Grilled Corn and Nectarine Salad

Visiting my local farmer's market has become a fundamental part of my food shopping this summer. There is just something so fresh and Californian about buying your produce and eggs at an open-air market, where all the vendors are hawking samples of their sweetest berries and stone fruits. Not only is the fruit selection superior to the supermarket selection in freshness and flavor, but also in price. As you shop around the farmer's market, you can often find organic produce selling for the same price as conventional produce found in the grocery store. I go to the farmer's market without a set shopping list, and I formulate menu ideas based on what I find.
This is exactly how this salad came about. I ventured to the farmer's market to take in a walk and get in some shopping at the same time. I picked up some organic brown eggs (2 dozen for $5), corn (4 for $3), organic white and yellow nectarines ($2.50/lb), and a loaf of artisanal bread ($5). For $20 I got some wonderful goodies and the makings of a great side salad to pair with the marinated tri-tip (which I picked up for $3.99/lb) that I planned for dinner that night. Since I was already planning to grill the tri-tip, I simply blistered the corn on all sides before cutting it off the the cob. Choose nectarines that are ripe but still a bit firm so they hold up to the texture of the corn. By adding just a little bit of arugula and romaine which I had in my crisper drawer begging to be used up, it transformed from a salsa into a salad. Adding a bit of queso fresco and dressing it simply with olive oil and red wine vinegar was the perfect finishing touches that kept the salad simple, but delicious.

Grilled Corn and Nectarine Salad
Serves 6

Ingredients:
4 ears of corn
2 large yellow nectarines
10-12 basil leaves, torn
1/3 cup crumbled queso fresco
Extra virgin olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 cup baby arugula
2 cup torn romaine leaves
Optional: minced red onion, bacon crumbles

Directions: Husk your corn and place on a hot grill, turning every few minutes until the sides are evenly carmamelized. Take it off the grill and let cool. To remove the kernels from the cob I invert a smaller bowl into my mixing bowl and stand the corn up while cutting down the sides. I find that if I cut corn on a cutting board, the kernels fly everywhere. 
Dice your nectarines and add them and the queso fresco into the bowl. Dress with a bit of red wine vinegar and a glut of extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. I can't really give you the measurements of the dressing, but the ratio I use is about 1 part vinegar to 2 parts olive oil. Tear your basil and romaine, and add your arugula. Toss the salad so the greens are evenly dressed, and that's it. Originally I had planned to add bacon and red onion to the salad, but got sidetracked, so they never came out to play. Another day...

This salad was so light and refreshing, I kept going back for more. I could have easily skipped the meat and just had this salad and a little warm bread for dinner. If I was only feeding myself I probably would have. The combination of fresh-picked corn, nectarines, and basil just felt like summer, and was a great way to enjoy local, seasonal produce.

What are some of your favorite summer ingredients to put into a salad?