Pardon my absenteeism ... Corn salad and another Book Review

I haven't been in the kitchen much over the past week or so. I do miss it, but our lives have been so crazy with the end of school madness and parties and sports and try outs for next year's sports teams. Not only have I not been in my kitchen, I have barely been home. Add to that, that our grill is broken and needing to replaced and I must admit that I have lost the desire to create in my kitchen. It's been awfully hot and humid lately and even with the air on full blast lately, I just don't feel like turning on the ovens.

We've been dining on lots of salads -- luckily the children don't mind -- with bread and cheese and fresh fruit. The above collage was from one of our Memorial Day meals. We ate outdoors, picnic style... kids love picnic foods. Toss some fresh pesto on some ripe tomatoes... add some artisan cheeses and fresh bread from a local bakery and what more could you possibly need? Fresh cherries and strawberries!

I did make the above corn salad -- a recipe that I adapted from The Barefoot Contessa. Her corn salad is one of my favorites. I substituted the basil for cilantro... added a couple of  tablespoons of lime, a teaspoon of local honey. The result was that it was a spectacular hit and something a little different than our favorite.

Corn Salad:

6 ears of corn, cooked on the cob, peeled from the cob
1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, Julienned
1/2 of a medium to large red onion, finely chopped
1 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
2 tbs fresh lime juice
1 tbs good honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook corn about 5 minutes, remove from heat and cool by running under cold water or placing in an ice water bath. Using a sharp knife, gently slice the corn away from the cob. (This can get a bit messy!)
Place kernels in a bowl. Into bowl add cilantro and onion. Whisk together vinegar, lime juice and olive oil and pour over corn. Add salt and pepper if desired. Chill for an hour or two. Or leave overnight. This is fabulous the next day.

I've been on a foodie memoir kick lately. After I finished A Homemade Life I had to run out and pick up The Sharper the Knife, The Less You Cry by Kathleen Quin. Another fabulous, exciting page turner. Without giving the story away, told in vignettes, recipes included, I will tell you that girl gets fired from the Corporate World and uses her savings to follow her love of cooking and enrolls at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. This book is a feast for all the senses!