In Season: Trio Of Salads

Every night that my boyfriend and I sit down to dinner we say the same few things, "Sunset  Magazine Move Over", "Why eat out when we can eat so well at home", and "Oh my god, this is amazing!".  We feel very fortunate to eat hearty and healthy and often right from our garden.  The best thing about the food we eat is the simplicity.  Most of my recipes require no cooking, no marinading or early prep, and only use a handful of ingredients.

Here are a couple more delicious, beautiful, and easy summer salads!  You can make the corn salad raw (as i did pictured), or if you don't care for raw corn then simply grill or roast the corn first.  Cooking the corn will take away some of the starchiness and give it more depth of sweetness.

SUMMER CORN SALAD

3 ears of organic corn - kernals cut from cob
1/2 avocado diced
thinly sliced red onion (i used my mandoline on the lowest setting), about a 1/4 cup
chiffonade 1 handful spinach (chopped into very thin strips/ribbons)
1 handful cilantro (leaves and stem), chopped fine
juice of 1/2 a small lemon
light splash of seasoned rice vinegar
sea salt (a couple cranks)
black pepper (a couple cranks)
cayenne pepper (to your liking - create a little heat)
1/2 - 1 tsp agave nectar (optional if eating raw to give it a little more sweetness.  Cooked dishes will not need this)

Simply put everything into a bowl and mix well.  This makes a beautiful and tasty addition to any summer meal.

TOMATO BASIL SALAD

Halved cherry or grape tomatoes in a variety of colors, plus any other additional tomatoes cut small
1/3 diced avocado
1 handful of basil, chiffonade (cut into thin ribbons/strips)
2 cranks sea salt
Mist of EVOO
Approx. 1 tsp white balsamic vinegar (or to your liking)

Mix all well in a bowl.

tomatoes are in season.  there are so many wonderful varieties easy to grow at home!

Pear Salad posted 2 blogs back "Eat Your Greens, Sonny"