To finish off the dinner and go along side of the smoky indoor ribs and creamy potato salad, I added some veggies!! These came in the form of a raw zucchini salad and simple summer corn on the cob. The raw zucchini salad was inspired by this post from Citron Limette. The author of this blog is Chef Marie Poulin. I love that she uses fresh, seasonal and local ingredients. She is also passionate about Healthy Food, so I really enjoy reading her blog. In addition, she provides blogging tips and tips on being a personal chef. This is something that I have often thought I might like to explore doing someday.
- 2 zucchini
- 2 yellow squash
- 3 garlic cloves (grated or finely chopped)
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- Sea salt & pepper to taste.
- Wash and chop your zucchini and squash into half-moon shapes (or whatever shape you like).
- Toss the chopped zucchini and squash in a colander. Sprinkle 1 tsp of salt and let it stand for 10-15 to "sweat" out some of the water in your veggies.
- In a small bowl, whisk garlic lemon juice, dijon mustard and oil to create your dressing.
- Use a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to pull the moisture off the veggies.
- Toss the veggies with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with your sliced almonds.
This is by far the easiest way to enjoy summer corn!! Either grab some fresh corn out of your garden or head down to your local farmer’s market or grocery store and select the number of ears of corn that you need. If possible, buy ears that are still in the husk. I usually buy 4 ears of corn for every 6 people that you will be serving. To select the best ears, look for bright green husks, fresh looking silks and then peel back a bit of the husk to examine the corn. The corn should be bright and full. Check the freshness by piercing a kernel with your fingernail. It should pop and some liquid should be visible.
Head on home and to your kitchen, pop those bad boys straight into your microwave. DO NOT remove any of the husk or silk!!! Microwave your corn on high for 3 minutes per ear. So if you have 4 ears, you would microwave the bunch for 12 minutes. Rotate the ears halfway through the cooking time. Let the ears cool in the microwave for a few minutes. They will be SERIOUSLY hot!! Shuck the corn, remove the silk and rinse (actually if you run the water while you are shucking, it makes it much easier). Break each ear in half and serve!! It is that simple:) I find that fresh corn in season doesn’t require any butter, salt or other seasoning. I eat it plain and it taste AMAZING!! You have to try corn this way!
Now it’s your turn…what is your favorite way to eat fresh summer corn?
[…] mac and cheese from the grocery store! What?!?! Oh wait, I did have to throw a couple of ears of corn in the microwave, but I can’t really call that cooking. 😜 It was a nice break not to have to do anything […]