Picnic in the Park Watermelon Arugula Salad with Watermelon Vinaigrette

Are you loving these long days of summer (except for my friends in the other hemisphere... for you I wish you warm weather soon!)?  Mornings with no alarms, impromptu beach sessions with friends, and Friday evening Jazz in the Park... I'm loving each and every sunny moment.  And frequently these special summer moments include food, but the potluck part can sometimes be difficult if we don't have the right tools.

Once again I have OXO to the rescue.  Making me a super salad queen, we have no more soggy salads when using the 8 Piece Snap Glass Round Container Set and the super handy Little Salad Dressing Shaker to transport my goodies to the fun.

Heading to mom and dad's last week, mom requested her favorite watermelon salad.  Not a problem, but I knew we wouldn't be eating until other friends arrived and by the time I transported the salad and let it sit for a few hours we'd have a less than appetizing, soggy dish.

So, I placed the greens and quinoa in the largest of the 4 glass snap bowls, then the watermelon in another bowl and the dry, crispy toppings in another.  The salad shaker brought the dressing separately and I placed it all into a cooler with OXO's 2 in 1 Salad Servers.

When the time came to serve I simply tossed the greens, added watermelon, and then dressed and garnished with my favorite crispy chickpeas and served - all in mere minutes and we had a fresh, crisp salad.

Mom loves the sweet watermelon paired with the zesty arugula (I love the name "rocket" that my Australian friends use for it!) and I adore the crispy salty chickpea/pumpkin seed topping.  Easy to toss together, this salad works well from the beach to the park to your own backyard.

My thanks to OXO for the bowls, and for once again making me look all put together and polished.  The snap lids are perfect for transportation with 4 locking snaps and a removable gasket that makes these beauties totally leakproof.  Nestable and stackable, these bowls store easily in the cupboard or transport well in the cooler.

Wishing you health and happiness as we enjoy these summer days...
Eat well always,

Frozen Watermelon Margaritas in Celebration of National Tequila Day!

We all identify with some holidays more than others.  For instance, I have a friend who lives Christmas nearly all year round while I struggle to get into the spirit for just a few weeks in December.  Other friends pine for Valentines Day and still others are all about the red, white and blue of the 4th of July.  Me??  I tend to prefer holidays that somehow revolve around food with Thanksgiving right up there on the top of my list.  Another favorite though, has to be National Tequila Day.

Not quite a Hallmark Holiday, July 24th, or National Tequila Day, can be celebrated year round.  Whether you prefer your tequila straight, with a squeeze of lime, or blended into a tart margarita, there are a plethora of choices out there and something for most everyone.

Years ago I was known as a "Margarita Girl", but as I aged matured my preferences changed.  I've always liked a strong tequila taste, and this somehow morphed into actually preferring tequila straight rather than sweetened in a Margarita.  Find me a good sipping tequila and you have my cocktail of choice.

As such, you can imagine my sheer joy at receiving a box, actually a day after my birthday, filled with samples of Casa Noble Tequila!  We det all sorts of blog mail here at Liv Life, but this has to rank up there as one of the most fun.

With summer in full swing and a neighborhood gathering on the horizon, a tequila cocktail seemed to be in order, and that perfectly ripe watermelon from the farmer's market just begged to be included.  Making both rocks and blended frozen margarita versions, I positively shocked myself by preferring the simple frozen concoction which simply burst with summer brightness.

Using the Casa Noble Crystal (I love the name!), the first requirement is definitely to sip.  Pure, clean and crisp, the Crystal lives up to its name and is truly a delight.  Mixed with a few simple and fresh ingredients, our Frozen Watermelon Margarita is slightly sweet and smooth, and might I say the perfect libation by the pool on a hot afternoon.

How will you celebrate National Tequila Day??  We'd love to hear your favorite recipes!!

Watermelon Banana Smoothie... seeing things in a new way with Lensbaby.

