Ah...Summer Salads!!!

I don't know about you, but I have been DYING from the heat lately! It has been blistering and today was no exception! Even as I type this at nearly 7:00pm it is 84F outside...ridiculous! To add to the fantastical sweat fest I'm having, I menu planned to roast a chicken tonight. Oh yes...I am a genius!!! So in my attempts to stay as cool as possible I whipped up a little summer salad with fruit fresh from the fridge to cool me off and help think of blissful winter days basking in the snow!!! Here's what I "cooked" up!

Watermelon, Orange and Feta Salad

Adapted from Everyday Food, Issue 84

1/4 of a small seedless watermelon, rind removed and flesh cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 large orange, pith and peel removed, divided into sections

1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

2-4 teaspoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1. On a platter or in a bowl combine first five ingredients and toss. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.
2. Cover and refrigerate until just before serving. Serves 4.
3. Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 2pts. per serving

Happy summer salads everyone!!!

Oranges...the spreadable fruit!

Ok, ok...so if we're friends on Facebook then you already know that I have been making marmalade like a mad woman! A friend of mine gave me a laundry basket full of oranges and I am trying desperately to cook them up before they go south. My first batch of marmalade was a double recipe of the one found in Ina Garten's cookbook Barefoot Contessa At Home and the results were EXTRAORDINARY! The rich caramel color of the marmalade is the first tip off that it's not your average King marmalade! As one recipient said "Rich, full flavored, dark, I LOVE it!" Then you have the actual meaty texture of the orange peel as you nibble (or gobble) your toast and sip some tea. It really is fantastic!
Tonight I started my second batch...but I felt experimentish so I substituted two handfuls of kumquats for a lemon. The scent is heavenly! Tonight is simply the prep, bring to a boil, add sugar and cool step. Tomorrow I will be cooking this lovely citrus mixture down until it is about half of its current volume and a scorching 220F. This process can take upwards of 4 hours so I'll be starting in early! Maybe I'll bake some bread while I wait...
Next up...Orange-Grapefruit Marmalade! I'm also very interested in adding candied ginger to a grapefruit marmalade...hmmmmm....we shall see what kind of spread I'll cook up next!
Ladies and gentlemen...start your toasters!