Summer Brown Rice and Bean Salad

It looks like Ronda and I were on the same page, as we are both cooking fresh corn salads this week! Or maybe it's just that our local markets here in Santa Barbara are still stocked with fresh corn. I get a beautiful box of local organic produce delivered to my door each week, and this week it included corn and zucchini. Sunday night I found myself staring into an empty fridge, with two kids on the floor screaming, my tummy growling, and hubby still at work. I was about to order a pizza when I just decided to throw some veggies, garlic, frozen brown rice, and a can of beans into a pot on the stove. And you know what? It turned out to be fantastic! My husband and 3 year old cleaned their dishes and raved about the dinner! Don't you just love when that happens?
Though this dish was sufficient for dinner for our family (lucky for me I'm not married to a cowboy who need a piece of meat every night), I think most would consider this a side dish. It would be lovely with a piece of grilled fish on top.
Oh, and because this dish is so simple, you really do need to use fresh corn, good quality extra virgin olive oil, and good quality sea salt (I recommend fleur de sel).


Makes 4 Side Servings

extra virgin olive oil
3 small zucchini, cut into half moons
3 ears fresh corn, kernels cut off
fleur de sel or good sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Brown rice, cooked (I used the frozen Trader Joe's bag)

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add zucchini and corn. Sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt and pepper and cook until tender crisp. Add garlic and cook, stirring for one minute longer. Stir in beans and rice until heated through. Serve warm.