Tomato, Zucchini and Corn off the Cob Salad with Yogurt Dressing

I didn't dare type this into traditional recipe format for fear it would inhibit your creativity, squash your sense of gastronomic freedom and quell culinary play. I'm quite sure every square inch of your food storage space is filled with some quantity of tomatoes, zucchini and corn this time of year or at the very least, you have a passion for these ingredients and cooking.

I was driving home this afternoon thinking about food choices. It was way past lunch time and I was "starving." A state I try hard to avoid by practicing prevention. As in packing snacks and meals, eating regular meals and snacks at regular meal and snack times, staying hydrated and generally practicing what I preach as often as I can.

Except today. I was so hungry as I drove home it was all I could do to keep my car on the road and out of Mickey you-know-who's house of diet horrors. I fantasized about ordering a giant mac with cheese and a large order of fries with a super huge diet soda. I thought about how delicious it would be. How yummy the fries would taste. How much I'd enjoy a cheesy burger dripping with ketchup.

And then I thought about you guys. And how I've been working hard to whittle off a few stray pounds. And how I like feeling great in my clothes. And how I want to stay fit for my mate. And I how I want to set a good example for my nieces. And how I'll look in the unemployment line if I blow back up to Hippopotamus status. So I drove home instead.

I whipped open the fridge and stared at the fresh zucchini and corn I'd been staring at all week. Only this time, I took it out. I grabbed my V-slicer and sliced the zucchini paper thin. I cut the corn off the largest ear I could find. I sliced the biggest tomato. I tossed everything together in a large bowl and added some baby basil leaves I'd somehow managed to keep alive in my garden all summer.

In a small bowl, I whisked together zero fat Greek style yogurt and fresh lemon juice. I added minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste and drizzled it over my salad. I tipped the salad onto a dinner plate and just before I dug in, using a carrot peeler, I shaved a few peels of parmesan cheese over the salad and was eating 10 minutes after I walked in the house. Fast? You betcha. Outrageously delicious? Oh yeah. Next time, if I'm feeling a bit more ambitious, I'll serve it with grilled white fish or chicken.

The moral of the story: you don't need fast food. Ever. Period. It's a choice.