once again, i feel summer slipping out of our grips before we've even had time to truly welcome and enjoy it. this summer in particular seems to have blown by so fast it's hard to believe it was ever here! this may have something to do with the fact that mr. sun chose not to grace us with [his} lovely warm presence as often as [he] typically does in sunny san diego! well, there's still hope. summer has always been my favorite season-i'm just that much happier in the heat, soft sand on my feet, warm sun on my skin, sweet fruit in my mouth, the smell of the grill in the air, watching the children run free and the sun set over the ocean (it never gets old)! there's the smell of peaches in the air, windows wide open, curtains blowing in the breeze, picnics, late nights, the best tomatoes ever, the occasional spoon (or two) of ice cream, did i mention the tomatoes? when it's warm out, we tend to eat a little later, and a little lighter. often, if we find the time, we pack our dinners to eat at the beach. when i found sweet organic corn at the market (not so easy to find these days) a few days ago, i decided to make a light and easy salad for our beach dinner. i added small black lentils as a good source of flavor and protein, and fresh lemon juice to round out the favors. the resulting (more than a simple) salad was a big hit. we'll probably have it one more time before we officially bid summer goodbye-it's only a few days past mid-August after all!

• 3-4 sweet organic corns, cooked on the cob (boil in lightly salted water until tender, drain and allow to cool off, cut corn off the cob)

• 1/2 cup small lentils, cooked until just tender

• 1-2 large ripe heirloom tomatoes

• 2-3 scallions, thinly sliced

• 1 small bunch organic parsley, finely chopped

• juice of 1 lemon

• 2-3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2-1 tsp ground cumin

• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional for spicy)

• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

combine lentils, corn, parsley, scallions, and tomatoes in a bowl-then whisk together lemon juice, evoo, sea salt,  and spices. set aside until 15 minutes before serving, then pour over the corn mixture and combine well. let it rest for about 15 minutes before you serve.