Red Quinoa Salad with Grilled Corn and Peaches

                                    “Blow up your T.V., throw away your paper,

                                          Go to the country, build you a home.

                                     Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches….”*

This is a simple salad, one which can be eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to a meal. It can, of course, be made with the regular (non-red) variety of quinoa, too. You can augment it with additional vegetables, such as peeled and diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, etc. Because my cooking in the summer tends to be rather “basil-centric,” I opted to use mint, but you could just as easily use fresh basil; peaches and basil work well together.
You could also “grill” the corn directly over the flame of a gas stove or simply slice the corn off the cob and simmer it in lightly salted water for about 3 minutes, then drain and refresh it under cold water.

Red Quinoa Salad with Grilled Corn and Peaches

For 4 to 6 servings

¾ cup red (or plain) quinoa

1½ cups water

¼ teaspoon salt

2 ears of corn, grilled

2 ripe peaches, peeled and diced (a little over 1 cup)

½ cup red onion, diced

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1. Place the water into a medium-sized saucepan and season with salt. Place the pan over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Add the quinoa and stir. Cover the pot and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed. The quinoa will be tender and the germ ring, which will look like a small thread, will be visible. Drain the quinoa in a fine strainer, refresh under cold water and let cool.

2. Cut the grilled corn off of the cobs into a medium-sized mixing bowl. (If you skipped the grilling and simmered the corn off the cob, add it to a mixing bowl). Add the diced peaches and onion to the bowl and mix together. Add the cooled quinoa and the mint and mix to combine. Add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and mix to dress the salad; season with salt and ground black pepper. Refrigerate the salad, covered, until needed. Taste for seasoning before serving.

*from Spanish Pipedream, by John Prine