Food so nice they named it twice: Harvest Blend Couscous Summer Salad
Picnic season is back and with it I’m creating recipes that pair beautifully with any table scape. The recipe for success when hosting your own backyard picnic are cute linens, 2-3 small bite plates, a large grain salad, and my favorite Jordan Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Pay attention to the types of dishes you are serving your meals on. I like to have a mix of wood, glass, ceramic, and smaller plates such as the china plates below.
Most of the meals I make ahead then bring in Tupperware so it’s easy to set up once you get to your picnic location. Make sure you have napkins, music, and wine keys (all easy things to forget!). Once all is in place and the picnic has begun, it’s time to dive in. The harvest grain salad paired with the Jordan Chardonnay will taste like you’re on the vineyard in just one sip
Food so nice they named it twice: Harvest Blend Couscous Summer Salad
Serves 4
- 1 1/4 cup Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend
- 2 cups vegan feta cheese
- 2 cups roasted corn
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup basil, chopped
- 1 large avocado, cubed
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Method
- Cook the harvest blend as directed – add 1 tbsp of vegan butter when it is nearing the end of being ready. Set in the fridge once done to let cool.
- Drain and rinse the canned corn. On a large pan over high heat, add 1 tbsp of vegan butter and the corn. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until corn is browned. Add olive oil if needed. Add corn to the fridge once done to let cool.
- While couscous and corn are cooling, chop cherry tomatoes in half, cube avocado, and chop basil. Add all of this to a large bowl then add in the couscous and corn. Stir to evenly coat and pour in white balsamic vinegar and vegan feta.
- Place mixture into a large serving bowl. Top with extra basil leaves and vegan feta. Ready to serve!
