Sweet Corn & Zucchini Salad with Feta

Mr. Keith took me on a very nice date night last week to Osteria Mozza courtesy of Alloy Entertainment and Warner Brothers... the producers of his new TV show. Yes, my man definitely has figured out the way to my heart. Use of his gift cards on me. It was our first time eating there and I must say that it was well worth the wait.  I know... we were wayyyy behind the bandwagon on that one, but holy food coma was it AMAZING. It totally lived up to the hype and we had such a wonderful meal. The view wasn't too bad either, as we found ourselves sitting next to the entire cast of Scandal... with Scott Foley in my direct eye line. Ah. The teenage girl in me was having flashbacks to pretty much every TV show that I ever used to watch. Thankfully, my husband was also in my direct eye line and he was the most handsome distraction in the restaurant. Though I'll admit, I kinda had a two-for-one view.

Besides my usual buratta indulgence, I stepped out of my comfort zone a little and ordered a sweet corn ravioli which pretty much changed my life and my opinion of corn that is sweet. I have always loved it, but always thought of it as something to be gnawed on... not enjoyed in a delicate pasta. So, it got me thinking what else I could add sweet corn too. The answer? Pretty much everything... including this amazing summer salad!

Thinly sliced zucchini and sweet corn make up this perfect salad to start any summer meal with! It is super fresh and light, but packed full of flavor with a little bit of spice. You could also add some chicken to make it a husband approved meal. I served it beside some heirloom tomatoes, grilled lobster, and lemony pasta with pecorino cheese! In my opinion (and the opinions of my dinner guests that night... ) the most perfect summer meal!

We were lucky enough to share the meal with our friends Rob and Krista who brought some amazing French wine. All in all, it was a night to dine for...

Sweet Corn & Zucchini Salad with Feta

Ingredients:
4 ears of sweet corn, husked
4 small zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 cups baby arugula
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup feta cheese,  crumbled

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Kosher salt

Method:
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for about 3 minutes until bright yellow and tender.  Let cool and then cut the kernels from the cobs and set aside.

There are two ways that you can prepare the zucchini. You can use a mandolin to thinly slice it lengthwise. Or, you can hop on the Spiralizer trend and use the flat blade to create thin ribbons. I did this method because I thought it was prettier, but either way will work great! If you do not have either piece of equipment, you can use a veggie peeler to create thin ribbons.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, and kosher salt.

Combine the zucchini, corn, basil, arugula, and parsley in a large bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Top with the feta cheese and serve immediately.

I shared the leftover corn cobs with our current foster sheep... errr puppies....

They are 8 week old chihuahua poodles and in need of new homes!!! 

I know, SIGH... they are the most adorable creatures EVER!

xo