Enjoying the fruits of summer...

I have been reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and it has really changed the way I think/buy/eat. The book discusses not only eating organically, but eating locally - which basically equates to eating only items that are grown yourself or grown and sold within a small radius of your home.

The book has a lot of valuable lessons in it. You would not believe the amount of fossil fuels that are used in growing and transporting food! It's an amazing read and I highly recommend it. In it, the author lists tips on living "green" as well as fantastic recipes.

After a recent trip to a farm stand, I tried making her Melon Salsa for dinner, changing a few things to suit my tastes. The results were not only one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted, but I was also extremely satisfied using locally grown produce and I even got to use some mint from my garden (ok, it's more of a few flower pots of herbs rather than a garden - townhome living thwarts growing the garden I dream of...)

For the meal, I then served grilled chicken topped with the melon salsa. I served it with a side of couscous and a salad. I made the couscous with chicken broth, instead of water, and added in some diced green onion for extra flavor.




Melon Salsa

• 1 medium cantaloupe
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 small jalapeno pepper
• 1/2 medium red onion
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1-2 T honey
• 1 T apple cider vinegar

Dice cantaloupe and red bell pepper into 1/4" pieces.

Finely mince onion, jalapeno and mint.

Whisk together honey and vinegar in a bowl. Toss all ingredients in bowl and stir to combine.

Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Excellent served over chicken or fish.