Grilled Corn Zucchini Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese & Seared Scallop

This salad is one of the best recipes I have ever made. This Grilled Corn Zucchini Orzo Salad has a creamy texture from the orzo and the garlic mayonnaise dressing, yet the salad dressing is light on mayonnaise. The grilled corn and zucchini are excellent additions to the texture with a tender and crunchy bite. The salad is topped a tangy flavor from the goat cheese, and the fresh cilantro micro greens. These micro greens have a more subtle taste than the full grown-up cilantro leaves. The cilantro micro greens have a peppery taste and a hint of grassiness.

📝 Ingredients

• 3 ears of corn, shucked. *See notes below if you don't have corn on the cob.
• 1 pound small zucchini, cut into circles
• 1/4 cup & 1/2 Tablespoon EVOO, separated.
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 pound orzo
• 1/4 cup homemade roasted garlic mayonnaise *See notes below for easy recipe
• 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon minced shallot
• 1/2 teaspoon guajillo pepper, or chili powder
• 1 1/2 cups Cilantro MicroGreens or coarsely chopped cilantro. I highly recommend MicroGreens if you can find it near you. *See notes below.
• 2 ounces fresh goat cheese
• 3 scallops per person

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Cooking the Corn: Option 1 ---
2. 2In a 6-quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, fill half way with water and bring to a boil. Add the corn ears and cook for about eight minutes. In a grill pan or an indoor electric grill, finish cooking the corn until it's charred. Let it cool and cut the kernels off the corncobs. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. 3--- Cooking the Corn: Option 2 ---
4. 4Turn on the indoor electric grill or heat a grill pan. Place the corn on a baking sheet and brush them with olive oil. Grill over 350-degree heat until charred and crisp-tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool. Cut the kernels off the corncobs. Transfer to a large bowl.
5. 5--- Cooking the Orzo: ---
6. 6In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the orzo until al dente. Drain well and spread the orzo out on a baking sheet; pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to the bowl with the zucchini and corn.
7. 7--- Making the Dressing and pouring on salad: ---
8. 8In a large mixing, whisk the mayonnaise with the remaining three Tablespoons of olive oil and the lime juice, shallot, chile powder and 1/2 cup of the cilantro; season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. 9Pour the dressing over the orzo, corn, zucchini and the remaining micro cilantro and mix well. Transfer to a platter.
10. 10--- Cooking the Scallops and finishing the salad: ---
11. 11Season the scallop with salt & pepper.
12. 12Pan sear the scallops in a smoking hot pan and add a 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil, or butter.
13. 13Place them gently in the pan and don't touch them until you have to turn them to the other side, 1 & 1/2 minutes per side. Do not overcook them!!!!
14. 14Place the scallops onto the plate and add chunks of goat cheese and sprinkle more micro cilantro.