Grilled Zucchini, Red Onion and Corn Salad

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted! Life has been pretty hectic for me, but I'm sure pretty much everyone can say that about their lives. I'm in the middle of a transition phase so it always seems like there is something I need to get caught up on. Not only am I in the process of moving (moving into a condo near Pitt next week with my sister who just started medical school) but I also quit my job at the restaurant I was working at as a baker/line cook.

I was really excited about the potential opportunities I saw with this job a few months ago when I originally interviewed, but ever since then things have been messy. It wasn't until probably two months after I was technically hired that the restaurant even opened and now, seven weeks later, it still hasn't had an official "grand" opening. There are too many problems to count but among them are a dearth of competent and reliable cooks, a lack of organization in regard to purchasing basic supplies needed to do the day's work (milk, butter, bread, etc.) and an owner who tries to be and do all things at once which only results in exhaustion and short-temperedness on her part and anxiety and frustration on everyone else's. Overall, I'm very glad to be out of that situation but also disappointed because I was really looking forward to using my skills and learning some new ones.

Anyway, now that I'm not working full-time anymore I am able to focus on my writing. I have been a freelance writer on the side (and full-time when I'm between jobs) and I've decided that it is what I should be focusing on right now. I am still entertaining the idea of starting my own baking business down the line (waaaay down the line) but for now I'm going to focus on writing. The exciting part about this is that, thanks to my experience working in the food industry, I have been able to get a few jobs writing recipe books! Not only is this a good use of my skills but it also gives me a chance to read hundreds of different recipes which serves to inspire me for my own cooking adventures. I'm not sure what the future holds for me but for now I am enjoying the opportunity to focus on something I love.

If you've managed to get all the way through this post, thanks! In my launch post I talked about how I wanted to go to culinary school and about documenting my adventures working as a baker but now that both of those things have changed I'm not entirely sure which direction this blog is going to go. I do plan to keep baking and posting recipes, so perhaps that is enough for now. Yesterday was my birthday so in addition to an ice cream cake from Coldstone Creamery, I also enjoyed some delicious homemade seafood pizza and one of my favorite summertime salads -- grilled zucchini, red onion and corn salad marinated in Italian dressing.

Ingredients:

3 medium zucchini

1 large red onion

4 to 6 ears sweet corn (or 2-3 cups frozen corn)

1 bottle Italian dressing (or your favorite vinaigrette)

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:  

1. Slice the zucchini long-ways into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Arrange the slices flat in a large glass baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle Italian dressing over the zucchini and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
2. Thickly slice the red onion and spread the slices in a glass baking dish. Season with salt and pepper then drizzle Italian dressing over the slices then refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
3. Peel off the first few layers of husk from the corn then soak the whole ears in water for at least 15 minutes. The moisture will soak into the husks and prevent the corn from burning on the grill.
4. Preheat your grill and lay down a layer of aluminum foil over an area large enough for the red onions.
5. Arrange the vegetables on the grill, laying the slices of zucchini flat and the red onions on top of the foil. Place the whole ears of corn on the grill wherever you have space.
6. Grill the vegetables for 5 to 10 minutes on each side until grill marks appear and the zucchini becomes tender. Cook the corn until the outline of the kernels are visible through the husk.
7. Remove the vegetables from the grill and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes then chop and stir them together in a large bowl. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired.