This past weekend I saw people walking around in winter coats and toques; I live a ten minute walk from this pool and I haven’t even entertained the thought of going for a swim since it opened in May- in short, this has been one freezing cold summer so far. Maybe it’s because I lived right under the Golden Horseshoe but I haven’t even come close to buying the same amount of local produce here in Vancouver than I would be in London right now (then again, London doesn’t have that pool.) The green is so absolutely emerald against the red onions turned deep fuschia after a lime bath, the olives and salty feta tasting that much more piquant in contrast to the sublime crunch of the watermelon. A simpler way to say all that would be that this salad embodies an ideal summer – trips to the beach, swimming in a neighbourhood pool, outdoor parties, etc. Make sure that the watermelon is very cold when you serve this, the other ingredients can be at room temperature. This recipe was originally from Nigella Lawson’s Forever Summer cookbook (my favourite cook book of all time I think, as far as visual presentation and readability goes.)

watermelon, feta and mint salad:

Juice of 4 limes

1 medium red onion, sliced into thin half-moons

1 mini watermelon, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 bunch of mint, roughly chopped

1 generous cup of crumbled feta, I use cow’s milk feta but you might like goat or sheep’s milk feta

1/2 cup of black olives, left whole or sliced

3 Tbsp. light tasting olive oil

Black pepper

1. Combine the red onions and lime juice in a small bowl, allow them to marinate anywhere from 1 to 5 hours.

2. Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl or on a platter. Gently toss to combine and let sit for about 15 minutes before serving.

This is a song that I listen to when I’m cooking alone in the apartment; I think it’s perfect in a lot of ways and I like to listen to it without any interruption. A year ago I was terrified about moving, walking constantly around my neighbourhood and trying to absorb everything I could to bring with me across the country. I listened to this song a lot when I walked and when I was just alone at home thinking. So in its own way this song is a summer song for me because it left me grounded when I needed comfort and now a year later I’m listening to it in my kitchen here, really close to pretty much everything I’ve ever wanted in a summer.

Animal Collective – Banshee Beat