Berkshire native Alana Chernila, mother of two, and author of the cookbook, The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying & Start Making (Clarkson Potter), dispenses change and cooking ideas to readers and friends. She shares her peak-of-the-season recipes with Rural Intelligence to help us make the most of what’s growing in our region. Her first cookbook has achieved top-seller status, and Chernila has just announced that she has a new one in the works; tentatively named “Meals from the Homemade Pantry," due out in 2015. What are you making for dinner? I’ve got this salad that I’ve made over and over this week--I’ve got to say that it’s one the only things I’m interested in eating right now. Maybe it’s the combination of summer in a bowl that does it, maybe it’s that I’m holding on to the season? I’m not sure why it took me 32 years to eat raw corn, but better late than never. Did you know about this secret? Why didn’t anyone tell me? So this is corn, nectarines, scallions, lime, salt, pepper, and basil. That’s it. It’s sweet and sour and crunchy and slightly reminiscent of a cocktail that I have yet to try. And it’s especially excellent on the potluck picnic table, so if you’ve got one of those this weekend, maybe it could make an appearance. Or if you’ve got a suggestion for what I could make when I’ve had enough of this, I would be eternally grateful. Corn and Nectarine Salad with Basil
serves 4-6 people, or just me if there is a bowl of it in the fridge all day 4 ears corn, kernels removed 2 nectarines, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 large scallion, whites and a bit of the green thinly sliced 6 leaves basil, sliced thin juice of 1 lime salt pepper Combine the ingredients and stir. Taste to adjust for salt, pepper, and lime juice. Reprinted with permission from Eatingfromthegroundup.com. All text and photos copyright 2008-13 by Alana Chernila.