Nothing says summer quite like a platter filled with sweet, juicy watermelon.  Whether it be cut into easy to eat triangles or chopped into a fruit salad, I see watermelon as something to take a bite of.   The crispness, as well as an occasional dribble of juice down the chin, brings happy memories and thoughts of fun in the sun.

With two watermelons on my counter though, I've been researching uses other than the usual slice and eat, and found recipes for smoothies popping up time and again.  Ready to experiment, we mixed Liv's favorite fruit - banana - along with  mango and a yogurt in the blender.  What resulted was a smoothie worthy of gushing, and I'm beginning to see watermelon in a new way...

Seeing things in a new way isn't always easy for me, a self proclaimed creature of habit, and often takes me a little time to adjust.  Such is the case with photography.  I've always been a straight forward, tack sharp sort of photo girl, but some of those more artistic shots, you know, the ones... those with blurred edges and off center focus, always have me wishing I could master that skill.  Now I can.

Partnering with the amazing people at Lensbaby, I've been "playing" with the Lensbaby Composer Pro in combination with a set of macro converters for about a month.  Have you heard of Lensbaby?  I'm ready to gush!

Receiving the lens a few weeks ago, I do admit to experiencing a bit of a learning curve, or more accurately, a slowness on my part to see things in a new way.  I usually shoot in manual, but I do use the auto focus feature on my camera (Canon 60D), and as such I experienced a bit of difficulty figuring out the manual "sweet spot" in my shots.  Practice, though, soon had me bringing home incredible shots that a month ago I would never have pictured myself taking.

Watermelon Vinaigrette

Adding the Macro Converters to the Composer Pro only served to grow my excitement.  A macro girl at heart, the ability to get almost right up to my subject has me beyond ecstatic and my library now includes individual grains of quinoa, flower stamens, and a nice close-up shot of Liv's eye.

Nevertheless, it's the mid-level macro converter bringing the Composer Pro close to, but not on top of my subject (a 16mm converter which lets you focus from 2.25" - 6") that has positively won my heart.  Perfect for food photography... I'm starting to see things in a new way, and I'm also beginning to wonder how I shot so long without this impressive lens.

Photo courtesy of Lensbaby

What is the Lensbaby Composer Pro?  It's a "tilting" lens that lets you bring an artistic flair to your photos and is best summed up by DPReview's description of, "The basic principle is to utilise optically simple lenses which are deliberately uncorrected for many aberrations, and therefore produce a sharp zone of focus (or 'sweet spot') in the center of the image field with ever-increasing blur outside it. This is combined with a flexible barrel, such that the lens can be tilted and the sweet spot moved around the frame, to focus on off-center subjects. The size of the sweet spot can be increased by using a smaller aperture."

A different concept from the usual camera lens, you will find yourself reaching for the Lensbaby time and again and bringing home shots that will most definitely make you smile.

I've had so much fun with this new (lens) baby of mine that it has become my near constant companion.  We've walked the beach together, attended school functions, completed Dance Mom duties and simply spent time shooting around the back yard where flowers don't much mind staying still for multiple shots.  I'm enamored with the creativeness it's brought to my food photography seeming to sometimes bring a completely different mood to the scene.

I find myself setting up my food shots just as before, and shooting with my usual 60 mm lens (an old favorite).  Receiving nicely balanced shots with the crispness that used to make my heart give a little leap is now leaving me just a touch bored, and before I know it I'm reaching for the Lensbaby and shooting off center without total focus.  I'm see things in a new way.

Old style crisp shot...

Liv, helping me with this Watermelon Smoothie shoot, took matters into her own hands as we set the scene.  Hearing me ramble on about "seeing things in a new way", I turned my back only for a moment.  In no time, our healthy, no sugar added smoothie somehow received a dollop of whipped cream without my request (Not something we usually put on smoothies...).  But my girl simply smiled and repeated the words, "See?  You're just seeing things in a new way!  It's all good...".  And it was.

Thanks Lensbaby...

