Easy Breezy - Summertime Mexican Rice

It’s been unseasonably cool the past few days - high 70s and breezy. Perfect for tennis, golf and grilling on the deck. Between Steve and me we checked off all three boxes yesterday, and topping the day off with a fun cooking session with friends.  

Fresh uncooked corn and tomatoes plus defrosted
 frozen peas bring summertime freshness
to this Mexican Rice

While our respective Steves (seriously the most common name for guys our age!) played golf, my friend Amanda and I tested and updated a favorite recipe of mine — Some Like it Hot Fish Tacos, with Salsa Blanca.  You can find the updated version at this link.

I also tried out a new recipe for Mexican Rice.  This one has been on my mind for a while - traditional flavors, but freshen up with uncooked corn and tomatoes and a squeeze of fresh lime.

If I do say so myself, this one is a serious winner, so I’ll share the recipe with you here.  It goes great with the tacos, but would be a nice side dish for any summertime meal.

Summertime Mexican Rice

Serves 6-8 

Ingredients

• 1 cup white rice
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup  cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed but not cooked
• 1/2 cup fresh uncooked corn cut off the cob, basically one ear’s worth (or frozen if you don’t have fresh corn)
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup diced sweet onion (Vidalia, Maui, or the like)
• spice blend, see below
• Zest and juice of 1/2 a lime

Spice blend

• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt.

Method

• Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium sized lidded sauce pan
• Add the rice, stir gently as it comes back up to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat, fluff the rice with a fork.
• Pour the cooked rice into a large bowl
• Add the tomatoes, peas, corn, cilantro and rice, stir to combine
• Add the spice blend, stir to combine
• Right before serving add the lime juice and zest, stir to combine

Enjoy!

Summertime Summertime (BLT Crostini and Summer Squash Crostini)

Ready for the dinner party: two summertime apps inspired
by two of our favorite local haunts, Merrit's and Picnic

Summer in North Carolina means two things:   Bacon Lettuce & Tomato sandwiches and Barbecue. So when I was asked to bring a appetizer to a Saturday evening dinner party this weekend, I decided to create a couple of crostini recipes using inspiration from two of our favorite local recipes — Merrit’s in Chapel Hill, home of the a simple and straightforward BLT that defines that iconic summertime sammy; and Picnic, an up and coming Durham BBQ restaurant that is co-owned by a local heritage pig farmer and raising the bar for succulent whole hog Q.

The Merrit’s BLT rift was pretty simple. Crusty bread, a touch of mayo, and bright red juicy tomato slices topped with crisp applewood smoked bacon and shredded lettuce.  I jazzed the mayo up a tad by adding chives from the garden and a touch of garlic, salt and pepper. The beauty of a Merrit’s BLT is its simplicity, no need to guild that lily too much.

The Picnic influenced crostini was a bit more of a challenge. I didn’t want go the smoked and pulled piggy route.  Way too filling for a pre-dinner app. Instead, I took inspiration from a refreshing squash side salad you often find on the Picnic menu when the prolific veggies are in season.

BLT Crostini

Following are the ingredients and methods for these tasty treats.  I hope they inspire you to come up your own new favorite start to a summertime meal.

BLT Crostini

(makes 8 pieces, two per person)

Ingredients

• 8, 1/2 inch slices of a crusty baguette.  (I used ciabatta baguette from Trader Joes)
• 1/2 cup of Dukes or Best Foods Mayonnaise
• 1 small clove of garlic, worked into a paste on a cutting board, with a bit of coarse salt and the side blade of a chef’s knife
• 1 Tablespoon of finely chopped chives (optional)
• 4 slices of thick sliced bacon (I used uncured applewood smoked bacon from Trader Joes), cooked crisp, blotted dry with a paper towel and broken into 1 inch pieces
• 8 pieces of sliced tomato, about the same size as the bread, drained on a paper towel. Pick the best and brightest red tomatoes you can find. 
• 1/2 cup of shredded romain lettuce - make it as thin as you can, and moisten slightly with a bit of oil and vinegar
• Kosher salt and course ground pepper to taste
• Olive oil spray, or a bit of olive oil and a brush

