Cucumber Watermelon Salad

Post by Alison Hein.

We’ve heard a lot about power breakfasts the last few years, but not so much about power-less breakfasts. This all changed last week when Hurricane Irene blew through, leaving major damage and lingering power outages in her wake.

Thankfully, many of us were spared. We put away our hanging plants and patio furniture, stocked up on water and dry goods, and hunkered down to wait out the storm. When Irene left, some of us had lights, and some didn’t. A minimal inconvenience compared to what might have been, and was for many. Our hearts go out to friends and neighbors all along the Eastern seaboard who have suffered greatly.

Practical beings that we are, after safety is confirmed, our minds (and bellies) turn to other things – like hunger. Everyone I know who lost power tried to eat up the contents of their refrigerators. A little creativity, a little luck… you never know what you may turn up.

In our case, it turned out to be a refreshing, watermelon and cucumber salad, with a tangy vinaigrette. I can’t say it was a relaxing breakfast in bed, but the cool fruit was soothing and thirst-quenching. Next time I’d prefer to try this at a family picnic.

Ingredients
¼ seedless watermelon
1 cucumber
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
¼ cup champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions
1. Remove rind from watermelon, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups), and place in large bowl. Pare cucumber, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups) and add to watermelon. Add fresh dill, and stir in gently.
2. In separate small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, sugar and salt to make vinaigrette. Pour over watermelon and cucumber mixture and gently stir. Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour. To serve, spoon salad into dishes with slotted spoon, and pour a small amount of vinaigrette over salad. Garnish with fresh dill if you like.

Makes approximately 4 ½-cup servings.

Is there a movie in your life which, for you, is akin to wrapping yourself in a warm blanket, a movie you turn to to feel safe and lose yourself? One of those movies for me is The Girl on the Bridge by French director Patrice LeConte. Starring long-time girl of Johnny Depp (sorry, ladies) Vanessa Paradis and Daniel Auteuil (who all high school French students will recognize from Jean de Florette) it is an offbeat not-love story about down-on-his-luck knife thrower Gabor and his new target, Adèle, whom he intercepts as she prepares to jump off a bridge. His philosophy is: if you have nothing to live for anyway, why not become my target?
It seems that together they have fantastic luck and fantastic chemistry, though it never gets more physical than his throwing blades at her. Together they travel the Riviera and through their trials and tribulations they realize just how much they need each other. A great movie to fall asleep to.

Tags: bed, Charles P. Rogers, family, Girl on the Bridge, Johnny Depp, Movies, review, Vanessa Paradis

Post by Alison Hein.

Have you been able to squeeze enough vacation time in this summer? No? Well, I won’t be able to foot the bill for your next Caribbean getaway cruise, but I can bring a taste of the tropics to your home with mangoes. Luscious, ripe, aromatic mangoes.

Mangoes have a large, flattish pit that must be avoided when chopping. Once you get the hang of it, though, it’s a tropical breeze… And, well worth the trouble as mango adds an exotic sweetness and juicy texture to many dishes. Mango fruit salsas add the perfect cooling note to spicy grilled meat. Or, purée a few with a little oil, vinegar, and honey for a sweet summer salad dressing. Best of all, slice some up for tempting Mango-Stuffed French Toast.

Store-bought pre-sliced bread is generally too thin for a good, stuffed toast. Try a thick, eggy white bread like challah or brioche. Then cook it slowly, so the outsides turn golden brown, and the insides are soft and cooked through.

Now close your eyes. Breathe in. Inhale the scent of warm mango, meltingly delicious with thick, buttery grilled bread and a hint of cinnamon and maple. Sigh. You’re on vacation, with a sultry, tropical breakfast in bed.

Ingredients
1 mango
½ loaf unsliced white bread (challah or brioche)
1 cup milk
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of salt
2 to 4 tablespoons butter

Preparation
Hold mango lengthwise, and with a sharp knife, slice through just to one side of the pit. Turn mango, and carefully slice through on the other side of the pit. Chop off the sides remaining around the pit. Score each sliced piece lengthwise into several long, thin slices, but do not cut through the skin. Repeat with other mango section. Scoop scored slices out with a spoon. Cut off the sides remaining around the pit and separate mango from skin with spoon. Chop into small pieces for garnish, if you like.

Slice bread into 4 thick slices, each about 3/4 inch wide. Using a paring knife, cut a small pocket into each bread slice, without cutting through to the ends of the bread. Stuff a few slices of mango into each pocket and set bread slices aside.

In large, shallow bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, cinnamon and salt. Dip each stuffed bread slice into the egg mixture, turning once to completely saturate.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in heavy skillet. Add two slices of stuffed bread and cook over medium to medium-low heat, turning once, until golden and cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from pan and keep warm while cooking remaining slices, adding more butter as needed. Place French toast on plates, and garnish with additional mango pieces, if you like. Serve warm with a little maple syrup.

Makes 2 large servings.

Tags: Breakfast, Breakfast in Bed, Breakfast Recipe, Charles P. Rogers Beds, family, mango french toast