Arugula Salad with Watermelon Vinaigrette and an interview with author Michele Anna Jordan

Salad... something I refused to eat when I was younger but now can't get enough of.  With recipe after recipe crossing my desk, those with store bought dressings are usually passed over in favor of those where I can make my own.  Hence, when a representative from the Harvard Common Press emailed asking if I would like to review a copy of Michele Jordan's Vinaigrettes & Other Dressings, the answer was a resounding, "Yes!".

Receiving the photo-splashed book a few days later, the continuing title of "60 sensational recipes to liven up greens, grains, slaws, and every kind of salad" had me certain I'd made a good choice.  Pouring an iced tea I settled myself in a comfortable chair in the sun and proceeded to read the book cover to cover.   Usually I turn down the pages of recipes I want to come back to, but with this book the process was pointless.  After turning down every page except the Sunday Morning Miracle - Bloody Mary Vinaigrette (I personally am not a Bloody Mary fan, but that's another story...), I gave up and realized I have some 59 new recipes to try.

My somewhat worn copy...

Michele begins the book with a wonderfully informative section called "A Happy Pantry" filled with tips and ideas about basic ingredients important to have on hand to help you easily put together a quality and flavorful dressing.  Moving on she covers tools and their importance, food safety and flavor.

Arriving at the recipes, Michele brings everything from the most basic simple vinaigrette to those with more complex flavor nuances and on to classically creamy concoctions everyone is sure to love.  Finishing up with ideas for slaws, potato and pasta salads as well as a couple of bread versions, all areas of salad seem to be covered.

Each dressing includes a description, and my favorite part, a "Best Uses" section with additional ideas for serving.  Many recipes include gorgeous photos (I'm a sucker for a cookbook with beautiful photos), and with further investigation I discovered Michele styled the photos herself.

Arugula, watermelon, red onion and feta with the Vinaigrette

Keeping my post seasonal, the perfectly ripe watermelon on my counter called my name.  I've used watermelon in  arugula salads for years, but as Michele mentioned, many vinaigrettes including boldly flavored vinegars tend to mask the sweet melon flavor.

Her version actually uses watermelon juice as a base bringing a sweet, fresh flavor to my beloved arugula.  Serving to enhance the sweet watermelon pieces in my salad, the dash of lime and sprinkle of chopped cilantro complemented the flavors beautifully actually leaving my Watermelon Arugula Salad indeed tasting like watermelon (see recipe below).

Along with the offer to review the book came an offer to interview Michele, and our few emails exchanged back and forth showed a "real" person, filled with a sense of humor and passion.  Currently living in Sonoma, Michele reaps the bounty of local crops and soon had me homesick for my hometown.  Join me as we enjoy a few moments to chat...

 Interview with Author Michele Anna Jordan

Liv Life:   Through the book, are there a few recipes that have become regulars in your kitchen?  Favorites of you or your family that return time and again or are most requested?

Michele Jordan:  My daughter Nicolle loves the Honey-Pepper Vinaigrette and the Yogurt-Tahni Dressing. My grandson Lucas is very fond of the blue cheese dressing. His mama, my daughter Gina, has a passion for the Caesar dressing. I always have either salsa verde, chermoula or chimichurri and usually a raita, too, on hand. And we all crave the Louis dressing when Dungeness crab is in season. My daily default dressing is Lemon Citronette.

LL:  I believe I read that you did your own food styling for the photos in Vinaigrettes and Other Dressings, any tips for readers on making their everyday presentation more attractive?

MJ:  Don't over arrange; there is a beauty to controlled chaos--not sloppiness, just the natural beauty of random order. Embrace asymmetry. When you learn to embrace and understand this, everything gets easier and more beautiful. As far as everyday goes, use the good stuff! Life is short. Use pretty dishes, nice napkins, etc. Spend an extra 2 to 3 minutes on how things look and you'll be amazed by the different. Forget the stacks and other over-arranging done by professional chefs. 

