"Summer Lunching"

Summer Loving, had me a blast!  Remember that iconic song from the movie Grease?  Are you feeling the summer vibes it conjures up?  The fond memories?  A sweet backwards glance at high school?

Well, it got me thinking about summer food (since I write a food blog).  Aaah, the fresh farmers market-y fruits and vegetables that punctuate the season.  The warm weather reminds me of childhood summers, sitting on the front porch of my East Bay home with my dad, a crate of fresh-picked tomatoes from a local farm between us.  Warmed by the sun; red, ripe, and juicy.  Dad always bit in, grabbed a salt shaker, and added a tiny sprinkling of salt.  I can still feel and taste that luscious bounty of summer magic.

My nostalgia trip down memory lane brought me to my all-time favorite seasonal lunch. It's just like my mama used to make:  Cottage cheese with radishes, cucumbers, and farm-fresh tomatoes.  Of course you can add any vegetables you enjoy and have on hand, like shaved or chopped carrots.  The radishes are a key ingredient, though, adding a big crunch and peppery flavor punch.  You can add chopped basil or parsley on top and, of course, salt and pepper.

Now, as for the cottage cheese, the brand I love is Good Culture.  This whole milk classic organic brand ("the little black dress of the dairy world") has staying power with 19 grams of protein.  And I adore that it's portioned in its own tidy container.  I can chop and prep all the vegetables and bring this lunch with me to work.

Tell me more
Tell me more

And remember this gem of an idea:  A scooped out half cantaloupe topped with a dollop of cottage cheese.  I love to add a handful of blueberries and sprinkling of pistachios on top.

Other summer lunch loves are Skinny Taste's great recipes, such as:

Penne Arugula Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes (4 servings):

3 cups baby arugula
6 oz. penne pasta
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (I use more - love them so much)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas, rinsed and drained)
4 tbsp parmigiana reggiano, freshly shaved
salt and pepper to taste (I cut down on salt and add a handful of chopped Kalamata olives)

Instructions:
1.  Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions for al dente.
2.  Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking.
3.  Toss the pasta with baby arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, oil and vinegar, half of the cheese, salt and cracked pepper to taste.
4.  Top with the remaining cheese.

Summer days, drifting away
shooda-bop bop
shooda-bop bop
shooda-bop bop
But, oh, those summer nights!