summer has settled like
a treasured blanket over the city,
thick & sticky:
one moment the perfect combination of hot & bright
in instances suffocating but unwilling to shed
i love these days,
equal parts languid and invigorating
a few weeks ago dw planted a
tiny herb garden
on our roof,
under the massive loft window,
an urban garden that very much reminds
me of my gparents’ garden
only difference being that dw is the one who
tenderly feeds these plants
while i yell up from the bottom spiral stairs
inquiring about the general health
of the rosemary and basil and mint
in the ensuing days and weeks of
june & july i’ve wracked my brain for dishes
that could make use of these herbs
dishes that prior to the garden i seemed to make often
but never had enough fresh herbs for
and now that we have it in abundance,
i draw a blank on uses for them
it happens like that,
you know?
at the market recently i chatted with the
farmer’s daughter,
a girl who could eyeball the exact weight
of fresh produce,
and together we lamented over
how fleeting pea season was this year
sensing my possible weepiness
she thrust a cantaloupe under my nose
i don’t know about you but the aroma of
a ripe cantaloupe kinda reminds me of
rotting garbage sometimes
tell me i’m not the only one?
spicy cantaloupe salad
adapted from The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper by Lynne Rossetto Kasper & Sally Swift
i made this salad before, using a gava melon. both times were a delight, albeit a surprise for dw who was skeptical.
serves 4, or 2 really hungry people over a span of 2 days
1 good sized cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup chiffonaded fresh basil leaves
1 red chili, diced
3 TBL fresh lime juice
1 tsp fish sauce (i use Red Boat)
hearty pinch of sugar
in a bowl gently mix everything together. it’s all about taste, you may want it more sour or sweet or salty.
you can prep the fruit in advance and add the flavorings just before serving, or you can mix it all together and allow it to mingle for a few hours before consuming. either way, it’s delicious.
for 4 servings: calories: 45 | total fat: 2.7g | cholesterol: 7.2 mg | sodium: 287.5 mg | total carbs: 1.4 g | protein: 3.9 | sugars: 17.5g | dietary fiber: 2.1g
another salad take: crunchy celery salad
stir it up did a review of the recipe here.
cooking weekends did a take on this recipe here, using cilantro in lieu of basil.
morestomach 