What does it mean if you see a groundhog in the summer?  A couple of days ago, I spotted a fat, furry little creature stealing strawberries from my garden.  It scurried off into the woods as soon as it saw me but not before I got a good look.  It took me a couple of days to figure out what kind of animal it was since I have never seen one before and I have to admit that I became a bit obsessed.  It looked like a beaver but with a fluffy, bristle brush-like tail.  I finally spotted an internet picture of my new little friend, who turns out to be a groundhog, although here in Maine they are called woodchucks.  I know that Maine had a brutally long winter and Punxatawny Phil saw his shadow on Groundhog Day dooming the East to six more weeks of winter, so I hope that this means six extra weeks of summer.   Perhaps the fact that the little guy is a Mainer, and therefore, only a woodchuck, maybe it doesn’t mean anything and he is just a cute little neighbor who likes my strawberries…

Photo Courtesy of http://www.teacheratlas.com

So what does my groundhog/woodchuck have to do with Wheatless Wednesday?  Nothing, except that I was carrying all the veggies I just bought into the house when I spotted him and almost dropped them in my excitement.  This week in Maine has been hot and humid so we are eating lots of salads.  You might say I overthink food, and perhaps I do, but here is my take on a Green Salad, which is green (arugula) on green (edamame) on green (snowpeas) on green (avocado) on green (scallions) with just an accent of color (corn and maybe a sprinkle of goat cheese).   The variety in this salad comes from the flavors and textures rather than most summer salads that are generally pretty colorful.

Corn is just starting to come into season and I have had trouble finding organic, non-GMO corn here in Maine, perhaps its just too early or maybe it’s an indication of how much of our corn is now GMO. 😦 It’s hard to pass up the bins of 10 ears of corn for $4.00 but I just did that yesterday.  Instead I bought 3 hard to find ears of organic white corn for $3.00.  Call me crazy but I really go out of my way to avoid GMO’s!  Since corn was my accent in this salad, I decided to rub it with butter, salt and pepper(and maybe just a tad of Creole Seasoning.  I like Tony Cachere’s) and roast it until it turns golden brown.  I let it cool and then sliced the kernels off into the salad.  Delicious!

Although this salad is light, it is also pretty hearty. Arugula is a great choice for a green salad. Arugula contains about eight times the calcium, fives times the vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K, and four times the iron as the same amount of iceberg lettuce.  The Edamame provides protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals (including calcium and iron). and the Avocado is nutrient dense and a source of good fat (which we need to absorb the nutrients so don’t hold back).  Sugar Snap Peas are also a good source of vitamins and minerals including calcium and Vitamin C.   Corn gets a bad rap but is actually pretty loaded in antioxidants and fiber.  The best thing about this salad though is that it’s simple but delicious-a perfect hot summer meal!