Nothing says summer like warm sunny days and, oh wait, a lot of tank rain! The kids are finally off their laptops but Mother Nature is not co-operating with all the plans I had for outdoor summer days just yet. Ah well, we’ve gone headlong into summer cooking anyway, with lots of salads and barbecues!

Not that I wish to age myself, but when I was little, food was still very seasonal; clementines meant Christmas, strawberries meant summer. Asparagus and runner beans were patchy but amazing when they were here. I used to love the transitions between types of produce.

Of course, now, we can pretty much get anything we want, any time that we want it. (Apart from bananas, but let’s not talk about the bananas!) It’s convenient but not so much fun. This is where Bermuda’s farms come into their own.

Shopping locally supports smaller businesses in our community, keeps things interesting and maximises nutrient-density — it’s a triple win. As it doesn’t have to travel for miles or spend a long time in storage, the produce we grow here tends to be far more nutrient-rich when we eat it.

I spent one morning this week at the Miles-to-Grow hydroponic farm. It was amazing to see everything growing so well and know that it could be on people’s plates within hours of being picked. As everyone who has ever grown their own food knows, food that is freshly picked just has the most incredible flavour.

This week, my kids have gone mad for Bermuda corn. They look forward to it every year. They make an amazing mess shucking it in the garden and then even more mess when they eat it. Buttery mouths for days!

After simply boiling it almost every day, I decided to stray off the path and make a grilled corn salad to mix things up. They were not delighted with me as they viewed the dilution of corn as a terrible infraction (bad mummy) but I thought it was so amazing!

If you have older kids at home or are looking for an easy potluck summer side, this is a winner. It can be made in advance (add the avocado just before serving) and is fine at room temperature. Great for boats and on the beach too. Here’s how to do it! Enjoy and see you next week.

Grilled Bermuda corn salad

(Serves 6 but easy to scale up or down)

Ingredients

5 ears corn — leaves and strings removed

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped

4 spring onions, peeled and finely chopped, including the green tops

¼ cup fresh cilantro (try basil if you have a cilantro hater!)

1 avocado, peeled and chopped

Dressing

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 limes, juiced

1 tbs honey

1 tsp paprika

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

Method

1, Prepare the dressing by shaking together all the ingredients in a jar.

2, Grill the corn for 7 to 10 mins (until tender) at 400F (or boil if it’s easier!). Turn occasionally. The grilling just bumps up the flavour! Cool and then cut off the corn with a sharp knife.

3, Once cool, mix the corn with all the other veggies (except the avocado).

4, Mix the veggies and the dressing and store in the fridge until needed. At the last minute, stir through the avocado.

• Catherine Burns is a qualified nutritional therapist. For more details: www.natural.bm, 505-4725, Natural Nutrition Bermuda on Facebook and @naturalbda on Instagram