Grilled Corn, Tomato, Bacon and Arugula Salad and Tomato Basil Vinaigrette

I know it's been a while since I've posted, but this semester got pretty busy! The good news is I have a ton of recipes collected, cooked, and reviewed and ready to share. I'll be working on posting these over the course of the next few weeks, so be sure to keep checking back! The first is a light salad that will give you a little taste of summer during these snowy and colder months. I made it a few weeks ago and it was a great twist on the normal salads I turn to for a quick side dish.

Prep Time: 20 min // Cook Time: 10 min // Total time: 30 min

Ingredients (serves 4):
5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used turkey bacon, you can replace it with walnuts for vegetarian)
Roasted corn kernels, removed from 4 grilled corn cobs
2/3 small jalapeño, finely diced (omit seeds)
12-15 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
3 handfuls arugula
Tomato Basil Vinaigrette
shaved parmesan cheese as garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Tomato Basil Vinaigrette:
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1/3 jalapeño pepper (omit seeds), roughly chopped
1/2 medium tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Prepare dressing by adding all ingredients to a food processor, and process until chopped and combined. Add salt and pepper as desired, or more olive oil if needed (should not be overly acidic). Refrigerate until needed. Prepare salad by combining all ingredients in a large bowl, drizzle with vinaigrette and toss well. Garnish with parmesan cheese.

Recipe Credit to: Jennifer at Seasons and Suppers