summer salad

This weekend we will be going to my grandmothers to celebrate the 4th with my family and I cannot wait. I look forward the spending the 4th with my family @ my grandmothers place all year. Fried chicken, homemade ice cream, sparklers, a screened in porch … what more could you want? Because my mom has been a saint and had my children all week, and because my sweet Maw does not need to be worn out cooking for our whole crew, the duty then falls to me, the next eldest female in attendance to pull the meal together.

On the Menu:
*Fried Chicken
*Summer Salad
*Mom’s Noodle Slaw
*Maws Potato Salad
*Chips
*Homemade Ice Cream
*Fresh Watermelon

Here is the recipe for what I am calling Summer Salad – hands down our favorite salad of the summer thus far, which is how it got it’s name! It is somewhat similar to a tabbouleh salad, and anyone who comes into my house when there is a bowl of it in the fridge cannot keep their hands off of it – it is that good!

Start
*Boil 1 1/2 Cups Stock (chicken, beef or vegetable)
*Pour Boiling Stock over 1 Cup plain Couscous
*Set aside to cool

In a large bowl combine:
*1 peeled and thinly sliced large cucumber
* about 1-2 cups of Grape Tomato’s, Sliced on the diagonal
* 1 Cup of Feta Cheese (more if you love feta!) crumbled
* 1 small purple onion, sliced very thinly
*Take 2-3 Fresh Ears of Corn, cleaned and slightly cooked (enough to not be crunchy) and cut the kernels off the cob

Next,
*add Couscous to veggie mixture
cover with
*the Juice and Pulp of 1 large Lemon
*2 tbsp of Sunflower Oil
*2 tsp Sea Salt

Mix thoroughly, cover and set in fridge for 1-5 hours.
You can serve this right away, but it is better if it has some time to soak.

If it is too dry for your taste add 1 more tbsp of oil.

I love to eat it with a bowl of it with a huge Mason Jar full of Sweet Tea.
So fresh and yummy!

Also, I have decided to extend my CONTEST through the weekend, so sign up if you haven’t already and I will post a winner on Monday!!