Feed Yo Self: Dillville

Fresh herbs are the hallmark of early summer eating. The smell of freshly cut grass overwhelms the exhaust from the lawnmower. The baby leaves that are sprouting up in my mom's garden are so bright-green and tender, and it is almost--almost--good tomato season in Kentucky.

Here's what's really good in early May: sweet ear corn.
Corn on the cob is always good, especially grilled, but here's a new idea I spotted in the magazine Fine Cooking: raw corn off the cob, sauteed with browned garlic and shallots and finished with butter and chopped fresh dill. Fills the house with a delicious fragrance and comes out so yellow and sweet, each herbed kernel popping in your mouth and exploding with little buttery secrets.

The kosher salt and ground pepper are only an afterthought; the dill really brings out most of the freshness.
The flavor of dill says,

"wheee! it's sunny! take the trash out barefoot! leave the back door open and let all the bugs in! those dandelions will look great in a vase on the table!"

I made an accompanying salad, with a homemade citrus vinaigrette:

Spinach, yellow bell peppers, shaved red onion, and, of course, sprigs of fresh dill.

Citrus Vinaigrette
1 part fresh lemon juice
1 part plum vinegar*
1/4 tsp sesame oil**
1/4 tsp Sriracha hot sauce

* an interesting hand-me-down from when my sister gave me all her old kitchen stuff. ever want that back, sis?
** careful on amounts of the really overpowering sesame oil. It is delicious, but I know from experience that a little goes a long way.

Meanwhile, Katie threw a beautiful salmon fillet on the charcoal grill and left it covered on low heat about 10-15 minutes. We are still figuring out our grill. It cooked perfectly, but with much distress on our part.