Angie recently brought home a pound of the most pristine wild shrimp. She nestled them next to my farmers market vegetable spoils and sweetly asked, “Can I help you get the grill ready?” Within 45 minutes we were sitting down to a sultry salad of corn—charred for mere seconds and cut from the cob—mixed with crisp yellow squash, ripe, yielding cherry tomatoes and zesty mustard-marinated shrimp. Everything was kissed by the flames and lavished with a tart tarragon and chive dressing. On that hot summer night, it was an affair to remember.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound (16-20) shrimp, peeled, deveined and butterflied
- 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing vegetables
- 1 teaspoon hot dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 ears fresh farmers market corn, shucked
- 2 medium farmers market yellow squash (8 ounces total), ends trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
- 10-12 large firm farmers market cherry tomatoes (about 12 ounces total), cut in half
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup picked fresh tarragon leaves, medium pack
- ¼ cup small chopped fresh chives
Instructions
For the dressing, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and reserve. In a separate bowl, mix together the shrimp, garlic, lemon juice, oil, dry mustard, chipotle pepper, the ¼ teaspoon black pepper and the ¼ teaspoon salt and set aside (shrimp should not marinate more than a half hour before grilling).
Start a fire in the chargrill and when fire is very, very hot, brush the corn, squash and tomatoes with oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill the corn for about one minute on four sides, to just lightly char. Remove to a tray. Grill the squash and tomatoes until charred and just cooked. Add to the tray. Grill the shrimp about two minutes, turning, until charred and just cooked through—do not overcook. Add to the tray.
Cut the corn kernels off the cob and place in a large bowl. Cut the squash in ½-inch thick half-moons and add to the bowl. Add the shrimp, tomatoes, tarragon and chives, and the prepared salad dressing over and mix well to distribute. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
