Summertime Recipes To Keep Our Cool
What says summertime better than a cool and refreshing corn salad? I say nothing.
We found a great recipe that goes with anything grilled – grilled chicken, shrimp, pork chops or even a juicy steak. Last night we enjoyed the salad with a shrimp burger that is one of our all time favorites. We normally serve the shrimp burgers with jalapeño slaw which is also delicious and included in the link above.
This salad would also be a perfect picnic item as it gets better as the dressing and other items blend together. Actually, if you chopped the tomatoes smaller, this would make a great salsa to serve with tortilla chips – the options are endless!
A glass of Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc is a perfect accompaniment to this meal. It is light, fresh, has a little hint of citrus and we love it – cheers!
Gotta Love Reese Witherspoon’s Southern Delights
One of our favorite Southern cookbooks is Reese Witherspoon’s Whiskey In A Teacup. She is so sweet (almost as sweet as her tea) and shares some of her family favorites. She grew up in the South and provides insight into some of the Southern traditions. Of course, we always “tweek” the recipe a bit to make it our own and changed up a couple of items. Not much though, as I am sure it was perfect “as is”.
Right now in South Carolina it is sizzling hot and we have adjusted our menus to be a bit lighter and include some delicious side salads. This is sure to become one of our regular additions.
Refreshing Corn Salad
- June 28, 2021
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar (we used white balsamic)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (we used one whole lime)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon honey (we added a bit extra to get that sweet and tart combination)
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup olive oil (we like the light tasting olive oil)
- 6 ears of corn, shucked with kernels removed (about 6 cups)(we boiled the corn for a few minutes prior to cooling and removing the kernels)
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 4-6 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh herbs (we used basil and parsley)
Directions
- Step 1
- Combine the vinegar, lime juice, Dijon, salt, pepper, honey, and shallots in a small bowl
- Step 2
- Whisk in the oil until the dressing thickens and set aside
- Step 3
- Boil the corn until they are just barely cooked and turn a bright yellow color
- Step 4
- Rinse corn in cold water and let cool
- Step 5
- Cut corn kernels in to a large bowl
- Step 6
- Add halved tomatoes, green onions and herbs
- Step 7
- Toss together and add half of the dressing (reserve the rest for another delish salad later)
- Step 8
- Serve with your favorite grilled meat or fish and some crusty bread
- Step 9
- Enjoy!
Who Knew That “Porch Sitting” Was So Enjoyable
Also, we are spending time on our front porch (porch sitting is one of our favorite pasttimes). We get some nice shade and a breeze out there in the late afternoon and evening.
Most nights we go for a short drive in our golf cart and explore the area. Right after dinner is the perfect time to head out to see our beautiful sunsets here in Bluffton. Sometimes we opt to head to the community dock overlooking the Colleton River. You can get a nice expansive view from there.
The back of our house faces west and we can get some gorgeous sunsets there too.
It’s So Hot And A Challenge To Keep Cool And Comfortable
With this incredible heat outside, we are now opting for biking or going to the gym. Although we enjoy long walks it is just too hot right now.
What are you doing to keep cool this summer? Maybe a dip in the pool, enjoying a breeze on the porch or just staying in and enjoying a good book. We are fortunate to be “semi” retired and able to indulge in these things where it was just not feasible when we were working all of the time.
Take time to enjoy your surroundings and stay cool!