How was everyone’s weekend? It is still unseasonably warm and sunny in Portland. Usually we have to wait until the July 4 weekend for the rain to be gone until October and for the temperatures to really reach summer levels. This year, however, we are having a warm, dry spring. I sound like I’m complaining. It’s more that I’m worried.

I’m not really sure how to handle it. A) admittedly, it has been nice. The weather has been *perfect* – not really hot, just hovering between 70 and 80 degrees with full sun every day. B) HOWEVER. I am a little nervous about what is going to happen with my garden. Some of my greens are doing great. Some of them, the spinach and a basic, loose-leaf lettuce, both are off to a very slow and unproductive season, whereas with last spring’s slow, cool and rainy march to July made perfect conditions for us to have salad all summer long without buying lettuce. On the other hand, heat might be good for tomatoes. And C) ALLERGIES FROM HELL. I have never had allergies this crazy ever that I can remember. Thankfully as of Friday I am on some new medicine and it seems to be helping out a lot. I am thanking God it’s not hot enough to need the windows open at night.

Besides me over-analyzing my garden, it’s been a beautiful and productive and busy weekend. We are about halfway through the remodel and spent a lot of the weekend searching out tile stores, which have weird hours, picking out wood stain and trim and toilets and sinks and so on. I *think* we have everything selected at this point. Did you know they have Pantone paints now?

So while we’ve been doing that, we’re going for pretty easy foods (though I am still doing my June bread challenge – more on that later this week). This is one of my personal favorites to do when there is fresh corn available – but I don’t usually buy any until later in the summer. It works with a can, too, which is what I went with this time. This can be whatever you want it to be – a dip, a salad, a burrito filling, a nacho topping – basically any way you want to eat it you can. And there’s no cooking involved!

Here’s what you need for about 1.5 quarts of dip:

• 1 can black beans
• 1 can corn
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 green onions, sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup sunflower seed kernels
• Juice and zest of 1/2 lime
• Pinch of salt
• Hot sauce, if you like

Yep, That’s it.

Start by draining and thoroughly rinsing your black beans and corn. Let them drip dry while you prep the cheese, green onions and tomato, and add them to a good-sized serving bowl (approx. 2 quarts in volume).

Toss the beans and corns in, and squeeze the lime juice over top. Add in the zest and pinch of salt and toss. If you are a hot sauce person, you’ll probably want to add hot sauce. I didn’t and my husband did.

I recommend making this the same day you plan to use it. Then, dip/wrap/spoon/nacho away!