June | 2014 | Clara Persis

Like seriously, is there anything better than watermelon right now? This watermelon salad pic slays me. It’s definitely prettier than mine (let’s just call a spade a spade.) Here’s the kicker though, a whole watermelon is a lot of watermelon. A lot, in particular, for one 28 year old gal. I’ve started toying with a new nutrition app where you’re paired with a personal nutritionist and submit pictures of everything you eat (a whole other discussion entirely), and given my diet the past few days this woman must definitely be thinking… “Does this girl eat anything other than watermelon??” She’s also probably confused as to why my weekday lunches are so perfectly plated.

Anyway, this salad is straight up good and succinctly reflects how I like to eat in the summer. Simple dishes with a big hello to fresh produce. Not a ton of fussing. That’s my jam. The other thing that would be really good is if you took the remaining watermelon and made a version of this cocktail. Consider me ON IT, friends.

Ps: This recipe is part of a whole host of epic picnic recipes over on SELF.com- head over to see them all!

Watermelon & Butter Lettuce Salad with Feta & Crushed Marcona Almonds
Serves 4

About 16 leaves of butter lettuce (one standard package should be sufficient)
16 watermelon triangles (a quarter melon will be sufficient)
1/3 pound feta cheese cut into triangles (about 2 per bowl)
juice of one lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh pepper
generous 1/2 cup of marcona almonds, roughly chopped (don’t chop too fine!)
extra fresh pepper and flaked sea salt for serving

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp fresh pepper and set aside.

Divide the butter lettuce among for shallow bowls. Layer the watermlon wedges, cheese, and crushed almonds on top. Divide the lemon vinagrette among the four bowls and top with extra freshly cracked pepper and flaked sea salt. Serve immediately.

Foooood. A food post! I bet ya’ll can barely believe your eyes. It’s been a while, that’s for sure. But there’s no looking back, only forward, so let’s dive into this dish. First and foremost, it’s not very complicated, which is the general theme of what I’ve been cooking and eating as of late. I fell in love with soba noodles while traveling in Japan a few years ago, and yet up until earlier this week had never made them at home. Shameful! They cook up so quickly and beautifully sop up a soy based sauce. I created a simple scallion ginger sauce, pulling together items I had on hand in the pantry, and then topped it all with a fried egg. When topping Asian inspired dishes with eggs, I fry them in canola oil over a low flame, and then place a lid over the pan towards the end to fully cook the egg while keeping the yolk yellow (as opposed to flipping it).

A friend commented on my Instagram feed earlier this week, remarking that it looked like I’d been having a lot of fun. It honestly couldn’t be more true. I’ve been extremely focused on having a lot of fun, which has candidly meant time away from this space. I’m working to strike a balance, but right now my personal life has taken priority. After all, it’s summer! SUMMER. Doesn’t it feel so good?

Ginger Scallion Soba Noodles inspired by simply reem

9 oz soba noodles
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tsp harissa (or chile oil)
1 tablespoons sesame seeds for sauce, 1 tablespoon for garnish
4 eggs
canola or sesame oil for frying the eggs

Stir together all ingredients for sauce and let rest in fridge for at least 15 minutes.

Cook the soba noodles according to package directions. Rinse immediately in cold water. Top with the sauce and toss well to coat.

Divide the noodles into four bowls. Fry eggs in canola oil and place on top of noodles in each bowl. Top with additional sesame seeds, scallions, and a bit of salt. Serve immediately.