Shrimp, Green Bean, and Corn Salad with Chimichurri Vinaigrette

The Local Palate is an absolute gem of a magazine, dedicated to today's Southern food and drink. I look forward to every issue and have flagged too many recipes, restaurants, bar, and destinations to keep count.

This month Palate is featuring several recipes to refresh your 4th of July menus, and this one is one of the best (and simplest.)  I could not get my hands on okra this week, so I opted for green beans for color and crunch.  If you are vegan, some pan seared tofu would make a nice replacement for the shrimp. I don't add salt to keep sodium in check (and shrimp and naturally salty) but you can add a pinch of sea salt to the shrimp and a pinch to the vinaigrette if you like.

Ingredients:

1 pound U.S. medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined, tail on

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 ears of fresh shucked corn

8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 small red onion, sliced very thin

1 cup fresh green beans, snipped and sliced on the diagonal

1-2 big handfuls or arugula or baby romaine lettuce

For the vinaigrette:

1 cup fresh mint (not packed)

1 cup flat leaf parsley leaves (not packed)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 -3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 red onion, roughly chopped

1 lime, juiced

1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions:

1. Working in batches, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a cast iron skillet, set over medium high heat.  Once the oil is hot, place enough shrimp in one single layer in the skillet and sear on each side until pink, about 3 minutes total.  Repeat with remaining shrimp and remaining tablespoon of oil.

2.  Remove all shrimp from the skillet and set skillet and shrimp aside to cool.  Wipe the skillet clean and place it back over medium high heat.  Sear the corn on all sides until charred, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the skillet, let cool, and cut corn off the cob.

3.  Place all the vinaigrette ingredients except the oil in a food processor.  Pulse a few times until finely chopped. Then pour into a non-reactive bowl and whisk in the oil.  See aside until ready to use.

4.  In a large serving bowl, gently toss all the salad ingredients together, and serve with the chimichurri vinaigrette on the side.  Extra vinaigrette can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days and used on poultry, shrimp, or tofu.