Recipes

by Christina Wilson

Watermelon Gazpacho

This twist on the Spanish classic is a light, refreshing lunch or snack option to enjoy on a hot summer day. Watermelon gazpacho is light yet satisfying — and is easy to make.

Ingredients:
4 Heaping cups of cubed, seedless watermelon. (Ripe watermelons will have a deep hollow sound when tapped).
1 English cucumber, diced
3 medium tomatoes, diced 1
small red bell pepper, diced
⅓ cup chopped green onions, diced
1 garlic clove
Small handful basil
3 to 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ jalapeño pepper

Instructions:
Combine all the cubed watermelon and half the tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, and green onion in a blender (or Cuisinart). Finely dice the remaining veggies and set them aside for garnish. In the blender, add the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and jalapeño. Puree the soup until it’s completely smooth. Transfer the blended soup to a large bowl or individual jars. Chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight, to allow the flavors to develop.

Watermelon Gazpacho Serving Suggestions
When you’re ready to eat, top the chilled soup with the leftover chopped veggies. A dollop of plain Greek yogurt, feta cheese, minced herbs, micro greens, extra avocado, or a sprinkle of seeds are all delicious, nutrient dense additions.
Gazpacho is an easy way to add extra vegetables to your diet without even noticing!

Research shows that vinegar consumption before meals may help mitigate glucose spikes, so this is a perfect soup to have before the main meal to reap those benefits.

Niçoise Salad

Ingredients:
For the dressing
¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp kosher salt
black pepper
1 anchovy, chopped [optional]
For the salad
1 c. small red potatoes, cut in half
2 c. fresh green beans, stems trimmed
6 ounces skipjack tuna (in water) or canned salmon or sardines, drained\
¼ c. kalamata olives, drained
¼ c. thinly sliced red onion
1 Tbsp capers, drained
1 c. cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 hard-boiled eggs, halved
1 tsp salt

Directions:

First, make the dressing by adding all of the ingredients to a jar fitted with a lid, close tightly, shake well, and set aside.
Add the potatoes to a medium pot and fill with enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch and 1 tsp salt, then bring to a boil. Reduce to a rolling simmer, and cook until fork-tender about 15 minutes. Use a strainer to transfer the potatoes from the pot, reserving the hot water. Place the potatoes in a bowl then while still warm, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette dressing and set aside to cool.
Add the green beans to the pot of hot water and simmer for 1 minute or until the green beans turn bright green. Drain the water and set the beans aside to cool.
On a large platter, arrange the fish, potatoes, green beans, halved tomatoes, boiled eggs, olives, red onion, & capers. Drizzle the salad with 2 more Tbsp of the dressing and serve as an entrée salad.

Makes 2 servings | Gluten free and dairy free

Early season veggies: radish for crunch, snap peas, pea pods, asparagus

Mid-season veggies: cucumbers, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini