This week we'll explore grapes and a special edamame guacamole recipe. We'll also delve into the story of some special nocturnal party animals and thoughts about whether summer can be a state of mind.

Eat Colorfully

Seasonal Ingredient Spotlight: GRAPES

Early September is peak time for a very special, snackable, juicy treat: grapes! If you want to think beyond basic green and red grapes, and beyond just popping them in your mouth whole, here are two tips for you.

First, grapes are a wonderful salad ingredient. They're sweet, juicy, colorful, and add a great burst of texture. You can see them playing a starring role in this Vegan Brussels Sprouts Waldorf Salad, this Vegan Waldorf Chickpea Salad, and this Mediterranean Farro Salad.

Second, keep an eye out for unique grape varieties. I'm a huge fan of Moon Drops, which are very long (and very beautiful!) purple grapes. There are also Tear Drops (long green grapes), tiny purple Champagne grapes, odd but tasty Cotton Candy grapes, and many others to experiment with. Your best bets for finding them will be at Trader Joe's or artisan grocery stores for the next month or two.

Special Recipe: EDAMAME GUACAMOLE

Since I expect many of you will be going to Labor Day gatherings today and tomorrow, I wanted to pass along my new favorite appetizer that I've been making again and again. It's a simple twist on guacamole that adds protein and fiber with one simple addition: edamame! This easy but transformative twist can help make your guac more filling and satisfying. Plus, if you're a plant-based eater, this will help ensure you'll have something substantial at a BBQ, even if there isn't much else veggie-friendly on the menu.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz bag frozen shelled edamame
• 2 large (or 3 small) ripe avocados
• Juice of a lime
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
• ½ tsp flaky artisan sea salt
• 2 tbsp roasted salted pepitas
• Sprinkle of furikake seasoning
• Edible flowers, optional

Directions:

1. Cook the edamame according to the package directions.
2. Transfer the cooked edamame to a mixing bowl and use a fork to mash them thoroughly, which will cause the skins to separate from the interiors.
3. Fill the bowl with water and stir. As the mixture settles, the edamame skins will float to the surface. Use a slotted spoon to skim the skins from the surface of the water. Repeat several times until most of the skins have been removed.
4. Pour the edamame through a colander to drain, then pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.
5. In a mixing bowl, combine the prepared edamame, avocados, lime juice, chopped mint, and flaky salt. Mash until the mixture reaches your desired consistency.
6. Transfer the edamame guacamole to a serving bowl. Garnish with the roasted salted pepitas and a sprinkle of furikake seasoning (and edible flowers if desired!).

Make-Ahead Tips:

This edamame guacamole works great for a party. You can prepare the edamame up to several days before (through step 4) and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Wait to prepare the guacamole until you’re ready to serve so that the avocados don’t brown.

Live Colorfully

In the Natural World: RETURN OF THE OWLS

Several times over the past couple weeks, I've been awoken at 1:00AM by our neighbors who were outside hootin' and hollerin'... or rather just hooting. The owls are back!

Here in northern Vermont, we have several different species of owls. We see Barred Owls quite frequently, but the ones causing a ruckus in the middle of the night near our house are Great Horned Owls. We tend to hear them in early spring (March and April) and then again in early fall (usually September and October). Although I'm really not a fall person and would happily take summer forever, I do get excited when our hooting friends return to their nearby nighttime prowls.

Last week, we were especially excited to hear one in the tree that's right outside our bedroom window! Yes, we're those weird people in the neighborhood sticking their heads out the window in the middle of the night to look for owls. Unfortunately we couldn't see it at all in the dark, but it's the closest Great Horned visitor we've had.

Do you have owls where you live? If so, keep your ears alert, your windows open, and your air conditioners off overnight. Our local owls are really noisy this time of year, and maybe yours are too. If you're not sure WHOOOO (get it?) might be around you, I highly recommend the Merlin birding app.

Self-Care Pick: CARRYING SUMMER IN OUR HEARTS

Is summer ever over if we live our summer selves all year?

This is something I've been pondering a lot lately, so I wanted to see what you all thought. Personally, I always feel a sense of loss when summer ends, but I think it's less about the weather and more about who I am during summer. Many people (are you one?) feel more freedom, peace, and wellbeing during summer. It tends to be a time when we live at a slower pace and stop to savor all the beauty around us.

In contrast, fall is often seen as a time when many of us enter into a busy season with more commitments and stress. Perhaps I feel it more acutely since I work on the academic calendar, but September always carries with it a sense of leaving behind our casual, carefree, wild summer selves.

I've been asking myself, though: are there ways in which I can live my summer self regardless of what the calendar says? For me, this might look like unplanned weeknight picnics, long evening hikes to see the sunset, and maybe even a late-season spontaneous weekend getaway. For you it might look different.

As we fly past Labor Day and into fall, I'm going to try to hang on to some aspects of my summer identity. Maybe you want to join me? If summer is a state of mind, rather than just dates on a calendar, maybe we can carry it in our hearts all year.

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!