Method

1. Spray or brush the bread slices with olive oil and grill on a grill pan until slightly crispy. 
2. Mix the mayo, garlic and chives in a small bowl and set aside - it’s nice to do this a bit ahead of time so the flavors can come together 
3. To assemble, use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread a bit of the mayo on each piece of bread, top with a slice of tomato, then dab two or three pieces of bacon with a dot of the mayo (like glue) and press them atop the tomato, then put a bit of the lettuce atop the bacon.
4. Enjoy.

Summer Squash, Zucchini and Corn Crostini
(makes 8 pieces, two per person)

Summer Squash, Zucchini &
Fresh Corn Crostini

Ingredients:

• 8, 1/2 inch slices of a crusty baguette.  (I used ciabatta baguette from Trader Joes)
• 1/2 zucchini, sliced into ribbons, using a vegetable peeler
• 1 large summer squash, sliced into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
• 1/2 corn cob, kernels removed with a chef’s knife
• 1 Tablespoon walnut oil (you could substitute another mild oil, like canola or grape seed)
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped tarragon
• 1/2 cup creamy goat cheese (I used a log of herbed goat cheese from Trader Joes)
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons milk or half and half
• 2 Tablespoons roasted, salted sunflower seeds
• Kosher salt and course ground pepper to taste
• Olive oil spray, or a bit of olive oil and a brush

Method

1. Spray or brush the bread slices with olive oil and grill on a grill pan until slightly crispy. 
2. Use a fork to mix the goat cheese and milk / half & half until smooth and spreadable. 
3. Combine the squash ribbons, corn, oil, vinegar, basil, tarragon, salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside. It’s nice to do this a bit early so the flavors can meld and the squash can soften
4. To assemble, use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread a bit of the goat cheese on each piece of bread; then top each piece with a few kernel of corn, two to three squash ribbons and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds, salt and pepper.
5. Enjoy.

Time to Relax (Raw Corn, Tomato and Zucchini Salad with Lime Vinaigrette)

Even Maggie the Lab knows
how to relax on the lake

 There are a few places on the planet where I am able to relax within minutes of arrival.  Hyco Lake is one of them.  So needless to say I was very happy to receive an invitation to spend the Fourth of July there with our good friends Rusty & Debi.

Casual is the order of the day at The Lake.  As it should be.  Nothing is really planned out – we have a general idea of what we’ll do and who will be there, but beyond that things happen as they may and everyone is happy.

Crunchy, tangy and refreshing.
This summer salad is a crowd pleaser.

Case in point – I prepared a raw summer salad before we left Tuesday night, thinking we’d have it for dinner that night.  But as evening closed in a boat ride, a few hors ‘d oeuvres, and some early fireworks was a much better idea.  

The salad finally made its debut Wednesday afternoon served alongside a grilled pork tenderloin. What little was leftover made a nice dipper for tortilla chips as we eased into evening.

Use a sharp knife to slice
the corn kernels off the cob.

That’s what makes a salad like this a great thing to make ahead when you’re not really sure about a weekend schedule.  You can prep it well ahead of time, and dress it when (expected or unexpected) guests arrive.  And once you add the dressing, it gets better with time.   Heck, I think you could even toss it in a skillet and cook it up for a hot side dish with great success.

I hope you give this a try this summer.  And feel free to make adjustments along the way.  I think it would be great with cucumbers rather than zucchini and cilantro or even dill rather than basil.  The main thing–relax and have fun this summer!

Raw Corn, Tomato and Zucchini Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Salad Ingredients

(Serves 10 - 12)

• 4 years of fresh corn, kernels cut off (see photo)
• 1 pound cherry tomatoes, some cut in half and some cut into quarters
• 2 zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2/3 cup green onions, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped fine
• 2 pinches of Kosher Salt
• Lots of fresh cracked black pepper
• Lime vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Salad Method

• If making ahead, put all of the ingredients in a large zip lock bag and refrigerate.
• When ready to serve, toss with lime vinaigrette

Lime Vinaigrette

Mix in a glass jar:

• 3 large limes, juiced
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 big squeezes of honey from a Honey Bear (probably 3 tablespoons)
• Pinch Kosher Salt
• 6 grinds of black pepper

Taste and adjust seasoning – you may or may not want to add more honey, salt or pepper

Refrigerate until ready to toss with salad.

