Couscous Salad with Charred Corn and Basil
We planted far too much zucchini this year. Six plants to be exact (fools!), which is a lot for two people (our kids won’t touch it). So in truth I’ve been looking for any reason not to eat zucchini this week, and not to incorporate it into summer salads – which I realize is the opposite approach most people take. But here we are: a very simple corn salad that’s fragrant with basil, has a super simple lime-kissed dressing and some salty feta for good measure. I was tempted to add tomatoes or yellow squash but there’s also something really nice about just letting a few ingredients really shine. So that’s what this salad sets out to do.
Ever since Frances was a baby, she’s loved couscous so I used to must make it with broth and a little butter, but these days I can be a bit more adventurous, so basil from the yard snuck its way in. I’d planned to grill the corn but it just felt a bit fussier than necessary, so I cooked it in a hot cast iron pan with a little oil and shallot and it got nice and charred all the same.
Depending on where you live, we’ve got a good few weeks of corn season left, I think. And this salad is one to lean on as we enter this busy last blip of summer. You’ll find me harvesting zucchini, weeding the garden, getting the kids ready for back to school, trying to squeeze in one last beach day, and making homemade strawberry ice cream with Oliver – as promised. In many ways it feels like a race to the finish line, and honestly, I can’t wait for the cooler days and calmer cadence that awaits.
Couscous Salad with Charred Corn and Basil
- Yield: 6 servings
- Prep time: 30 mins
- Cook time: 15 mins
- Inactive time: 5 mins
- Total time: 50 mins
Ingredients
For the Salad:
For the Dressing:
Instructions
Cook couscous according to package instructions.
Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk all the “dressing” ingredients together and set aside.
In a large cast iron skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat and add the shallot and corn. Cook until fragrant and corn begins to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and continue cooking until corn gets a nice, light brown char (as if you’d roasted it) – be careful not to burn the shallot or corn here. Once done cooking, transfer to a large plate, spread out and allow it to cool to room temperature.
Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, mix together the couscous, corn, feta, basil, chives and dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Garnish with additional basil and chives. Serve room temperature; store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Healthy Comfort Food
Thai Carrot, Coconut and Cauliflower Soup
People describe raising young kids as a particular season in life. I hadn't heard this until we had a baby, but it brought me a lot of comfort when I'd start to let my mind wander, late at night between feedings, to fears that we'd never travel internationally again or have a sit-down meal in our dining room. Would I ever eat a cardamom bun in Sweden? Soak in Iceland? I loved the heck out of our tiny Oliver, but man what had we done?! Friends would swoop in and reassure us that this was just a season, a blip in the big picture of it all. They promised we'd likely not even remember walking around the house in circles singing made-up songs while eating freezer burritos at odd hours of the day (or night). And it's true.
Oliver is turning two next month, and those all-encompassing baby days feel like a different time, a different Us. In many ways, dare I say it, Toddlerhood actually feels a bit harder. Lately Oliver has become extremely opinionated about what he will and will not wear -- and he enforces these opinions with fervor. Don't get near the kid with a button-down shirt. This week at least. He's obsessed with his rain boots and if it were up to him, he'd keep them on at all times, especially during meals. He insists on ketchup with everything (I created a damn monster), has learned the word "trash" and insists on throwing found items away on his own that really, truly are not trash. I came to pick him up from daycare the other day and he was randomly wearing a bike helmet -- his teacher mentioned he'd had it on most of the day and really, really didn't want to take it off. The kid has FEELINGS. I love that about him, and wouldn't want it any other way. But, man it's also exhausting.
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To Talk Porridge
Porridge is not the sexiest of breakfasts, it's true. It doesn't have a stylish name like strata or shakshuka, and it doesn't have perfectly domed tops like your favorite fruity muffin. It doesn't crumble into delightful bits like a good scone nor does it fall into buttery shards like a well-made croissant. But when you wake up and it's 17 degrees outside (as it has been, give or take a few, for the last week), there's nothing that satisfies like a bowl of porridge or oatmeal. It's warm and hearty and can be made sweet or savory with any number of toppings. The problem? Over the years, it's gotten a bad rap as gluey or gummy or just downright boring or dutiful -- and it's because not everyone knows the secrets to making a great pot of warm morning cereal. So let's talk porridge (also: my cookbook comes out this month! So let's take a peek inside, shall we?)