. This is not science. This is memory doing what memory does: gilding what it loves.

Sylvia’s tuna salad on challah will always belong to Orchard Beach and wax paper and the particular magic of eating outside — but when I got home from Long Island with sand still in my shoes and Ethan’s handprint on my heart, I found myself wanting to share a version of that same simplicity with all of you. These Sweet Corn Salad Wraps are that kind of food: bright and fresh and completely unpretentious, the sort of thing you can roll up the night before and pull out of a cooler while a three-year-old is still screaming with joy at the waves. No stove, no fuss, just summer in every bite — which is exactly what a beach day deserves.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 large flour tortillas (burrito size)
2 cups fresh sweet corn kernels (from about 2 ears, or thawed frozen corn)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cups romaine lettuce, thinly shredded
1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt (optional, for spreading)

Instructions

Make the corn salad. In a medium bowl, combine the corn kernels, cherry tomatoes, red onion, avocado, cilantro, and crumbled cheese. Drizzle with the lime juice and olive oil, then season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Toss gently to combine without breaking down the avocado. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Warm the tortillas. Lay each tortilla in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 20 to 30 seconds per side, just until pliable and lightly toasted. Alternatively, wrap all four in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds.
Assemble the wraps. If using, spread a thin layer of sour cream or Greek yogurt down the center of each tortilla, leaving a 2-inch border on all sides. Add a layer of shredded romaine, then spoon a generous portion of the corn salad on top.
Roll and seal. Fold in the sides of the tortilla, then roll tightly from the bottom up, pressing gently to hold the filling in place. Slice in half on the diagonal.
Pack or serve. Serve immediately, or wrap each half tightly in parchment paper or wax paper for transport. These hold well in a cooler for up to 4 hours — ideal for beach bags and picnic baskets.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sweet Corn Salad Wraps — The Sandwiches You Pack When the Beach Is Calling