Enjoy!

It’s Tomato Time (Deconstructed BLT Salad)

Recipe and photo updated July 1, 2018

Updated photo - same great taste

Summer and tomatoes go hand and hand.  And when it comes to a summer lunch or even dinner, what can be better than a BLT? 

My mom made a mean BLT, and I still remember one that I had at a golf course in Mexico on a steamy summer day back in the 80s.  But the very best BLT I have ever had is right her in Chapel Hill, at a gas station turned lunch stop called Merrit’s Store & Grill.

Merrit’s roots go back to 1929 when original owners Ruby and Eben Merritt opened a gas station and store on Columbia St, a narrow winding road that eventually cuts right through the UNC campus and connects with Franklin Street at heart of Chapel Hill. 

Later in 1991, current owner Robert Britt bought the store and added the signature BLT to the menu.  The sandwich’s beauty is in its simplicity.  Lightly toasted bread, a thin smear of good quality mayo and a layer (or more, depending on the size sandwich you choose) each of farm stand tomatoes and crisp local bacon are topped with crisp iceberg lettuce.  The whole thing is wrapped in foil and handed to you in a brown paper bag.  Need I say more?

We had our first Merrit’s BLT the week we arrived in Chapel Hill a little under a year ago.  As we settled in to enjoy our lunch at a picnic table behind the store, there was a flash of lightning, a crash of thunder and the sky literally opened up. Just like in the movies!  We dashed to the car and had our picnic right in the gravel covered parking lot.  It was a great way to start our adventure, and a memory I will always cherish.

The other night we had a similar storm, and as luck would have it I also had some heirloom tomatoes, local bacon, and the other necessary BLT fixin’s on hand.  However, we weren’t in the mood for a sandwich, so I did a deconstructed version and called it dinner. 

Will took a great shot of the salad before we enjoyed it with a nice glass of crisp white wine. I hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as we did. 

Enjoy!

Deconstructed BLT Salad

Serves 4

Celebrate the end of summer with a new twist on a BLT. You can also cut the bacon, lettuce and tomatoes into bite sized pieces and toss, if you don’t  feel like assembling the dish as shown.

Ingredients:

For the Dressing:

Leftovers will keep in a jar in the ‘fridge for up to one week.

• ½ cup Greek yogurt (I use 2% but fat free of 5% OK too)
• ¼ cup good mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup buttermilk (standard milk will work, too)
• 2 tsp finely diced parsley
• 2 tsp finely diced chives
• 1 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder and celery seed

For the salad:

• 4 thick slices of sourdough bread, like crusty farmers bread 
• 1 very large or two medium tomatoes cut into thick slices
• 2 cups of cherry tomatoes, assorted colors if you can find them, about half of them cut in half
• 8 slices thick cut apple smoked bacon
• 2 cups shredded (make nice, long shreds – not chopped) iceberg lettuce
• Olive Oil Kosher salt and black pepper for grilling the bread

Method:

Make the Dressing

• Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Adjust seasoning to taste as needed.
• Cover with plastic wrap or put in a glass jar and chill until you are ready to make the salad

Bake the bacon -- Yup, bake it. This method will keep the bacon perfectly flat and drains away the fat: Simply preheat your oven to 400 degrees, put a baking rack atop a baking sheet and lay the bacon on the rack. Then bake for 18-20 minutes and remove to drain on a paper towel.

Grill the bread -- Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil sprinkle with Kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper before grilling on a grill pan or outside on the grill until you get nice grill marks.

