Seeing that all these great things were happening for Matt I figured it was only appropriate to surprise him with all of our friends to celebrate. The best part about it…he was actually surprised! I couldn’t believe I pulled it off. Phew. Okay, I’m tired now.

woo woo, go Matt!

Happy 25th Birthday!

Since we love to cook and try new recipes I selected an entirely new menu of delicious eats knowing that he’d appreciate the effort. To my surprise (really) all dishes were a hit! Here’s the line up for the evening:

– Pulled Pork, slow cooked all day in a crock pot and then simmered in deletable sauce on the stove

– Pan Roasted Corn Salad with cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and basil

– Twice Baked Potato Skins with scallions, cheese and REAL bacon

– Fruit Trifle, just heaven

I’ve decided to break up this blog post into several segments…only to draw out your attention! To start you off I’m going with the pan roasted corn salad.

Ingredients

– 5-6 Ears of Fresh Corn

– 1 Tablespoon Butter

– 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon)

– 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced OR 1 Teaspoon Jarred Minced Garlic

– 1 Bunch Scallions, thinly sliced

– 2-3 Cups Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half

– 8 Ounces Feta Cheese, cubed

– 1 Lime, juiced

– Handful of Fresh Basil, freshly sliced (be generous!)

– Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Stand ear of corn on it’s end, use a sharp knife to slice the corn kernels off the raw cob, put into bowl (be sure not to cut too close to the cob and also look out for flying kernels!)

2. Flip the knife and scrap the back of the knife against the cob, lots of liquid and pulp will come out (I know it sounds weird but this is what you want, extra flavor!)

3. Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon olive oil in saute pan over medium heat, add 1 clove (or half teaspoon garlic) to pan stirring constantly for 20-30 seconds.  Make sure the garlic doesn’t burn, it can throw off the entire dish!

4. Separate the kernels, pulp and liquid into two batches. Add first batch to pan and saute until corn is tender and slightly brown, add scallions and stir for 1-2 minutes (this is to take out the real onion-y flavor). Pour mixture into separate bowl to cool.

5. Repeat step 4 with second batch.

6. Add sliced cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, remaining olive oil, basil and lime juice to serving bowl.

7. When corn mixture is cooled, add to tomato mixture along with salt and pepper. Gently toss and ready to serve cold or at room temperature!

deeeelicious! (feta is hiding)

For those of you weirdos that don’t like feta cheese, mozzarella would be a great substitute!