Light Summer Meal

I just got back from a visit with my mom. I love spending time with her. It's always a mad rush of creativity, a combination of experimenting in the kitchen and trying new sewing projects. This time she picked out a few recipes she wanted to try from Sarma Melngailis' Living Raw Food. My mom keeps this book on hand for when I come home, and she's made some amazing raw food for me using this book. This time I returned the favor, though she had already done much of the prep work with the help of my stepfather. I especially loved her dehydrated raw pine nut parmesan. I made the "Watermelon, Heirloom Tomato, Cucumber, and Herb Salad", as well as the "Herbal Guacamole and Spicy Jicama in Romain Leaves" from the cookbook. I followed the recipes, which is a rarity for me, but in doing so I would be violating copyright laws by reprinting them here. So I'm posting the pictures of the meal instead and giving you the link in case you like the idea. You can get the book from the library if you don't trust my recommendation of it.

First I made the guacamole recipe and served it as little burrito wraps for lunch, but later I just blended the ingredients into a salad to serve for dinner. I served the two dishes to my mom and brother, who don't love to eat with their hands as much as I do. Serving it as a salad allowed the use of a fork. I'm grateful for the willingness of my family to try new things. My brother is a really willing sport, and I love him for that and his general ease. It's not too easy to ruffle him, and he's always a calming presence. In short, a perfect dinner guest because he's grateful for whatever is set before him. We finished the meal off with cherry coconut ice cream because, in my family, no meal is complete without ice cream.

Basically the watermelon salad is a combination of watermelon, tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, parsley, mint, scallions ( I used chives from my mom's garden), jalapeno, lime juice, and avocado, with a dehydrated pine nut cheese sprinkled in.  The proportions of the ingredients are pretty much in descending order, if you want to experiment. 

The jicama and avocado salad is basically mashed avocados with cilantro, parsley, lime juice and jalapeno pepper. The jicama is slivered and coated with lime juice and cayenne pepper. To make the wraps, use romaine lettuce leaves and place a large spoonful of the avocado in the center of the leaf. Add some of the jicama. Roll the wrap up like a burrito. If you want the salad, simply tear up romaine lettuce and combine with avocado and jicama.

Good food was never so simple. I feel blessed to have a family who loves what I do and is so willing to share it with me. Tomorrow I'll post a recipe I came up with to use the rest of the watermelon used in this meal. Tune in then.