Assemble the salad – I use a large dinner plate as this can get messy when you start cutting into the salad. Put a slice of bread on each person’s plate and layer sliced tomatoes, bacon, lettuce, cherry tomatoes and a drizzle of dressing.

Enjoy!

Farmers Market Cooking Class (Cumin Scented Spinach Couscous with Spring Vegetables)

Whew. What a week. A big project came to fruition, just as we hit the home stretch for a big event that is being planned for the first week of June. Late nights, early mornings, voice scritchy from talking on the phone.  Frankly, I had a blast.

Those who know me well, know that the harder I push at work, the more I need to chop, sauté and plate-up new dishes. So the timing of my first cooking class at A Southern Season this morning was perfecto!

A Southern Season is a Chapel Hill institution.  Amazing cooking store, meets outrageous specialty food store and invites a wine shop and florist over for a party. Toss in a great restaurant, phenomenal candy store and a cooking store, plus a healthy dose of Southern cuisine favorites and you’ve got A Southern Season.  Oh yeah, forgot the cheese section.  And the paper goods.  You get the point.

The class I took revolved around the Farmers Market that takes place outside the store every Saturday morning.  After donning  our aprons we headed out to the market to meet the farmers and gather up supplies for lunch.

Everything we cooked with was from the local area – farm fresh eggs (from pasture-raised chickens) and local cream for a stove-top crème brulee (watch for future posts as I make this one my own); strawberries, dried figs, local cheese, bacon, greens and garlic for a sweet & savory salad; multi-colored carrots and radishes that we tossed in olive oil and roasted; plus  tomatoes, spring garlic and cucumbers that found their way into a delightful couscous salad that I re-created tonight and will share with you here.

The best part, I spent two hours cooking and enjoying lunch with the most wonderful group of people. We chopped, chatted and learned. Then we enjoyed the fruits of our labors. If you’ve never done anything like this, I highly recommend it. 

Here is how I remembered the couscous.  I don't think we put parsley in, but I did tonight and it was tasty.  Cilantro would be good too. I also added some spring onions from last week's market. 

Cumin Scented Spinach Couscous with Spring Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 1 cup spinach couscous (if you can’t find spinach couscous, plain couscous will do.)
• 1 ¼ cup boiling water
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 large or 2 small tomatoes, cut into ½ inch dice
• ½ cup diced English cucumber (the kind that comes wrapped in plastic when you buy them at the grocery store) 
• ½ cup spring onion, cut into ½ inch dice (They look like a cross between a leek and a green onion and are VERY mild.  This is a staple in our farmers markets here, but if you can’t find them, I’d use chopped green onions or even red onion that you cut into ¼ inch dice and soak in ice water to remove the bitterness)
• ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• 2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground (or if you are in a pinch like I was tonight, around 2 ½  tsp ground cumin)
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 2 Tbs good olive oil
• 2 Tbs red wine vinegar
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

• Combine the couscous, boiling water and 1 tsp Kosher salt in a medium sized glass bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to set until the liquid is completely absorbed.  This takes about 10 – 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine all of the other ingredients, except for the final dose of salt and pepper in a large bowl.
• When the couscous is absorbed and tender, fluff it with a fork.
• Then add the couscous to the vegetable mixture. 
• Stir well.
• Season to taste.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  (Note, we didn’t really have time to get it cold during class or tonight when I made this, and it was perfectly fine.)

This was a great side dish with some grilled local sausages tonight.  Tomorrow it will make a comeback with burgers when my brother’s family comes over for dinner. (Shhhhhh don’t tell them, but they are getting leftovers!)  (And thanks, again, Ed for giving me this class for Christmas. You know your sister well.)

Enjoy.

Back in the groove – (Cream of Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Dipper)

Comfort food at its best

Recipe tested and updated September 2017

First off, thanks to the friends and followers who have inquired about my intentions to continue doing this blog – no, I’ve not given it up; yes, I’m still cooking on a regular basis; yes I still LOVE North Carolina.  I just had a particularly busy late December/early January and aside from work, it took me a while to get back in the groove.

Chances are you have all the
ingredients you need in your
pantry, fridge and garden.

