This week we'll explore blueberries and the lemon-tahini dressing I can't get enough of. We'll also delve into the magic of summer solstice and a great book about female code-breakers.

Eat Colorfully

Seasonal Ingredient Spotlight

In celebration of summer solstice this week (more on that below), I'm excited to highlight one of the season's greatest gifts: blueberries. There's no better treat than ripe, juicy blueberries, especially if you pick your own. Try to get your hands on some this week to kick off summer in style.

Although blueberries are, of course, fabulous on their own and in desserts, you might be surprised to learn that my personal favorite way of using them is in a salad. Their sweetness is a lovely complement to savory flavors, and I especially adore them in salads with a lemony dressing. Try tossing them in a salad this week and let me know what you think.

Looking for ideas? This unique Lemon Blueberry Thyme Pasta Salad is simple but really special; the combination of blueberries and lemon zest is just divine. Feel free to add in a couple veggies (broccoli or peas are great) and use bean-based pasta to make it into a fast, picnic-friendly summer meal. I also love this Grilled Corn, Snap Pea, and Blueberry Salad; it's a staple for seasonal get-togethers on our deck.

Of course you can use blueberries in many other ways too. Try adding them to cocktails, baking them into muffins, and even making this special blueberry cake.

What I'm Loving Right Now

Over the past few weeks, I've been living for lemon-tahini sauces and dressings. This combination is great tossed with a salad, used as a dip, or drizzled onto just about anything.

Want to give it a try? There are details on my blog here; it's the same dressing I use for my Rainbow Pasta Salad. But really, there's no need to measure anything. Just stir together a few generous spoonfuls of tahini, some lemon juice, a dash of maple syrup, and a few pinches of salt, then taste it and adjust as you see fit.

One tip: not all tahini is created equal. Many store brands are bitter and have a grainy or gloppy texture, so they definitely don't work well in a dressing. Look for an artisinal tahini that's creamy, smooth, and delicate in flavor. My personal go-to is Seeds of Collaboration; use the code ROGUE to save 20%.

Live Colorfully

In the Natural World

This is a very special week since the summer solstice, i.e. the longest day of the year, is Thursday (6/20). This is the day at which we (in the northern hemisphere) are tilted most closely toward the sun. In many cultures, it's a time to celebrate the Earth, the beauty of summer, and the bounty of the season.

Curious to learn more? During the northern hemisphere's winter, we (in the northern hemisphere) are tilted away from the sun; conversely, during the summer, we're tilted toward the sun. At the spring and fall equinoxes, that tilt comes through it's midpoint as the Earth continues to rotate around the sun.

It's important to note that this is a gradual transition that has been happening ever since we had our darkest day on the winter solstice in December; that's why our days in the northern hemisphere have been getting progressively longer. Although we're currently experiencing our longest days right now, the rate of change of daylight is actually at its slowest. Thankfully for those of us who love summer, this means that we won't see much change in daylight for the next month or so.

In case you want to get nerdy about this, the tilt of Earth's axis hasn't always been the same. As many of you know, I'm actually a research scientist in my other life and I study long-term climate change and glacier fluctuations in Greenland. At present, our axial tilt is about 23.5 degrees, but it actually varies between about 22.1 and 24.5 degrees over cycles of about 41,000 years. As you might imagine, times when we have greater tilt result in more extreme seasonality in Earth's climate.

Most importantly though, happy summer solstice!

What I'm Reading

I just finished a really wonderful book that I'm excited to recommend: The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. I've read all her books, but this is my favorite of the bunch (although I really enjoyed The Alice Network too, which I read years ago).

The Rose Code is a story about female code-breakers in Britain during WWII. It's a great story, but I also thought it was interesting to explore all the behind-the-scenes contributions that women made to the war. I didn't know that so many women were involved in code-breaking (although of course they couldn't talk about their job, meaning that their work was largely unrecognized). If you've seen the movie The Imitation Game, this book tells a similar story but from a very different perspective.

If you're looking for a good story that celebrates women, their bravery, and their selflessness, I think you'll enjoy this one. I even added it to my favorite book list, which is a big deal for me.

​

Thanks for joining me for this issue of Eat Colorfully, Live Colorfully! I'd love to hear from you, so please feel free to reply with questions, thoughts, or requests. If you missed a previous issue, you can view all my newsletters here. Have a great week!