Golden Corn Salad with Fresh Basil

This is one of those recipes that symbolizes this particular summer to me.  I had it first at a graduation party in June, then stole the recipe from Kathy who got it from Karla and made it many times myself the remainder of the summer.  Here goes:

For the salad:
8 oz. small yellow potatoes or small red potatoes
3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
2 cups assorted tear drop cherry tomatoes, halved
1 & 1/2 cups chopped red pepper
6 cups arugula (or mixed spring lettuce, I like the latter better I think)
1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves (the more the better)
2 oz. goat/blue/feta cheese

For the dressing:
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 TB. white balsamic vinegar (I used an awesome cranberry pear white balsamic from this great store in our town, The Bleu Olive)
1 TB. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 TB. extra virgin olive oil

Place potatoes in a small saucepan, cover with water.  Bring to a boil, cook 11 minutes or until tender.  Drain and chill.  Cut potatoes in half lengthwise.  Combine potatoes, corn, tomatoes and bell pepper in a large bowl.

Combine shallots and the next 4 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Slowly pour oil into shallot mixture, stirring constantly.  Drizzle over corn mixture, toss well.  Add lettuce, toss.  Sprinkle with basil, top evenly with cheese.

Shots from the Pool

Summer is almost over.  And what a summer it was.  Sam starts preschool on the 7th, so we still have a few days to enjoy picnics in the park and doing basically whatever we want each day.  Most of this summer was spent at the pool, Sam learned to swim and to dive (kind of, see below) and Charlotte showed off six different bathing suits, most of which were inherited.  We knew the lifeguards by name and had our favorite lunches that I packed each day.  Lord knows I'll probably never have a tan like this one again.  

"Do I look a little hippy in the pink one, Mom?"  "No?  Great."

This little blue ring MADE OUR SUMMER pretty much.  Sam wore an identical one until the beginning of June this year, Little Swimmers makes it and you can buy it online at Target.  Charlotte got the hang of it at 15 months and it sure buys you some peace of mind as you frantically try to keep a toddler and preschooler within your sight at the pool.  Good news is that you can slowly deflate it too, so they work harder to keep themselves afloat as they get older.  Don't tell Charlotte that though.

"Look Mom!  I dived!  My belly hurts."  

Marigolds

I have been severely absent these past few months, haven't I?  Busy at the pool, running after the 18 month old who thinks she can swim and trying to keep the four year old from hoarding all the dive rings.  In between all that, I was able to get away by myself, for the first time in almost four years.  More on that later, but these pictures make me feel happy, so I thought I'd share them first.  Marigolds, growing at the base of the coastal mountains near San Luis Obispo, CA.  

And, the colors make me think of FALL, which is only days away in my book.  No worries, my pumpkins are already out.