Well, Friday was officially the first day of fall, but this weekend the temperatures hit record highs and it certainly felt like summer! In an effort to enjoy this unseasonably warm weather, we figured a BBQ was in order and wanted to make a light side to go with some chicken on the grill. Since our garden is still booming with cherry tomatoes and the local farms continue to produce corn, we wanted to find a recipe that included these classic summer ingredients. Inspired by one of our favorite cookbooks, The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook, we made some changes to the recipe to add some flavors we thought would suit our tastes and the result was a delicious summer quinoa salad!
Here is what you’ll need:
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cob (or 3 cups of frozen corn)
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/5 cup of chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- Crumbled goat cheese to top (optional)
Here’s how you do it:
- Combine quinoa and water in a small saucepan. Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed. About 15 minutes. Let cool.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in medium cast iron skillet, heat until very hot. Add corn kernels and cook until blackened, stirring constantly. For fresh corn, this will take about a minute. Frozen will take several minutes. Transfer corn onto a plate or cookie sheet in a single layer to cool.
- Combine quinoa, corn, tomatoes, scallions, parsley, and walnuts. Stir in 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of the apple cider vinegar and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 hours.
- Before serving, mix in last tablespoon of vinegar to freshen up the flavor. Top with crumbled goat cheese, if desired (we recommend it!)
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