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Corn and Quinoa Salad with Lemony Mint Dressing

Dishing Up Maryland:
by Lucie L. Snodgrass
This is a most refreshing and delicious summer salad. If you don't want to roast the corn on the grill, just steam it and cut it from the cob.
4-6 Servings

Ingredients
· 4 ears corn in their husks
· 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 4 scallions, white and tender green parts, thinly sliced then chopped
· 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, cut into thin ribbons then chopped
· 1 tablespoon lemon zest
· 1/4 cup lemon juice
· 2 tablespoons honey (preferably unfiltered)
· 1/4 cup olive oil
· 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 

Directions
1. Pull the husks of the corn back, but not off. Remove the silk from each ear of corn and then pull the husks back up. Roast the ears of corn over a hot grill for 5 minutes, turning the ears several times so that they roast evenly. Let the corn cool slightly. Shuck the ears and cut the corn from the cobs with a sharp knife. Put the corn into a large bowl.

2. Combine the quinoa with 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until all of the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, fluff, and set aside for 5 minutes.

3. Add the scallions and the mint to the roasted corn. Add the quinoa, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, olive oil, and pepper, and toss well. Cover and allow the salad to marinate for at least 2 hours before serving.

CORN
Freezing corn is so simple that everyone should do it if they have enough freezer space. Working with six ears at a time, shuck the corn and steam the ears in batches for 2 minutes over boiling water on a steamer rack. Remove the rack from the pot and immediately put the corn in ice water to stop the cooking. Drain the corn in a colander, shake off any excess moisture, and then cut the kernels from the cobs and transfer them to 1-gallon ziplock bags, making sure to expel as much air as possible, so the bags lie flat. Repeat the process as needed to prepare all the corn. The corn keeps beautifully for six months in the freezer.