Summertime Corn Tomato Barley Salad

This easy recipe for summertime corn barley salad combines summery veggies with hearty barley for a delectable side dish. 

FIRST OF ALL, I need to send a big thank you hug out there to all of you who commented, emailed and otherwise sent us such sweet messages about the Carolina Dream House tour!

With everything going on in the world, it really does mean the world to me and my family to have such encouragement as we move into the next stage of our Multigenerational Adventure!

One of the Southern daughter’s besties came to see the new house, and I have so much admiration for this selfie she took in our brand new media room…

It’s pretty much how I feel every time I walk in that room too!

In other house updates, this week the outside kitchen started taking shape!

Soon there is going to be a grill and a drop-in cooler and a cabinet in there, and a leathered granite countertop over the whole thing where folks can pull up a chair.

And a pergola on top with twinkle lights!

Meantime, this excitement also happened…

…which reminds me to tell you that if anyone asks you if you want sprinkles on your epoxy garage floor, SAY YES.

Not only do they provide some nice traction, they now will forever make me think of an ice cream cone when I visit the garage.

However! The most thrilling thing that happened so far this week was that our friends at Peace In Place arrived to start their part of our adventure.

Peace in Place is an organizing company that promises a beautiful, functional, stress-free home, and boy do they deliver.

We met with them a couple of months ago, and Lindsay talked to us about our home, and then came out and measured it from top to bottom.

Then she sent me the world’s most organized and beautiful Pinterest board full of baskets and jars and hooks and crates and together we picked out all the things that would make everything from our attic to our kitchens to our closets to our bathrooms to our laundry room neat and organized and pretty.

THEN THE BOXES ARRIVED.

It took all of our self-control not to peek, because Lindsay and her team arrived yesterday to open them, inventory all the goodies, and place them in the places they are supposed to go.

That’s all I’m going to show you at this point, because the next step is that Lindsay and her team come back on Moving Day, unpack with us, put everything in its place, and then add or move or replace things as needed.

OKAY, just one more picture because I love it so so so much.

Once everything is tucked away, I promise to show you all of the magic that Peace in Place conjured up for us. But in the meantime…

Here’s how you make summertime corn tomato barley salad!

This is the last weekend that our sweet local farmstead is open (sob!) so I am pretty much putting tomatoes and corn in every meal.

And I love me some barley – it is so hearty and delicious. As the Southern husband can tell you from the 349 gallons of beef barley soup I make in the winter on the regular.

So! Cook barley according to the package directions and drain, giving it a brief rinse under cold water to cool it down.

Now, stir it up with some fresh corn kernels, some halved sweet cherry tomatoes and a few sliced scallions for some sass.

Next, pour some fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper into a small jar.  Shake shake shake, then drizzle into the salad, tasting as you go, until it is dressed just the way you like it.

Add a little fresh thyme and some grated parmesan cheese and give it one more toss.  Season with salt and pepper serve it up!

This is delectable alongside grilled steak or chicken or fish, but I’m here to tell you that it makes a wonderful summery meal all by its delicious self.

OK, back to my move-in countdown…next stop, the New Jersey movers arrive!! It’s happening!