Roasted Corn and Quinoa Salad with a Mustard Dressing

By: Elizabeth Beals 

 It may be Oct, but it's still pretty warm in Northern California. We are reaching up into the 90s where I live. This
nice end of summer, beginning of fall salad works great for lunch. It's even better the next day.

 You can still find fresh corn and a great rainbow of bell peppers this time of year. In my garden right now we have Blue Jays, Spanish Sweet Reds and Orange bell peppers to choose from. 

 This recipe can be modified to your liking or based on what ingredients you already have on hand. The mustard dressing is an easy one to pull together and would go well with just a basic green salad.

Ingredients:

2 ears of corn; grilled with husks on, wrapped tightly in foil and cooked kernels removed from ear

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

garlic powder

to sheets of foil, for the corn

1/2 cup cooked and cooled quinoa

1 1/2 cups of veggie broth or water

1 small red onion, finely diced

1 blue jay bell pepper (or yellow or red), finely diced

1/2 cup carrot, shaved

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Mustard Dressing:

2 tablespoons spicy mustard

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar 

1/2 extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

Tools or special equipment:

grill

sauce pan

sharp knife

whisk

1 large bowl (for salad)

1 small bowl (for dressing)

foil

About 30 mins of prep time. Corn and quinoa can be cooked and grilled ahead of time to make things go a bit faster. This salad will last about 3-4 days in the ice box.

Preparation and procedures: 

1.a. Pull back the husks to expose the silk hairs on the corn, but do not remove them. 

1.b. Remove the silk hairs and oil the corn. 

1.c. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder on the kernels. 

1.d. Pull the husks back around the corn to protect it from the flames.

1.e. Tightly wrap the husks in foil and place on a med high grill for 20 minutes, turning once.

2.a. Rinse and drain quinoa before putting it in a sauce pan with 1 1/2 cups veggie broth or water.

2.b. Bring quinoa to a boil and cover reducing the heat to simmer. Cook for 25 minutes. Quinoa is done when you see little white tails pop out.

3. Finely dice red onion and bell pepper, shave carrots and finely chop fresh parsley, place in large bowl.

4. Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

5.When corn is cool to the touch, use a sharp knife and shave the kernels from the ear into the large bowl. 

6.When the cooked quinoa is cool mix it in the large bowl as well. Stir well. 

7.Can be eaten now or placed in the ice box for when you are ready. Don’t dress the salad until ready to eat.

Yield about 3 to 4 cups of corn, quinoa mixture