But baby I’m back! And I'm looking forward to posting on a regular basis again, and sharing some new recipes.

If you’ve seen the news, you’ll know it’s been a bit chilly here.  The last week of December and the first couple of weeks of January were particularly ridiculous.  I’m all for the changing of the seasons, but when CurveBall goes out on the screen porch for a drink of water and her little Scottish Terrier beard freezes before she gets back inside, it’s too freakin’ cold for this SoCal born and raised girl. 

The chilly weather has led to a new collection of scarves and gloves, and an appreciation for the art of "layering" without looking like the Michelin Man! 

The chilly weather has also prompted a number of new tummy warming favorites and the tomato soup below is one of them. It combines two favorites – tomato soup and grilled chesses sandwiches – into comfort food bliss.  Pair with a crisp white wine and a salad and it makes a great dinner.  Leftovers reheat nicely in the microwave for lunch.

Enjoy.

Cream of Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Dippers

 Serves 6

Cream of Tomato Basil Soup Ingredients

• 2 large cans Cento San Marzano whole tomatoes (Sure you can use any old canned tomatoes, but if you can find Cento or another brand of San Marzano tomatoes, pop the few extra cents and get the good stuff)
• 4 cups (1 box) chicken stock
• 3/4 cup diced carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
• 3/4 cup diced onion (about 1/2 large onion)
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed (you can fish this out later if you are not a big garlic fan)
• 2 Tbs tomato paste 
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, loosely packed, left whole
• 3 TBS chopped fresh basil (about 1/2 cup whole leaf) (chop right before use)
• ¾ cup cream or half-and-half 
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper

Method

In a large saucepan or medium size dutch oven:

• Sauté the onion, carrots and celery in the olive oil over a low heat until soft (about 2 minutes), add a large teaspoon of Kosher salt and 10 grinds grinds of black pepper, the garlic and tomato paste and continue sautéing 3 more minutes
• Add the canned tomatoes (with juice) and broth and the whole leaf basil; mash down the tomatoes gently with a potato masher or slotted spoon, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium/low and cook partially covered for 30 minutes.
• Turn off the flame and let cool for 10 minutes.   
• Fish out the bay leaf (and garlic, if you desire) and puree the soup mixture with a hand-held stick blender (or in batches in a regular blender of food processor) until smooth. 
• Add cream or half-and-half and remainder of basil; stir and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Warm over a low flame if necessary.
• Serve with with Grilled Cheese Dippers (see below)

Grilled Cheese Dippers Ingredients

• 12 slices sliced ciabatta bread 
• 12 slices cheddar/jack cheese, cut in half to match the shape of the ciabatta 
• 1/4 stick softened butter

 Method

• Heat a or grill pan over a high flame until very hot
• Divide the cheese to top half the bread slices, top with the remaining bread slices, smear with the butter and place butter side down on the hot pan
• Lower the heat, cook until crispy and flip, cooking again until the second side is crispy and the cheese is gooey.

To Serve

Ladle the soup into a bowl, top with a grilled cheese dipper and enjoy.

A Sneak Peek at the Future (Tomato, Roasted Pepper and Basil Tapenade)

It’s amazing how much you can accomplish when everything you need is no more than 15 minutes of where you are. Yesterday was one of those days, with a trip to the Farmers Market; shopping for carpet; shower enclosure and stove decisions (can’t wait fire up my new Wolf!), a hair appointment with a new stylist (which kills HOURS) and assorted other errands. Oh yes, and it all had to be done by 6 o'clock so we could hit the annual block party in our soon to be new neighborhood before our 8 o'clock dinner reservations at Elaine’s on Franklin (Chef Bret Jennings participated in the Farmers Market event).

Somehow we did it.

I could write all morning about yesterday’s Farmers Market, which included a celebration of seven local chefs who shop regularly at the Market. Not only did we get our weekly haul of veggies and ridiculously fresh poultry, we also had a chance to chat it up these delightful and talented men and women, taste samples of their work learn more about the Chapel Hill area local food movement. It just makes sense to support your local farmers and in the end it is healthier, too.

