Summer Side Salad

A nutritious and delicious summer side salad…or lunch!  There are many great colors, textures and flavors in this dish.  I set out to use up some of my corn…then threw in the FIRST tomato from my garden (more on that tomorrow!), then a cucumber that was on sale last week and needed to be used up…plus some chickpeas, parsley from the garden and a vinaigrette dressing!

Yum!

Ingredients
2 15 oz. cans of chickpeas
4 corn cobs
1 tomato
1 cucumber
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3-4 sprigs of parsley
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp rice vinegar
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions
1. Drain and rinse chickpeas.
2. Boil corn cobs for 4-5 minutes. Remove and let cool until can handle to slice off the kernals. Slice kernals.
3. Dice tomato. Peel and dice cucumber. Crush the garlic. Toss all ingredients in a bowl.
4. Make dressing with vinegar, olive oil, salt and crushed pepper.
5. Pour dressing over chickpeas and veggies. Toss well.
6. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or until cool. Serve chilled.

We managed to eat up most of the “$.17 an ear” corn that I bought last week.  Based on Shelly’s suggestion, I decided to freeze the corn.

Wrap each ear in plastic wrap…then wrap them all up in foil or drop into a freezer plastic baggie.  Shelly says to just drop them into boil water and boil until ready (4-5 mintues!).

(Thanks Shelly!  I didn’t think to freeze them whole!)