A simple summer salad - perfect for picnics and BBQ's when tomatoes are in season!

summer / salads / gluten free

I realize… this hardly counts as a recipe. In fact, I can list a whole slew of “recipes” I’ve posted that don’t reinvent any wheel or involve genius ingredient combinations. But it’s summer, and I’m of the opinion that when summer produce is at it’s peak, you should do little with it. That, or I’m starting to get lazy, I’m not sure which.

Either way, this not-rocket-science salad was dinner last Sunday night. A simple & pretty way to welcome the first official weekend of summer. It’s a glorified caprese salad, with sweet basil oil and some crunchy raw corn. Which would be unheard of on the island of Capri, but I had some beautiful fresh corn on hand, so in it went.

(I thought it was adorable that these were same size as my little tomatoes).

some other “barely” recipes you might enjoy this summer:

grilled herb garden pizza
roasted carrots & cilantro
kale & white bean crostini
lemony chickpea salad

 

cherry tomato basil salad

  Printserves 2Author: Jeanine DonofrioIngredientsbasil oil:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2-3 basil leaves (plus more to toss into the salad)
• squeeze of lemon

salad:

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• about ⅔ cup of small mozzarella balls, halved
• ½ cup raw corn kernels
• a few sliced basil leaves
• drizzle of balsamic vinegar
• salt & pepper
• ¼ cup pine nuts (optional)
• pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

Make the basil oil by very finely chopping 3-4 of your basil leaves, and mixing with the olive oil and a small squeeze of lemon. (you can also do this in a food processor). Let that sit while you assemble everything else.

Toss together the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, corn kernels and remainder of sliced basil with a bit of salt & pepper.

Drizzle basil oil on top (however much you want), along with a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Top with pine nuts and red pepper flakes. Serve with the remaining basil oil on the side.

Notesvegan sub: replace mozzarella with chopped avocado3.4.3177

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