[Meatless...& Marathon Monday!] Summer Corn & Quinoa Salad

This has been a weird summer for me. Aside from searching for and landing a new job, I never really had an official summer "launch" with my family. Like clockwork every Friday before Father's Day, we jump into the car and head to the Outer Banks for a week (maybe less depending on PTO) of celebration, relaxation, and QT together. We've been doing it for as long as I can remember. The permanent smell of sunscreen and salt on my skin, the heating of local she-crab soup on the stove, and morning pots of coffee all trigger my brain that summer is once again here and life is good.

This summer, my dad turned the big 6-0 so my mom signed them up, along with our two youngest siblings, for a European Baltic cruise...sadly for the rest of us, it was over the same week in June.



My summer has been more than wonderful and busy without the trip to the Outer Banks. I actually spent last week in Panama City Beach, FL visiting with my grandmother and extended family. It was refreshing to let go of my normal working routine and live a little: morning beach runs, reading books(!), eating fresh seafood, and falling asleep in the sun.



One other key thing that's made this summer particularly weird: my craving for summer salads has been lacking. After a long morning bathing in the heat and sun, nothing is more satisfying to me than a crisp green veggie-packed salad. But not so this year!

I've tried force-feeding myself them off and on with no avail. My ultimate solution? Ditching greens as the base and making salads with LOTS of texture! And quinoa has been one of my saving graces. I made this summer corn & quinoa salad using fresh local ears of corn, roasted in my oven (how I wish the had been charred on the grill though!). The sweetness of the corn and onion was nicely cut by the light vinegar dressing and tangy feta cheese. It's highly adaptable, but very refreshing. And nothing excites me more than using seasonal vegetables, so make sure you use fresh ingredients--and local if possible.



Also, starting this week, I'm beginning my weekly updates as I train for the Richmond Marathon in November. While I've run 3 half marathons and several other race distances, this will be my first marathon. And I could not be more excited / nervous / anxious / ready(?) to take on this new challenge! Oh, and did I mention that I convinced Boyfriend to run it as well?

We've both signed up to train with our current PT program. The training officially started the week before my trip to Florida, so I was lucky to get in the first long run with them last weekend. This past Saturday, due to return flights, I was on my own to do the 7-8 miles...and I chose to do them on the beach! While extremely s-l-o-w, I completed them comfortably with the help of my handheld water bottle. The humidity and time zone (one hour difference) definitely did a number on me. This week's runs include a longer one on Tuesday, hour on Thursday, and an 8-9 mile run on Saturday. I'm really curious to see how my body handles longer runs before work in the mornings!

Summer Corn & Quinoa Salad
Servings: 2-4

2 ears corn, roasted
1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/2 cup onion (red or yellow)
1/3 cup quinoa, cooked
1/3 cup feta
3 tablespoons cider vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon light-tasting olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon basil, chopped*
1/2 avocado, diced

*You can use fresh or dried, but the amounts will--should--vary so add gradually!)

• Once corn is cooled to room temperature, cut off the kernels into a large bowl. Toss in cooked quinoa, followed by the tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, and feta.  Gently stir until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

• In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, water, salt, and basil until combined. Pour over salad mixture and stir until combined. For best results, allow to cool in the refrigerator for 30 minute to an hour for the flavor to meld.

• When ready to serve, add diced avocado (stir it into the salad or arrange on top of each). Salad will keep in fridge for about 3 days.