Hey guys! How’s your week going?
We slipped away for an extended weekend to my favorite place, Orcas Island. My Ma came with us. It was her first time to go.
We watched stars, visited a farm and farm-to-table restaurant, put puzzles together, watched fawns bounce through the forest, talked, laughed and listened to birds. I realized it had been far too long since I lazed a few hours away in a hammock under fir trees with my man and a good book.
It was a perfect, serene and restful weekend.
We also visited Brown Bear Bakery. You know I had to stop in for some research and development. Funny thing, I chose three pastries; apple turnover, kouign-amann, and almond-berry coffee cake. No, they weren’t all for me. I did share… just a little.
But, I came home with all of the above plus a giant dark chocolate snack cupcake. Talk about a nice surprise.
It was my most favorite of all.
My reason for this salad. One needs balance, ya know?
I’m bidding farewell to Summer with this nourishing, veggie packed Zucchini Corn Tomato Salad with Avocado Lime Dressing and Roasted Smokey Pepitas.
Be sure to make an extra batch of pepitas for snackin. Trust me on this.
It’s a delicious time of year, with such a wide variety of vegetables available including iconic Fall squash and apples! But I saved this last Summer recipe just shy of its end.
Embracing and celebrating all that Summer is.
What are you up to this last weekend of Summer?
the recipe
Zucchini Corn Tomato Salad with Avocado Lime Dressing
Ingredients
For the Roasted Pepitas:
- 1/4 C Pepitas 36g
- 1 tsp Coconut Oil melted, unrefined cold pressed
- 1/4 tsp Smoky Chipotle ground
- 1/8 tsp Sea Salt
For the Dressing:
- 1/2 Avocado flesh scooped out
- 1/2 Tbs Pickled Jalapeño chopped
- 1/2 Tbs Green Onion chopped
- 1 Small Fist Full of Cilantro
- 1/2 Tbs Fresh Lime Juice
- 1 Clove Small of Garlic sliced thin
- Pinch of Sea Salt
- 1/8 C Water 30g
For the Salad:
- 1, 13 oz Zucchini spiralized on the wide blade or sliced thin with a veggie peeler, 368g
- 2 C Sweet Corn fresh or frozen, 242g
- 1 C Cherry Tomatoes quartered, 186g
- 1/3 C Purple Onion sliced thin and cut into small pieces, 60g
- leaves Garnish with a few stems of chopped cilantro
Instructions
For the Pepitas:
- Preheat oven to 350F (177C). Toss pepitas with oil, then sprinkle with ground chipotle and salt. Toss well. Roast for 8-9 minutes stirring 1/2 way through roast time.
- Set aside to cool.
For the Dressing:
- In the bowl of a food processor, add the avocado, jalapeño, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, salt and water. Puree the ingredients until smooth, stopping a few times to scrape down the bowl and taste for seasoning adjustment.
For the Salad:
- Toss the zucchini, corn, tomatoes and onion together.
- Pour dressing over the salad* (see note) and toss.
- Sprinkle the roasted pepitas over the top and garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Thank you for reading! If you make this recipe, be sure to post it to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter notify me @vanillaandbean and tag #vanillaandbean! I’d love to see what you’ve made! Follow me on Pinterest, too, for even more deliciousness!