The neighborhood block party was also a good experience that gave us a glimpse of our lifestyle to come. The neighborhood reminds us a bit of the two neighborhoods in Brea where we raised Will. Tight knit, but still private. A huge dose of pride of ownership. Add in a lot more trees and a discussions about which plants the deer will eat less of and you’ve got our future home.

I’ve got to admit, it was tough to walk into the cul-de-sac knowing nobody. We arrived fashionable late and our friends who will be our new neighbors had already dashed off to another event. But no sooner had we put our contribution to the appetizer course on the table, that good old Southern Hospitality set in and folks started to wander over to greet us.

We may not be in Kansas, Toto, but everything is going to be more than just Okay.

Here’s the appetizer I latterly threw together in 15 minutes between the appliance shopping hair appointment. It features one of the red peppers one of the local farmers roasted for me at the market. Everything (except the olive oil and vinegar) was grown, produced or baked locally.

Enjoy.

Tomato, Roasted Pepper and Basil Tapenade

Ingredients

• 1 roasted bell pepper, seeded and diced into 1/2 dice
• 1 basket cherry tomatoes, chopped (the easiest way: cut each tomato in half and then cut each half into quarters. Sounds tedious, but if you get a rhythm going it is a heck of a lot easier than trying to actually chop them)
• A big handful of fresh basil, chopped medium-fine
• 1 clove garlic mashed into a paste
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• About 5 or 6 grinds of black pepper
• 1/2 cup of feta, broken into large chunks. (Try to get a block of high quality cheese and break it up yourself. I used a local sheep’s milk feta. Oh my.)
• Pinch of salt

Method

• Mix everything except the feta and salt in a medium sized bowl. Make sure the garlic is evenly distributed.
• Add the feta cheese.
• Mix lightly so you don't mash the feta.
• Taste for saltiness and adjust accordingly.

Serve on sliced chebata or French bread. (I found an amazing seeded chebata that was delicious).

9:36 (Tomato Corn Chutney)

BOOM….. BOOM …..boom boom boom boom… Boom……boom boom

With the exception of one summer that I spent in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, just about every summer night of my life has been punctuated by the Disneyland fireworks.

These days Disneyland's fireworks fill the skies on weekends during the rest of the year, too. But I equate them with summer. Depending on where you are located you might see them; but most often you hear them in the distance. And from whatever reason I always glance at the clock and announce, “9:36,” which more often than not is the time on the clock when the sound reaches us.

It is strangely reassuring.

Last night we watched the Disneyland fireworks light up the sky as we whizzed along the 57 freeway past a packed Anaheim Stadium and equally full Honda Center parking lot. I felt a tad sad, knowing that soon this would be a summer memory. But was also curious about what will fill the void left in my future summer nights.

I’m looking forward to summer evenings watching fireflies, which I saw for the first time last year (until then my firefly experience had been limited to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, again a Disneyland reference). I’m sure they will torment our little Scottie dog who has a thing for bright lights and shadows. I can already hear my niece Katie squealing with delight.

Tonight’s recipe is one that often makes an appearance of a summer night as well. A rich tomato corn chutney that celebrates some of the best flavors that summer has to offer. I’m looking forward to making it with Katie and enjoying it after a night of chasing fireflies.

Tomato Corn Chutney

• 1 medium red onion - diced
• 1 basket cherry or grape tomatoes - halved
• 2 ears corn, kernels removed (or 1/2 bag frozen corn thawed)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 sprigs thyme (or 1 tsp dry)
• 1 clove garlic, slivered
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

• In large sauté pan, heat the oil, cook the onions over medium heat until just beyond the translucent stage
• Add the thyme, cherry tomatoes and the garlic – cook over medium low heat until caramelized. This step requires patience.
• Add in the corn and saute until heated through.
• Lower the heat and stir in vinegar, combine well.
• Add salt and pepper to taste

Serve hot, at room temperature as a side dish or cold as condiment for grilled chicken

Enjoy!