Ah summer. When I was a kid summer was THE BEST. School was out, the weather was great, there were more things to do and everyone had plenty of time. I grew up in Michigan, and summer was definitely my favorite time of year. I remember swimming and bonfires and camping and FOOD. It was magical. We even ate differently in the summer. Fresh fruits and vegetables were plentiful, whereas they really weren't even available throughout the rest of the year.

As I grew older I somehow lost that summer magic. I moved to southern California with my husband and 3 kids, and summer became just another season, so much like the other seasons. I did my best to create the magic while my kids were young, but by the time they were grown it was gone.

Last year I caught myself dreading summer, and actually heard myself saying the words, "I hate summer." I realized it was time for an intervention. I made a "Summer To Do List" and forced myself to get out there and have fun. I went to the beach, enjoyed Shakespeare in the park, picnicked, swam, watched movies under the stars and ate homemade lavender ice cream AND recruited lots of friends and family to do it all with me. Summer was back! It was such a valuable lesson, as I learned that I have to continue to create my life, my fun.

So as June 21st approaches I've started my new Summer To Do List. I really don't need it anymore, but I'll keep it there as a reminder to create, to enjoy, to have fun.

This blog is part of that. Those of you who know me know that I love good food, and I love to share it with people I love. In an effort to try new things and eat healthily, I've challenged myself to make and share 60 Salads of Summer. My daughter Danica, who is a very creative cook, is helping me. And we're looking forward to sharing the fruits of our labor. I can't promise they'll all be healthy, but I can promise they'll all be delicious. Enjoy!

Sunday, June 29, 2014

11. Cucumber and Watercress Salad




















You may have noticed that kale has been showing up more and more on restaurant menus, recipes, and grocery store produce sections.  Kale is the new spinach.   I have to admit that I’ve embraced it, and made it a regular in my culinary rotation.  But when I tried to convince my niece, Jill Smolinski, that I could make her a delicious kale salad, she wasn’t having any part of it.  I hadn’t given up until she sent me a very interesting article based on a study from livescience.com naming the top 10 powerhouse vegetables.*  Spinach was there, leaf lettuce, parsley and romaine.  Conspicuously missing from the list, though, was kale.  And innocent little watercress was #1, scoring 100 out of 100 for nutrient density.  Watercress?!  Who knew?  Apparently watercress is the new spinach.

Shortly after that Jill shared this recipe with me.  It’s a Tyler Florence recipe (another Food Network chef).  It’s very simple and very tasty.  Watercress is peppery and flavorful on its own.  The cucumbers add some nice crunch and the dressing is light and sweet enough from the honey to provide a nice contrast.  It’s a great summer side salad, different than what you might normally whip up.  Hope you enjoy it.


Ingredients

2 baby seedless cucumbers, diced (or use one large cucumber, peeled and diced)
1 bunch of watercress, trimmed
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

Dressing

2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
splash of water
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Blend or whisk dressing.  Lightly dress the salad and serve immediately.  

Serves 4



*http://www.livescience.com/46120-top-powerhouse-fruits-vegetables-ranked.html
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