What could be better for an Autumn picnic than Scallops and Autumn Harvest Salad with butternut squash, corn, herbs and lime!
Autumn Picnic
Throw in a bottle or two of wine, your favorite cheeses, a crusty baguette, and of course autumns apples and grapes, and you have yourself the makings of a “get-lost-afternoon” Sunday picnic.
Picnics in Autumn are a sweet kind of sad goodbye to summer.
For this reason, the picnic should be extra special and reflect the foods labored over all summer long.
Salads To-Go
Fast, easy, and do-ahead salad which can be packed in individual mason jars, or small plastic bowls with lids.
This lovely salad is now ready to pack up for your picnic. If using plastic bowls, lay a lettuce leaf on the bottom and put your salad on top.
Place lid and it is ready to transport to park, boat, beach or backyard.
If using mason jars, you can skip the lettuce and eat right out of the individual jars, just as you have seen me share back in the spring with my favorite Lunch In A Jar!
Harvest Time Always Means Corn
This scallop and butternut squash salad first started with corn.
I love the sweet corn of Autumn and since it is growing all around where I live, I want as many corn dishes as I can have while it is freshly harvested.
If you are a corn lover, and I don’t mean frozen or canned; Farmer’s Market freshly picked corn is the sweetest vegetable happening in the kitchen.
For this reason, I created Corn Ice Cream, which is tucked in my freezer as soon as corn is harvested and in my hands!
What To Put In An Autumn Harvest Salad?
With every imaginable type of squash taking over the fields at harvest time, I new the more manageable butternut squash was going into this salad.
Butternut squash is easy to peel, cut and quickly blanch or sauté for a variety of salads. It adds color and texture to our salad.
Corn, of course, is a must. Pop those corn cobs still in their husk into a large pot of boiling water and simmer for 15-minutes.
Even better, toss them on the grill when cooking another meal. Cool, shuck and cut the sweet kernels off the cobs for a variety of recipes.
Harvest time is not for land only ingredients.
Scallops are harvested throughout the summer and into the Autumn as well, so these plump sea creatures are going into this salad too for the perfect Autumn’s Harvested Salad!
Ingredients Needed
- Scallops
- Butternut squash
- Corn
- Spring onions
- Celery
- Cilantro
- Lime juice and zest
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Lettuce leaves – optional
Equipment Needed
- Large mixing bowl
- Large saute pan
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Citrus press
- Slotted spoon
- Stovetop or burner
Scallops and Autumn Harvest Salad
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Scallops cut in half, if large
- 1 1/2 cups Butternut squash peeled and cubed the same size as the scallops
- 2 cups Cooked corn
- 3 Spring onion finely chopped
- 2 Celery stalks chopped fine
- 1 cup Cilantro or parsley finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Lime juice
- 1 tsp Lime zest
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 Large Lettuce leaves, optional bib lettuce
Instructions
- Salt and pepper the scallops along with the zest of a lime. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium saute pan and sear the scallops. When the scallops lose their opaque color and look firm, remove them from the pan and cool, about 5-minutes.
- With a drizzle more of olive oil, toss the cubed (cut the size of the scallops), butternut squash into the same pan on medium high and sauté on all sides.Add just a little water into the pan and place the lid on to steam the butternut until soft, about 5-minutes. Remove.
- In a bowl, gently toss the scallops, corn, butternut, cilantro, celery, spring onion, remaining olive oil, lime juice and seasoning to taste.
- Divide into individual containers for the picnic or serve on plates for an outdoor lunch at home.
Video
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.