Edit August 2017: I still love this salad but I have been adding a can of rinsed black beans to it. The beans make the salad more of a meal.
I can’t help but feel that something has been lost this time of year. Summer is all but over and fall is fast approaching; I can feel it in that breeze that cools me down in the still hot sun. When it is hot and muggy out like it is today, I get fooled into thinking that daylight will extend long into the evening and I’m rudely reminded that the time with all this gorgeous sunlight is waning to make ready for a long Canadian winter.
This summer was more chilly than is normal so I didn’t get out to swim at a beach or even get all the way into the public pool. The water was cold and I’m a total wimp so I only made it up to my butt before giving up and going back to my lawn chair each time I got out to the water. This makes me feel rather dejected because I used to spend most of my summer in our backyard pool. Summer means swimming and baseball to me. My ball playing days are long over since the only baseball that is available for old girls like me is slow pitch and I am terrible at that. I have tried with a couple teams and just how terrible I am at slow pitch threatened to erase all the years I played fastball and wasn’t half bad. I am a happy baseball spectator now but I would really love to spend a couple days laying in the sun by a heated pool (see above re: wimp) where I can get my fill of swimming.
Getting out of the house these days seemed to involve a great feat of organization and packing enough gear to rival a Victorian safari. Juggling our only car, driving Timothy to and from his day camps, and trying to find time to do any work with a semi-wild baby who has only recently started napping again, has made it all but impossible to do much in the way of day trips on my own with one or both of the kids. It has been a summer that wasn’t full of fun for me. I think Kit spent half of the time he was awake in July whining or crying. I was at my wit’s end with him. I have had more than one emotional breakdown when I just couldn’t keep it together anymore. I hope I get a better handle on having two kids soon but for now I will try to enjoy the days when the whining is at a minimum and only the kids have a tantrum.
Behind the closed doors of my house, that I felt more than a little trapped in with a whining baby, summer slipped away from me. You may find me trying to pack in a whole summer into the upcoming long weekend to make up for it. I don’t know if I will be able to find a warm pool to go swimming in this weekend, but I will try to spend some of it outside on my patio and have the ball game playing loudly on my kitchen TV. I may not have a carefree summer in the books for this year but I can still enjoy baseball, beer, sunshine, and this salad that highlights the best of what late summer gives us.
Grilled Sweet Corn and Peach Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups water or chicken broth depends on package instructions
- pinch of sea salt for quinoa
- 2 cobs of corn or more if you like
- 1 cup diced peaches
- 3 green onions
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
- 1 can of black beans rinsed
Dressing
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- big pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to a medium-high heat.
- Bring the quinoa and water or broth to a simmer over a medium heat Cover, and let it cook for 20 minutes or until the water/broth is nearly absorbed, stirring occasionally.
- While the quinoa cooks, shuck the corn and grill for 10-15 minutes. Turn the corn when it starts to get dark or caramelized spots on the kernels.
- Remove the lid of the quinoa when most of the liquid has been absorbed by the quinoa and lightly fluff the quinoa with a fork. Let it cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients for the salad.
- With a sharp knife, slice the corn kernels off the cob and scoop them into a bowl.
- Chop the green onion and add it to the bowl with corn. Add the diced peaches as well.
- In a small bowl, mix the lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, and pinch of salt together
- Scoop the cooled quinoa into a serving bowl and top it with the corn and peach mixture. Add the rinsed black beans and lime dressing and gently toss it all together.
- Sprinkle the feta cheese over it all and lightly sprinkle a couple pinches of chilli powder over the salad for a garnish.
That’s my idea of the perfect salad!
Quinoa I have never tried it in my salad, i have it in burger patties 🙂 this sound so healthy!
Hi Christina! It’s my first time visiting — found you through FBC! This looks really delicious! I love quinoa salad but have never thought to combine these ingredients in it. I’m pinning now and to try this month! Hope you have a great weekend!
I also love the styling of this recipe! What a cute serving dish and spoon! 🙂
Beautiful salad! It’s hard to ever feel like we’ve made the most of the summer, but I suppose that’s the feeling when any season lapses by. Don’t beat yourself up about it — plenty of great seasons to come!
Great photos Christina. I’m not a big fan of Qunoa but I may just have to try this. And don’t worry, this summer may be gone but you’ll have many others. You’ll get there, just keep smiling!
I adore quinoa salads, but I find it difficult to think of new ingredients to toss in them. This sounds absolutely perfect! Pinning for later!
It feels like summer is here a bit longer this year.. I rather like this hot, interval weather. Hopefully winter doesn’t arrive too quickly.
Oh gosh, I totally feel you on the summer thing. It’s never quite what you hoped it would be, right? I always thought the kids would breathe new and vibrant life into the season, but I never bargained for the heat-induced temper tantrums, afternoons stuck inside while the littlest one naps, etc. etc. As the kids get older I’m sure there will be a lot more swimming and sunning and day-tripping. But until then…hang in there (and I will too).
At least you’ve got some delicious summer fare to enjoy. This salad looks wonderful. I love corn in just about everything — something about sweet summer corn that is so hard to resist.
Happy fall to you and your fam :-).
This salad had a wonderful combination of flavours and textures. I love this kind of dish. And even though the days are getting shorter, there is still so much high harvest food to enjoy, like corn and peaches.
I feel the same way about summer this year! I’m glad it’s (almost) fall, but every year I feel like I didn’t do enough summery stuff. Anyway, this dish is just beautiful and right up my alley! Nice fresh summery flavours to help transition into fall.
This looks really delicious! I love quinoa salad but have never thought to combine these ingredients in it.
You have such yum-looking recipes on your blog! I found you via a circuitous path from Twitter, and so glad I did! Pinned this quinoa salad–so unique and pretty! I’ll be back to see what else you’re cooking up, for sure! Thanks! –Ginger
Thanks! I’m glad you found me.