Summer Sunday Salad

Even though, according to the calendar it isn't really summer yet (not yet June 21), the fact that last night J and I sat outside by the outdoor fire, sipping Chardonnay and listening to the crickets (and had the doors and windows wide open so we could hear Billie Holiday, Al Green and Jamie Cullum tunes from the living room stereo speakers), and the fact that I made my black bean salad for the first time this past week, it certainly is feeling a lot like summer.
I love summer meals--so light and healthy, full of fresh ingredients like tomatoes and sweet red peppers, eaten outside.
This black bean salad recipe is a favorite. It can be doubled easily, and ingredients can be added or omitted. The lime juice dressing can be altered to taste, as well(adding cilantro or cumin for a more Southwestern flavor).

**************************************

Black Bean Salad

· 1 (19 ounce) can of black beans, thoroughly rinsed, and drained (or 1 1/2 cup of freshly cooked black beans)
· 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, defrosted (or 1 15 oz. can of corn, or fresh corn, parboiled, drained and cooled)
· 1 ripe avacado peeled, pitted, and cut into chunks
· 3 fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
· 1 small red pepper, seeded, and diced

* 2 cups tortilla chips, broken into medium to large size pieces

· 1/4 lime juice (about the amount of juice from one lime)
· 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
· 1 to 2 teaspoons hot red pepper sauce(Tabasco or hot sauce of your choosing)
· Salt and pepper to taste


Directions
1. Combine beans, diced tomatoes, peppers, drained corn kernels and sliced avacado in a medium sized bowl.
2. To make dressing: in a small bowl, whisk together lime juice olive oil hot sauce, salt and pepper. Toss 1/4 cup of the dressing with the bean mixture and the broken tortilla chips.
3. Reserve rest of dressing to add at table if more is needed.

Also, this salad can be arranged on some fresh lettuce leaves and greens, with some grilled chicken slices added, for a nice summery meal (the extra dressing drizzled on the chicken is delicious)