Roasted Corn and Barley Salad with Basil Dressing & White Bean Dip

Yesterday was one of those challenging days where I needed some kitchen therapy. Beckett woke up cranky and miserable, and by mid-morning, I was cranky and miserable too. Sage was still out of town, and so it was going to be a very long day, if me and the little guy stayed in our grumpy moods. Playing in the kitchen, with Beckett as my little helper, followed by a long workout during his afternoon nap, was just what I needed. Working with end-of-the-week ingredients I had, I managed to come up with some seriously good stuff. This made a wonderful lunch for us, but either one of these would be perfect to take to whatever cookout, gathering or party you may be going to this holiday weekend.

In addition to operating the food processor, Beckett had some fun of his own washing the dishes. (And in case you're wondering, he picked out what he was wearing. I think he's looking forward to football season.)

I've been seeing a lot a grain based salads on blogs lately, and I was in the mood for one. I came up with this to use up some corn, and it was absolutely delicious! The sweet corn and the basil in the dressing were the standout flavors, while the barley gave heartiness and texture. The tomatoes really were overshadowed by the other flavors, but I think they give necessary color to this dish. I would double this recipe if taking to a get together.

Roasted Corn and Barley Salad with Basil Dressing

for the dressing:
1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves
juice from half a large lemon (1 1/2 tbsp)
1 tsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

for the salad:
1/4 cup pearled barley, well washed
1 cup kernels (from 3 small ears of roasted or grilled corn)
10 grape tomatoes,

In a small sauce pan, simmer the barley with 3/4 water, covered for about 40 minutes or until tender. Drain any excess water and set aside to cool.

While barley is cooking, blend dressing ingredients together in a small food processor. Transfer to serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Once barley has cooled, toss with corn kernels, tomatoes and dressing. Enjoy room temperature or chilled.

I was all set to whip up some hummus, when I realized the only garbanzos I had on hand were dried, which wasn't going to help me right then. I probably should've come up with something that had black beans since I have a surplus of those, but instead I settled on a white bean dip. This really is a pretty simple version, but I enjoyed it more than a complex flavored one I've made in the past. I used 2 big cloves of garlic, and it was rather garlicky in a pleasant way, so adjust according to your tastes. We ate ours with carrot sticks and multi-grain crackers.

White Bean Dip

1(15.8 oz.) can of white beans, drained and rinsed (I used Great Northern)

2 garlic cloves, quartered

1 tbsp olive oil

juice from half a lemon (about 1 1/2 tbsp)

1 tbsp chopped parsley leaves

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until smooth, stopping to scrape sides when needed. If you wish, add a little water to reach desired consistency. (I kept our thick.)

Transfer to serving bowl, and if desired drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with chopped veggies, crackers or dippers of your choice.