Grilled Gem Salad And Smoked Coconut Chips

Make the coconut chips: Preheat oven to 325 F. In medium bowl, combine oil, tamari, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, and salt. Whisk to blend. Add coconut and gently toss to evenly coat. Scatter thinly and evenly on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Gently stir and flip with spatula. Continue baking until golden, 4 to 6 more minutes, flipping and stirring often to prevent chips from baking unevenly. Watch carefully, as coconut can quickly burn. Remove and cool thoroughly. Chips will crisp up as they cool. They can be stored in tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Make the green goddess dressing: In blender or food processor, combine green goddess dressing ingredients. Blend until creamy, adding a little water as needed to make it pourable. Add a little more tamari or lime juice to taste, if desired. You should have about 1 cup of dressing. Dressing can be stored in tightly covered container in refrigerator for a couple of days.

Make the salad: Grease barbecue grill and preheat to medium high. Lightly brush husked cob of corn with oil. Place on grill and barbecue, turning cob often, until it is lightly charred and kernels are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. If corn is charring too much, lower heat on a portion of grill and move cob to indirectly heated side of grill. Remove corn from grill to cool when tender.

Cut lettuce heads in half lengthwise. Lightly brush cut sides with oil. Place cut side down on preheated grill and barbecue just until cut sides are lightly charred, about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on intensity of heat from barbecue. Using tongs, remove lettuce from grill and place cut side up on serving platter. Shave chunks of grilled corn over top and scatter with tomatoes and green onions. Drizzle with 1/2 cup green goddess dressing and sprinkle with half the coconut chips, reserving remaining dressing and chips for another time.