LL:  I see you are a Bay Area native (I grew up in Marin County), where did you grow up and what drew you to Sonoma?

MJ:  I've been connected to Sonoma County my entire life--I nearly drowned in the Russian River when I was not quite 3. I moved here as soon as I could to attend Sonoma State University and I've never left. I grew up in Vallejo, a world unto itself, but always felt an affinity to the open spaces of Sonoma, the redwoods, the fog, the rolling hills, the coast, the fertile land. It is my home.

LL:  Has food always been a part of your life?

MJ:  Yes. I had an eager and curious palate as a child and found ways to get the things I wanted to eat fairly early on. I began cooking from recipes when I was 8. I began hosting dinner parties when I as 9. My mother was a terrible cook, though she loved making candies and baking cakes and was good at that. Alas, for her, I didn't have much of a sweet tooth.

 LL:  I've read you enjoy all types of writing, do you have a favorite?

MJ:  Storytelling--i.e., nonfiction narrative--is my passion. You see this style in my book Salt & Pepper, especially, but also in all my other books. I slip it in wherever I can and am at work on a non-food-related literary memoir.

LL:  When you were in High School did you see yourself as a writer?  (more of a personal question... I have a son in high school who excels in English and writing and says there is no way he could ever be a writer.)

MJ:  When I was in high school, I could not imagine any future at all. I married at 16 (a long strange story), didn't miss a day of school, started college when my younger daughter was 3 weeks old, left my marriage at 21, with two baby girls. Somehow I always knew I was a writer, though for a long time I didn't know how I would actually make this happen. But it was in my bones from a very early age.  Junior high and high school were miserable and complicated times for me. I am probably still recovering ;-)  Not probably, actually.

LL:  Your bio describes a passion for dance, my daughter share's your passion.  How did you come to know and love the hula?

MJ:  This story will be told in the memoir but it has to do with a boy I fell in love with when I was 9.  He was Hawaiian and he and his family had a huge impact on me. They still do. I started studying hula (in the past, I'd studied ballet and I've always danced) about 11 years ago, as a way to honor him and grapple with my grief over his death. I loved hula from the beginning and have recently entered into a formal program of study. But he is the genesis and the foundation.

LL:  And speaking of choreography... tell me about choreographing the world's largers BLT??

 MJ:  In a way, it was all about choreography. I divided the sandwich into sections--8 feet per section--and had 4 people assigned to each section. Everything was prepared in advance, of course, and the most fun part was the Parade of Ingredients, lead by a marching band, me, the Mayo Queen, 3 toddler salt flakes, a head of lettuce, 2 tomatoes. Then came the bacon (each bacon team member, carrying their bacon), the lettuce and the tomatoes. Bread, mayonnaise, salt and pepper were already in place at the long table. When the Mayo Queen dropped her golden spatula and said "Let the slathering begin," the teams followed the instructions and made their section. It took maybe 10 to 12 minutes to construct the entire sandwich, which was then sliced and sold.

You can check out worldsbiggestblt.com.

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Many thanks to Michele and the Harvard Press for including me in the launch of this fabulous book.  I'm honored to wholeheartedly recommend Vinaigrettes & Other Dressings: 60 Sensational recipes to Liven Up Greens, Grains, Slaws, and Every Kind of Salad to anyone looking to liven up a salad.  The book provides endless ideas for not only salads, but marinades and sauces for everything from fish to fruit to even desserts.  Pick up a copy and enjoy an afternoon reading in the sun followed by salads with endless flavor.

Shot with our new Lensbaby Composer Pro... loving this new lens!

Watermelon Tomato Salad with Basil

The sound of the watermelon cracking at your first cut is usually a sign that a treat is in store.  Filled to nearly bursting with juices, flavor and a healthy dose of antioxidants, the fresh, crisp melon simply boasts of summer and has everyone in the kitchen hovering for that first taste.

