grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

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.

 

Baked Green Bean Fries!

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Baked Green Bean FriesI bought fresh green beans at Fayetteville Farmer’s Market last weekend and decided to try my hand at green bean fries. Have you tried the green bean fries that are all the rage at restaurants? Breaded, deep-fried and dipped in some sort of yummy, rich, ranch-like dressing. They’re delicious because, hello, they are fried. My tasty baked green bean fries can be served as an appetizer or as a side dish. Guilt-free, people.Continue Reading

Spicy Barbecued Cauliflower

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spicy barbecued cauliflower - made with Bentley's Batch #5

(I was provided free barbecue sauce; however opinions are my own. I swear.)

A few years ago, I discovered cauliflower. I mean really discovered it. Oh sure, I always knew about eating it raw with Ranch dressing. Cauliflower was never my favorite of the dip vehicles. Standing at a party veggie tray, I rotated through the choices not wanting to be that person hogging the carrot sticks or cucumber slices.

And steamed cauliflower with a thin cheese sauce? I consider that hospital food.

But the same head of cauliflower tossed with olive oil and sea salt, roasted in a 400 degree oven is a vegetable game changer. Heat brings out the caramelized flavor. The dark (almost burnt) bits taste like onion rings. Try it. You’ll agree.

Now that summer is (almost) here, I’ve been thinking about ways to spice up my regular recipes. This barbecued cauliflower—made with my favorite barbecue sauce, Bentley’s Batch 5—will complement all your summer meals.

Bentley's Batch 5

Before we get to the recipe, let me tell you a bit about Bentley’s Batch 5. Bentley’s is a stick-to-your-ribs sort of sauce, not one of those namby-pamby thin vinegary concoctions. The flavor is robust as a Texas barbecue sauce should be.

I’m not just saying all this because it’s made by my Munger Place friends Harold and Gale, but this does make it more special. I know the history and all the work that went into it. After years of making his Dad’s family recipe, Harold and Gale perfected it. Now you can purchase Bentley’s at several Texas locations (more retailers added daily).

I love it on grilled shrimp, chicken, pork and all sorts of vegetables, which brings me back to cauliflower.

recipe for spicy barbecued cauliflower

 

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Spicy Barbecue Cauliflower

Spicy Barbecue Cauliflower

Ingredients

  • 1 large head of cauliflower
  • olive oil
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (I recommend Bentley's Batch 5 - Hot)
  • sea salt
  • ground pepper
  • Parmesan reggiano

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cut cauliflower into florets. In a large bowl, toss with olive oil (just a drizzle) and 1/4 - 1/2 cup Bentley's Batch 5.
  3. Arrange on cookie sheet.
  4. Roast 10 minutes. Turn cauliflower and roast 8-10 more minutes adding more barbecue sauce if desired. (Oven times vary so keep an eye on it.)
  5. Top with freshly grated Parmesan reggiano, salt and pepper.
  6. Makes a wonderful appetizer, side dish or can be served on a salad.
https://gracegritsgarden.com/2014/06/barbecued-cauliflower.html

 

Barbecued Cauliflower - made with Bentley's Batch #5

I made this recipe with Bentley’s Hot, but if you aren’t a fan of heat, Bentley’s Batch 5 is available in Reserve and Sweet too.

Best Barbecue Sauce EVER.

Serve your barbecued cauliflower with extra Bentley’s Batch #5 on the side for dipping.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing:

BBQ Stain – Tim McGraw

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!