We love Summer.  We love food.  Which is why this time of year you’ll find us sharing meals outside with good friends over a nice bottle of wine and the dwindling light.  We hope you enjoy our Summer Solstice supper menu:

Courtney’s Grilled Watermelon Salad
The Perfect Salmon with Dill-Pistachio Pesto
Summer Carrot and Date Quinoa Salad with Basil and Mustard Citrus Vinaigrette
Coconut Milk Rosewater Ice Cream

Courtney’s Grilled Watermelon Salad
4 cups grilled watermelon, cubed
2 ripe tomatoes, cubed – buy what’s in season and looks ripe and delicious
1/4 red onion, sliced thin
A generous portion of crumbled feta
Fresh mint leaves

For the dressing:
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh pepper

Cut the watermelon into thick-ish slices and grill them, about 4 minutes each side, on medium heat.  Cube the watermelon and combine with the sliced onion and cubed tomato.  Let the ingredients sit for a half hour so the flavors combine.  In the meantime, mix the salad dressing, using your preferred oil-to-vinegar ratio.  When you’re ready to serve the salad, top with shredded fresh mint leaves and crumbled feta then mix in the dressing.

The Perfect Salmon with Dill-Pistachio Pesto (from Nourished: The Art of Eating and Living Well)
serves 4

Four 6 ounce wild salmon fillets
olive oil
sea salt & fresh ground pepper

To prepare the salmon:
Preheat oven to 450 °.  Heat oven-proof sauté skillet over high heat for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, rub both sides of the salmon fillets with olive oil and season the tops generously with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. When the pan is very hot, place the salmon fillets flesh side down in the pan and cook over medium heat without moving them for 2 minutes, until they’re very browned. Carefully turn the fillets over and place the pan in the oven for 7-10 minutes more, until the salmon is barely cooked through.

Dill-Pistachio Pesto
1/3 cup fresh dill
2 small green onions, trimmed and chopped
1 small clove garlic, peeled and minced (1/2 teaspoon)
1/2 cup pistachios, toasted and finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
generous pinch of sea salt

Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl. Mix well to thoroughly combine. Spoon over top of salmon fillets

We also love this Summer Carrot and Date Quinoa Salad with Basil and Mustard Citrus Vinaigrette (from Anna Brones at EcoSalon).

And for dessert!

Coconut Milk Rosewater Ice Cream
2  14 ounce cans of full fat coconut milk
1/3 cup of honey
1 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rose water

Combine the ingredients well by whisking or blending in the blender.  Make into ice cream according to the directions on your ice cream maker.  It may still be soft and need an hour or so in the freezer to firm up.