This week we'll explore peaches and an exclusive summer edamame salad recipe. We'll also delve into a very special (albeit tiny) shorebird and thoughts about carving out morning time for wellness.

Eat Colorfully

Seasonal Ingredient Spotlight: PEACHES

July is the height of peach season, so this week is the perfect time to get your hands on some flavorful, juicy, beautiful peaches. Although peaches are delightful on their own, in fruit salads, and in desserts, it may surprise you to learn that they're also wonderful in savory recipes. The sweetness of peaches is a perfect complement to salty, savory, and even spicy flavors.

One of the best ways to celebrate peaches is to grill them and use them in a salad. They go especially well with Mediterranean ingredients (e.g., radicchio, basil, and almonds), like in the Grilled Peach and Farro Salad shown below. Grilling the peaches really brings out their sweetness and succulence (and don't worry, the post includes details about how to grill peaches if you've never done it before).

Peaches are also great alongside a bit of heat in a salsa. There are plenty of examples in this comprehensive fruit salsa guide if you're looking for inspiration. I like to toss them with grilled red onions, lime juice, a pinch of cayenne, and fresh cilantro and/or mint; it makes for a great summer appetizer with some tortilla chips for dipping.

Special Recipe: EDAMAME, QUINOA, CORN, AND BLUEBERRY SALAD

It seems like you all have been loving the special recipes I've been sharing here (ones that you can't get on my blog), so I wanted to pass along another one. This Edamame, Quinoa, Corn, and Blueberry Salad with Basil Lime Dressing is colorful, packed with plant-based protein and nourishing veggies, and perfect for a summer picnic or party.

For the Salad:

• ½ c uncooked quinoa
• 12-ounce bag frozen shelled edamame
• 1 c corn kernels (ideally grilled and cut off the cob)
• 4 baby cucumbers
• ½ c blueberries

For the Dressing:

• Juice of a lime
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ c very finely chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1. Cook the quinoa according to the package directions and let it cool completely (tip: if you try to add a dressing or sauce to warm quinoa, it will clump and become sticky).
2. Cook the edamame according to the package directions and let them cool completely.
3. Cut the cucumbers into bite-sized pieces.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, edamame, corn, cucumbers, and blueberries, then mix gently.
5. In a separate small bowl, stir together the dressing ingredients. Drizzle over the salad and mix gently.
6. Transfer the salad to a serving dish and enjoy.

Live Colorfully

In the Natural World: PIPING PLOVERS

This past week, my husband and I were on the coast in Maine for my annual beach birthday getaway. I always love sharing my birthday week with my favorite tiny shorebirds, the Piping Plovers. We walk endless miles on the beach and have dinner picnics on the sand, so we have a lot of opportunities to look for them.

Piping Plovers are quite rare now due to habitat destruction in shoreline environments. Depending on the subspecies, they were listed as either threatened or endangered during the 1980s, which led to efforts to save their habitat and nesting areas. Their populations have done better since, but even so their numbers are likely still in the thousands. This is one of many reasons why it's important to preserve shoreline environments and to stay out of the dunes.

These tiny migratory shorebirds make an incredible journey twice a year, flying thousands of miles between their wintering grounds in the south (southeastern US, Gulf of Mexico, and even the Caribbean), all the way up to the beaches in New England. Unlike many other pipers, they're not tall and lean; rather, they're quite plump, fluffy, and round.

If you're headed to the beach this summer, keep your eyes out for the huge diversity of birds that call it home. You might consider doing some reading ahead of time to learn about who you could see, or using a birding app while you're there (we love the Merlin Bird ID app).

Self-Care Pick: MAXIMIZING YOUR MORNINGS

What gifts do you give yourself? I’ve recently been reflecting on the greatest gift we can give: time. In particular, I’m referring to time that we give ourselves to prioritize our own health and needs.

Although there are a lot of ways that we can give ourselves time, this week I want to focus on carving out self-care time in the morning. How different would your days feel if you could set aside an hour or two all to yourself early in the morning, before anyone else needs you?

Personally, I’ve found that my wake-up time has moved earlier and earlier as I’ve gotten older. Getting up at 5:00AM means that I have a luscious several hours to myself before the workday starts. I recognize this is a huge privilege, which at least partially stems from not having kids, but time in the morning is something we can all give ourselves at least to some extent. For me this entails my must-have green smoothie, a long gym session, a decadent shower + skincare routine, and my favorite matcha latte.

What would YOU do if you had a couple hours to yourself before anyone needed you? Would you do something physical, like a gym workout or a yoga class? Would you go for a peaceful hike in the woods or meditate? Would you do something artistic or creative?

This week, I challenge you to move your wake-up time AND your bedtime forward just 15 minutes. If you like it, move both times forward another 15 minutes next week. Keep moving them up (very gradually!) until you’re basking in a quiet, peaceful morning that’s all about YOU.

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!