Watermelon + feta salad
Watermelon + feta salad
A sweet + salty summer classic, plus a recap on the Taste of June
Sweet summertime has arrived here in the Keweenaw. These are the days that make the long and often harsh winters worth it all. After a whirlwind planting season, I feel like we can now sit back a bit and catch our breath as the garden takes on a life of its own. This weekend we harvested the first of our collard greens and garlic scapes. In this issue, I’m featuring a fun way to incorporate grilled garlic scapes into a classic melon salad. As its name implies, watermelon is a hydrating fruit due to its high water content (nearly 90% by weight). It also contains high levels of the antioxidant, lycopene, which supports heart health and gives the fruit its distinct red hue. If you’re a fan of sweet + salty combos, this summer salad is for you!
Watermelon + Feta Salad with Garlic Scapes
Are you looking for a new summer salad for that upcoming potluck, cookout, or holiday party? Check out this classic adapted from the Insalata di Cocomero recipe found in the Via Carota cookbook. For those who may not know, the Via Carota is a beloved Greenwich Village restaurant featuring seasonal, Italian cooking. It’s on my bucket list for a future NYC trip, but until then I’ll enjoy trialing many of their fan favorites at home with seasonal produce from the garden.
Watermelon + Feta Salad with Garlic Scapes
Serves 4-6
Half a medium sized watermelon, cut into 1” cubes
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/2 c pitted kalamata olives
1/4 c feta cheese crumbles
6-10 grilled garlic scapes
3-4 tablespoons of Salmoriglio dressing (see note below)
Garnish: torn fresh mint leaves
Pile watermelon cubes onto serving platter
Sprinkle watermelon with red onion, olives, garlic scapes, and feta cheese crumbles.
Drizzle Salmoriglio dressing over the salad. Garnish with freshly torn mint leaves.
Serve chilled.
Note: Salmoriglio dressing: Juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 garlic clove grated (on microplane), 1/3 c EVOO, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, pinch of red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped), 1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon water. Combine lemon juice, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, oregano and water in small metal bowl. Slowly whisk in EVOO until well combined. (This is a great dressing on grilled veggies, fish, and chicken).
I’d love to know if you make this one. Send me a message or leave a comment below.
In the Garden
Here’s a fun fact about me…I love Monarch butterflies.
If you’ve followed along for a while, you may recognize the affinity as it was the name of my former medical practice. In 6th grade, I learned about the life cycle of a butterfly and was absolutely enamored with the process of metamorphosis. For the next few summers, I enlisted my sister and cousins to join me in raising Monarch caterpillars. We dubbed this collective experience, “The Monarch Club”, complete with membership cards, worksheets, and binders (haha).
We biked through the neighborhood scoping out milkweed patches along alleys and open fields. With a very keen eye, we carefully flipped over leaves to find baby caterpillars and even eggs on occasion. In mason jars tucked into our backpacks, the caterpillars found their way home to a custom made butterfly cage built by my Dad. The cage was about the size of a small fish tank with screened walls and a plexiglass door just perfect for observation. (We still have the cage and I’m excited to carry on the tradition with my son).
In roughly 3-4 week cycles, we witnessed repeated transformations from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis (pupa) to adult butterfly. Thanks to our local library, I combed through books and encyclopedia excerpts (pre-internet days, friends) to learn about the marvels of this species including their migration patterns to overwinter in Mexico and how aposematic coloration provided protection against predators.
As a lover of learning, I am grateful for the boundless lessons found in Nature. The next time you’re outside, my hope is that you’ll tap into that innate curiosity and awe that Nature (not unlike art or music) evoke in all of us! This is essential for health and vitality.
Note: Are you interested in learning more about Monarch butterfly rearing, tracking, and habitat preservation? Check out MonarchWatch.org to learn more!
A Taste of June
Have you ever wondered how June looks and tastes in different parts of the country? As a seasonal food lover, this question was inspired by one of my all-time favorite episodes of NPR’s Splendid Table podcast. I recently posed this question to members of this community and here’s what you had to say:
Strawberries!
Strawberries, parsley, greens, rhubarb, and elderflowers.
All the berries! Plus pumpkin seeds. And of course lemonade!
Greens and finally strawberries!
Fresh basil
Wild strawberries threaded on a timothy grass stem
In our little slice of heaven, I’d say June tastes like wild strawberries, garlic scapes, garden greens, and baked Lake Superior Whitefish freshly caught that morning and served from our favorite roadside stand atop Quincy Hill in Hancock, MI.
Listen to The Splendid Table podcast: “3 Junes” episode - Tune in to learn how June looks and tastes in coastal Georgia, Alaska, and Appalachia through the lives and stories of a chef-farmer, native fisherwoman, and a cookbook author. I really think you’ll love this one!
I’d also love to hear what June looks and tastes like in your backyard. Let me know in a comment below
This newsletter is a work in progress and your feedback is valuable to me. If there are topics of interest or columns you’d like featured, please connect with me and/or leave a comment. Thanks for being here!
Yours in health,
Dr. Michelle
P.S. If you are enjoying this newsletter, I’d love if you’d share it with a home cook, gardener, and/or nature lover in your life!
Bookmarking this to make later! I adore everything from Via Carota, the restaurant and the book.