Quinoa with Corn, Scallions & Mint

Over the weekend my husband and I took the kids to an orchard where we picked peaches and corn. I have never plucked an ear of corn off a stalk before.  It was actually hard work which required a lot of elbow grease; those ears were on there pretty tight! We picked a copious amount of corn for a family of five!!! But, the corn is sweet, white, and bursting with flavor, so I'm not too upset about the amount we have (not to mention my children love corn on the cob! Have you ever seen two seven year old boys, both missing their two front teeth, attempt to eat corn on the cob? It's pretty comical, let me tell ya!).

My friend, Gina, shared this Epicurious recipe with me. It is very light, of course yummy, and would make a nice side at a BBQ! Enjoy!!

• 4 ears corn, shucked
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon mild honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups quinoa (about 10 oz)
• 4 scallions, chopped <aka green onions>
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

Put corn in a 5- to 6-quart wide pot, then add water to cover and bring to a boil, covered. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Transfer corn with tongs to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, cut kernels off cobs with a large heavy knife.

Meanwhile, whisk together lemon zest and juice, butter, honey, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until combined.

Wash quinoa in 3 changes of cold water in a bowl, draining in a large sieve each time.

Cook quinoa in a 4- to 5-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in sieve, then set sieve over same pot with 1 inch of simmering water (water should not touch bottom of sieve). Cover quinoa with a folded kitchen towel, then cover sieve with a lid (don't worry if lid doesn't fit tightly) and steam until quinoa is tender, fluffy, and dry, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand (still covered) 5 minutes.

Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed, then stir in corn, scallions, mint, and salt and pepper to taste.