It's gorgeous out today. Perfect for a barbecue and eating outside. I don't know when I started making this salad, but it is one of our summertime staples. Easy to make, perfect at room temperature and complements almost anything grilled. (This recipe is also a terrific use for leftover grilled corn on the cob.)
Summer Salad
Generous handful green beans, trimmed
1 cup-ish cherry tomatoes, cut in half (I prefer Sweet 100's)
1 ear corn, grilled or briefly blanched
Mustard vinaigrette (see below)
Blanch green beens briefly in boiling salted water. Quickly cool in an ice bath and lay on a towel to dry. Slice the tomatoes. Cut the corn from the cob. Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and toss generously with vinaigrette. Add fresh cracked pepper and salt to taste.
Mustard Vinaigrette
1 shallot, finely minced
1 teaspoon-ish mustard (I like a combo of stoneground and dijon)
Splash of red wine vinegar (1 tablespoon? more?)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground peppter
I love to make a big batch of this dressing and have it on hand in the fridge. It's excellent on almost anything. I adjust the amounts with every batch - tasting as I go - depending on how much vinegar I tossed onto the shallots, how big the shallot was, etc. I also dial up the mustard depending on my mood. Experiment and see what you think.
1) Place minced shallots in a small bowl, add a nice sized pinch of kosher salt and enough vinegar to moisten the shallots but not drown them (here's where the "eyeballing it" comes in). Set aside for 15 minutes.
2) Add mustard to the bowl with the shallots and slowly incorporate the olive oil, whisking as you go, until you reach a nice balance between the tang of the vinegar and the olive oil. Be generous with the olive oil. I usually find that I add at least 2 parts or move olive oil to one part vinegar. Let your tastebuds tell you when to stop. Adjust seasonings as you go.
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