I have a vivid memory from my childhood of my Aunt Vicki proclaiming that she had purchased us a seedless watermelon and I remember thinking that it was the coolest thing, and how the heck did people get all the seeds out?  Fast forward 30 years and I don't think my kids have ever seen watermelon slices sprinkled with the little black seeds.  Occasionally they will see a seed in our melons and proclaim, "Hey... there's a seed in here!"  Yep... they are clueless...

As a kid I never once considered the health benefits of watermelon as I munched on piece after piece, fresh juices dripping down my chin.  Today, however, I'm thrilled to read that not only is watermelon an excellent source of Vitamin C, it also holds its own in the Vitamin A category.  Additionally, Watermelon is rich in the B vitamins necessary for energy production, bringing a well rounded fruit to your table.  Combining the watermelon with tomatoes in this salad also serves up a serious serving of lypocene, known for its cancer preventing properties.  Who knew a simple summer salad could be so good for you?!

Easy to toss together and bursting with summer flavors, Watermelon Tomato Salad worked wonderfully for my son's birthday dinner.  Alongside his favorite grilled pork and Rachel's (A Southern Fairytale) Confetti Corn Salad, we had a meal fit for a 15 year old growing boy's birthday!

Heirloom Tomato - Watermelon Salad

Happy National Watermelon Day!!

In my short time of blogging I have come to learn that there are more National Food Days than there are days in the year.  Liv was particularly excited about January 5th, National Whipped Cream Day, and March 25th, National Waffle Day.  Unfortunately, we didn't know that yesterday was National Ice Cream Sandwich Day, but I'm right on track to celebrate National Watermelon Day today!

Watermelon has always been a summer favorite in our household.  In a prior post (Sesame-Chile Chicken with Gingered Watermelon Salsa) we discussed methods of finding the perfect melon, and I'm still holding on to the theory that no matter what your method, it involves a fair amount of luck.  Luckily, luck was with us as we chose our special Watermelon Day watermelon!

Bright red, juicy and extraordinarily flavorful, we had the perfect melon for our Heirloom Tomato-Watermelon Salad.  Also on hand, I had a one pound, beautiful, perfectly ripe, Brandywine Heirloom Tomato.  I have never combined watermelon and tomato before and was frankly surprised at how well the two ingredients complemented each together.  The original recipe from Epicurious calls for fresh herbs such as mint, basil and dill, but somehow the dill didn't sound quite right to me.  I used only the mint and basil in about equal parts and produced a light, summery side salad.  The feta cheese crumbled on top provides a welcome saltiness and the fresh arugula gives a nice contrasting texture and peppery bite.  

With our third day of mid day sun shining down on us (it's still cloudy and gray every morning...), we fully enjoyed this salad with our meal outside on the patio.  Tomorrow is National Lasagna day, but I don't think that is going to work for me.  However... I'm wondering if it would be wrong to celebrate National Drink Wine Day (Feb. 18th) in it's place?

Sesame-Chile Chicken with Gingered Watermelon Salsa

Hot, summer weather always brings to mind platters filled with red, juicy, watermelon triangles.  Some 20 years ago my Aunt Vicki was the first person to bring a seedless watermelon to our house.  I can remember her and my mom talking about how much more that melon cost than the "regular" seeded watermelons, but how special it was to have this new variety.  Today seedless seems to be the norm... actually, I don't think my kids have ever had a seeded watermelon!

That brings us to proper watermelon choosing...  Do you thump to check for freshness?  Look for bee stings to prove sweetness?  Lift to feel if it is heavy and laden with juices?  Check for darker (or lighter?) stripes to discern ripeness?  Whatever your method, it's always frustrating to bring home what looks like a perfect melon, only to have it dry and mealy inside.  Personally, I stick to the thumping method with a fair amount of success - definitely not foolproof though!

Luckily... our last watermelon didn't let us down.  With it's bright red flesh, juice dripping from the knife and sweet scent I knew this one was a winner even before I tasted it.  Our mouths watered as we made that first cut and we fully enjoyed those much anticipated triangles with dinner.