Every once in a while, our staff have to remind me that I’ve been digging into tough topics in my blog and perhaps readers would benefit from something lighter.
They’ve been right so far.
I’m sure that this is true in this season of blogging as well.
This week, I want to tell you about a very special cookbook and leave you with one of our favorite summer recipes from our Hamilton Family Cookbook.
Just over 19 years ago, the church that raised me, Plattville United Methodist Church, threw Meghan and me a wedding shower. One of the gifts we received was a recipe book. Folks from church got us started by sharing some of their favorite recipes on handwritten cards. It’s a treasure to have these recipes in the handwriting of people that are so special to us. The folks from church even inscribed a recipe for a good marriage on the inside of the front cover.
Not only do we return to these recipes time and time again; we often add to them. When friends, family, church members give us a recipe that we want to keep we rename it in honor or memory of them and in the book it goes. It’s gotten to the point where the Hamilton Family Cookbook is about ready for a second volume.
One of our favorite summer recipes is Missy’s Summer Salad with Corn and Avocado. Missy made this salad for us and it’s so light, fresh and delicious! Now this isn’t our friend Missy’s recipe. It comes from the brilliance of Gina Homolka at skinnytaste.com and its real name is Summer Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad with Buttermilk Dressing.
YIELD: 4 Servings
COURSE: Salad, Side Dish
CUISINE: American
Ingredients
For the dressing (makes 3/4 cup):
• 1 tbsp minced shallots
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 6 tbsp 1% buttermilk
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• pinch black pepper
For the Salad:
• 1 head romaine (chopped (about 5 cups))
• 1 medium corn on the cobb (cooked and cut off husk*)
• 4 to 5 large grape tomatoes (quartered)
• 1/2 large avocado (3 oz, sliced)
• 1/4 cup sliced red onion
Instructions:
1. *Quickest way to cook the corn is put it in microwave 3 minutes with husk on, then let cool and peel.
2. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together.
3. Place lettuce in a large bowl, top with corn, tomatoes, avocado and red onion and drizzle with dressing.
If this sounds good to you, I know you won’t be disappointed to try it!
But since I’m thinking about a volume two of the Hamilton Family Cookbook, do you have any recipes to share? If so, send them to me rob@genevaumc.org
