Summer means basil in my book. Lots of basil! I’m very excited about the fact that my baby plants have caught and are beginning to fill their containers. The farmers’ markets have basil ready to take home.

I love celebrating the bounty of fresh basil during the summer. Sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil drizzled with olive oil and a bit of balsamic is an easy and delightful side dish. Putting that mixture on slices of grilled Italian bread is the world’s best summer appetizer. Brushing the bread with a little garlic infused olive oil before grilling makes it even better.

Adding a half cup of shredded basil to a fresh corn salad creates summer in a bowl. Ina Garten gets the credit for this recipe. It’s simple to make, and people smile when they taste it, making it a go-to recipe in my book!

You’ll need:

5 ears of fresh corn
1/2 C diced red (or any sweet) onion
3 TBS cider vinegar
3 TBS olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 C fresh basil leaves (chiffonade)

Method:

1. Crisp cook (about 3 minutes in boiling water) the corn. Cool down quickly in cold water.
2. Cut the kernels from the cooled corn.
3. Stir the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper into the corn.
4. Add the basil just before serving.
5. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Once you try it, this corn salad will become a summer staple. It’s really that good!