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Zucchini and Fresh Corn Farmers’ Market Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette

Sometimes the best dishes are created on the fly, without intention or strategy. If you just let intuition take over.

Ingredients don’t always lend you inspiration right off the bat. They reveal themselves in good time. I think this salad captures the essence of summer — bright and fresh, lazy and satisfying.

First,took yellow squash and zucchini, and shaved them into delicate ribbons with a simple vegetable peeler. I suggest you cut the ends of the zucchini off first, then gently peel lengthwise until you hit the seeds and middle, which will become thin and watery. When you’re done, the middle should be in a stout, squared column that you can toss in the compost or garbage.

Next, I cut sweet, plump bi-color corn kernels right off the cob, and add them to the bed of squash. There are lots of hacks out there for cutting corn from the cob so the kernels don’t ping pong around the kitchen as you cut, but I most often I end up just gently sawing the kernels from the cob and scooping them together in a pile. The dogs will clean up anything that falls on the floor as they stare and wish, “PLEASE, FALL ON THE FLOOR!!!”

The simple but totally tasty vinaigrette involves garlic, fragrant basil and a bowl of lemons. This is where we get our spunk, with a bit of Dijon added in. The beauty of this dressing is it gently marinades and totally flavors the raw ingredients.

Creamy goat cheese purchased from the market earlier that morning made its way into the salad as well. As the ribbons and corn and vinaigrette mixed together with each forkful, the cheese adds a creaminess to the salad that’s not to be missed.

While this salad is terrific to enjoy right after you add the dressing, if you have time, add the dressing and then let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour to soak in that simple lemon dressing. Oh man. It is tasty.

This no-cook, raw salad gets its spunk from a garlicky-lemon basil vinaigrette and chunks of goat cheese that lightly marinate the thin squash peels and freshly shucked corn kernels.

Ingredients:

1 small or medium zucchini

1 small or medium yellow squash

1 ear of corn, shucked and cleaned, with the kernels cut off the cob

1 ounce goat cheese

Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Red pepper flakes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

A few leaves of fresh torn basil

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Optional:

A few tablespoons of toasted pine nuts

For the Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette

½ cup good olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove minced fresh garlic

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1) For the Salad

2) With a wide vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini and squash lengthwise into long ribbons (discarding the middle — you'll know when you get to it, because the squash will get too thin and watery.) Place the ribbons in a good sized bowl or plate, alternating so you can see equal amounts of green and yellow. Add the corn kernels and about 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette. Toss. Add salt, freshly ground pepper and chili flakes to taste. Add the goat cheese and garnish with fresh torn basil.

3) For the Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette

4) Add all of the ingredients to a small jar with a lid and shake well. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

5) Note: You'll have vinaigrette left over to use on other salads, or make this one again!