As we squeeze out the essence of these warm evenings, I feel the urge to channel my inner Sandy from Grease and belt out, “Those suuummer niiiiiights…” Reminiscing about months of carefree backyard gatherings, picnics on the beach and dinners by the grill is enough to make anyone wish they could freeze time instead of the weather.
While excited for the many pumpkin laden, rich and creamy meals on the horizon, I can’t help but soak up every last bit of this season’s fare. Cold salads, fresh garden vegetables, oven-free meals and no-fuss dressings made for easy entertaining and perfect pot lucks.
This dish offers crunch from crisp yellow corn, sweetness from juicy tomatoes, acidity from olive vinaigrette, a pop of brightness from fresh basil and a bit of salty creaminess from feta cheese. Turn it into a balanced meal with warm, blackened shrimp or savor it as a flavorful side all on its own.
Ingredients:
1 (15 1/4 oz.) can corn
1 lb Campari tomatoes
About 1o leaves of basil, hand torn
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped pitted black olives
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions:
Rinse and drain corn and pour into a bowl.
Cut tomatoes into quarters.
Add tomatoes and hand torn basil leaves to the corn.
For dressing, rinse, drain and finely chop black olives.
Place about 1/4 cup chopped olives into a food processor. Puree with olive oil, garlic and pepper.
Toss dressing with corn, tomatoes and basil.
Sprinkle in feta cheese.
Eat and enjoy before Fall arrives!
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