This week we'll explore watermelon and how to make whimsical blue drinks naturally. We'll also delve into summer solstice (today!) and a book about how sports and life mix.

Eat Colorfully

Seasonal Ingredient Spotlight: WATERMELON

Now that summer has officially begun (more on this below), let's celebrate one of the season's most iconic ingredients: watermelon. Slices of watermelon are a delicious and hydrating summer treat, but did you know that there are many other ways to use this juicy fruit? Here are a few tasty ways to enjoy it (some may surprise you!).

• Add it to seasonal salads. The sweetness is a perfect complement to something salty. This Watermelon, Snap Pea, and Mint Salad, shown below, is one of my absolute favorites.
• Use it as a base for nachos. Wait what?? Yes indeed, ditch the heavy chips and use small slices of watermelon instead, then drizzle them with luscious avocado sauce and whatever other toppings you love. Check out these Vegan Watermelon Nachos with Avocado Sauce if you want to have your mind blown.
• Use it in salsa. Watermelon salsa is a true summer delight. Check out the fruit salsa guide on my blog for inspiration (scroll down to example #7 in particular).
• Juice it. Watermelon is almost all liquid, so it's an incredibly satisfying fruit to juice. If you don't have a juicer, just blast it in the blender and pour the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Make a fancy watermelon cocktail or mocktail. Watermelon juice is a fabulous cocktail/mocktail ingredient and it goes beautifully with tequila, gin, or vodka, as well as summery flavors like lime and coconut water. Check out this Watermelon Mint Gimlet if you want a specific recipe.

Try This Week: NATURALLY-COLORED BLUE DRINKS

Have you ever wanted to make a cocktail for a party that really captures attention? Or a matcha latte that awes your brunch guests? If so, then how about trying a BLUE drink? Blue cocktails, mocktails, lattes, and smoothies are eye-catching, whimsical, and fun. They're total show-stoppers at an event and will have everyone snapping pictures.

And no, there's no food coloring needed. Instead, you can make blue drinks naturally using a very unique (and healthful!) edible algae called blue spirulina. There's a whole guide to making drinks with blue spirulina on my blog, which is filled with tips, tricks, examples, and specific recipes.

Given that today is the official beginning of summer, why not try an ocean-inspired blue drink? You'll love this whimsical Blue Vanilla Lilac Matcha Latte, which would be perfect for a warm morning. Or, if you're mixing up some cocktails for a party, this Mermaid Cocktail is sure to impress.

Live Colorfully

In the Natural World: SUMMER SOLSTICE

Today is very special since it's the summer solstice, i.e. the longest day of the year. This is the day on which we (in the northern hemisphere) are tilted most closely toward the sun. In many cultures, it's a time to celebrate 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 its 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 have been getting progressively longer. Although we're currently experiencing our longest days right now, the rate of change of day length 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!

A Book to Explore: FREDRIK BACKMAN, BEARTOWN

I just finished re-reading a really good, thoughtful book that I wanted to share with you: Fredrik Backman's "Beartown". It tells the story of a small, rural town in northern Sweden and how their hockey club defines life there. Although it feels like a hockey book at the beginning, it becomes a much more nuanced story about rural life, interpersonal relationships, gender roles, and inner strength.

When I read "Beartown" originally, it had just come out. I recently learned that there are two sequels though: "Us Against You" and then "The Winners". I'm currently on our library's hold list for both and am excited to read them. Beartown was also adapted into a five-episode TV drama by HBO Nordic. We're not TV watchers at home, but I'm curious; have any of you seen it?

If you need other ideas, remember that you can always browse my favorite book list here.

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!