This week we'll explore summer peaches and versatile farro salads. We'll also delve into an older must-read book and the greatest gift we can give ourselves (hint: it happens before anyone else is awake).

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 the 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.

Try This Week: FARRO SALADS

Pasta salads are an iconic summer dish, but have you ever tried a FARRO salad? You definitely need to add this to your summer repertoire! Farro salads are wonderful for potlucks, BBQs, and picnics since they're hearty, satisfying, and travel well. I've been making them on repeat lately, both for dinner parties and for easy weeknight meal prep.

Farro is a whole grain from the wheat family. It's delightfully chewy, a bit nutty in taste, and easy to cook. Like most whole grains, it's rich in fiber and even has some protein, so it's a much more nourishing choice than pasta made from refined grains. You can cook farro just like you would cook pasta: bring the water to a boil, add the farro, boil for about 12 minutes until tender, and drain it.

My personal favorite farro salad recipe is the Confetti Garden Vegetable Farro Salad that's on my blog. However, you can use farro in place of pasta in most recipes. I like to toss the cooked farro with the dressing while it's still hot, since it's a sponge for flavor (and doesn't get soggy or sticky, unlike pasta). Just note that you may want to increase the amount of dressing you use slightly since the farro will soak some up.

Live Colorfully

A Book to Explore: KATHRYN STOCKETT, THE HELP

Do you ever re-read books that you really enjoyed? I definitely do, and just finished my third or fourth read of an old favorite, Kathryn Stockett’s “The Help”. It’s an oldie but a goodie, which I highly recommend if you haven’t read it (or even if you have!).

The Help follows the story of Black maids working in households in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960’s. It explores what happens when those maids, who have traditionally been silenced, tell their stories. I especially recommend the audiobook version since the women who read it are incredible.

Remember that you can always browse my favorite book list if you need some ideas.

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Self-Care Pick: THE GIFT OF THE PEACEFUL MORNING

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 + skin care 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.

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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!