When you live in Las Vegas, you have to come up with a few summer coping mechanisms, like walking around with a lifetime supply of water, making friends with the neighbor who has a pool, and getting used to wearing very little, if any, clotthing. Our move back here from California was nothing short of shocking. All you want to do is sleep and drink water and complain. Not really anything like SLO where it rarely gets above 80 degrees and you can bike for miles and miles without feeling like you are going to pass out. So magical.
Here in our new place, we have a lovely fig tree, whose figs became fig jam the moment I saw them. Here is the recipe I always use for fig jam (I cut down on the sugar and up the spices), which employs a microwave, because I would sooner stab myself with an icicle than stand over a hot stove right now.
Avoiding cooking is a very hard thing to do when you pour over cookbooks for leisurely reading. So, I have been sticking to cooling and raw foods. According to Ayurvedic herbalism, green vegetables, sweet fruits and milk are cooling. So I have my spinach shake for breakfast. And just yesterday, I concocted this super delicious salad from the fruits that we picked at Gilcrease Orchard. If you shave the fruits, it makes the salad look pretty fancy.
Summer Melon Salad
Romaine chopped, or use spinach
Zucchini or cucumber, sliced thin or shaved
Cantaloupe or honeydew sliced thin or shaved
Apple, sliced or shaved
Grapes, sliced in half
Juice of half a lemon or lime (I especially like lime)
Olive oil (Just a little if you just have to have it)
Black pepper (Try a little before you call me crazy)
Plain yogurt
As for measurements, I do about 1 part each of the fruit and zucchini over a bed of lettuce. Then you can drizzle on just a tiny bit of oil. Sprinkle on the yogurt and juice. Finish with the pepper. Everything is optional. Let me know if you come up with your own combinations.