grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Oatmeal Blueberry Bars

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Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

In my constant quest to add fiber to my diet, I made oatmeal blueberry bars this week. I followed this recipe from Eat Yourself Skinny (what a fun name!), making a few substitutions for things I didn’t have and was too lazy to go buy.

We were completely out of milk. Sort of a requirement for baking, right? Of course, I could have walked down to the Co-op for more milk, but by the time I realized it, I had already mixed half the ingredients together. (See? I didn’t follow my own advice of assembling all the ingredients before starting.)

Oopsie.

Sometimes we have to be flexible and willing to experiment.

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Fresh Corn Salad with Basil

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Fresh Corn Salad with Basil
Fresh Corn Salad with Basil

Yay! Sweet corn is in season. If you’re like me, you are always looking for ways to serve it. When you grow corn, on a good year you end up more corn than you can say grace over…

This fresh corn salad with basil is the summertime side dish to accompany all your grilling endeavors including pork, chicken, beef, or seafood. If you follow a plant-based diet, fresh corn salad will fit right in with your menu. And it isn’t heavy like some summer sides.

Basil

Basil truly takes most everything up a notch. And when you can use basil and onions from your garden? Well, that’s a bonus.

Fresh Corn Salad with Basil

Here’s the recipe:

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Fresh Corn Salad with Basil

Ingredients

  • 4 ears of sweet corn
  • 1/3 cup green onion / whites and stems
  • 2.5 T apple cider vinegar
  • 2.5 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Dash of cayenne to taste
  • 1/2 cup freshly julienned basil

Instructions

  1. Boil corn approximately 4 minutes in salty water. Drain water and plunge corn in cold water to stop the cooking. When cooled, cut kernels from cob.
  2. Mix onion with vinegar, olive oil, salt and peppers. Pour over corn and combine. Fold in basil.
  3. Serve cold or room temperature.
https://gracegritsgarden.com/2020/07/fresh-corn-salad-with-basil.html

Make It Your Own

Corn Salad with Basil can be served as a dip with a sturdy chip. Or, add it as a topping to your tacos for a little extra zip. As a yummy variation, toss in feta crumbles or mozzarella cubes, because cheeeeeese.

Even if you don’t grow it, corn is widely available at the grocery store and farmer’s market. I recommend you stock up (but don’t horde, that’s not cool). If you freeze it, you can enjoy fresh corn year around. My rockstar gardening friend Rachel at The Homestead Life shows you how to freeze corn like a pro. Check out her post HERE and give her a follow. She’s amazing!

What are your favorite summertime sides?

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

 

Thai Carrot Soup

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Thai Carrot Soup

Soup pairs well with wintertime, but so many of my favorite soup recipes are heavy and carb-laden. As much as I’d love to hibernate until spring, I don’t have time to feel tired and sluggish. I can’t imagine any of us do. Thai Carrot Soup is a winner in my recipe book not only because it’s a nourishing meal, but it tastes delicious without forcing me into a long winter’s nap.

Know what I mean?

Remember the Campbell Soup saying, “Soup is good food?” It’s true.

Thai Carrot Soup checks ALL the boxes for me. Ginger adds an explosion of fresh flavor and spice. Cayenne gives it a little extra kick. Ooooh, Lordy, this soup is miraculously creamy and rich even though it’s broth-based.

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Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

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