By Fourth of July week in Livingston has a particular texture — the parade is short, the fireworks are decent, and half the county comes through town to watch both. I've been going to the same spot on the same block since I was a kid, the low concrete wall outside the hardware store where you can see the whole Main Street stretch without having to stand. I took Jen this year. It felt like a normal thing to do and mostly it was.
She asked a lot of questions, which I've come to understand is just how she moves through the world. Who lives in that house. What's the story with the old grain elevator. Do I know the family in the matching shirts. I answered what I could. The ones I couldn't answer I deflected with a shrug, which she accepted without making a thing of it. That's something I've noticed — she doesn't push. I don't know yet whether that's patience or strategy or just her personality. With Sarah it had been patience, right up until it wasn't.
I put together a simple potato salad for the Fourth because Mom asked me to and because there's no version of July fourth that doesn't involve potato salad. I use yellow potatoes, whole-grain mustard, a little celery seed, dill when we have it fresh, which we did. People always want to make potato salad complicated and it never needs to be. It's a side dish. It exists to support whatever's on the grill. I made enough for twelve. We were six, so there were leftovers for three days, which is the correct outcome.
I'm at eleven farrier accounts now. Added the Kowalski place over near Pray last month, two draft horses and a Thoroughbred they're rehabilitating from a tendon injury. The Thoroughbred is nervous and takes twice as long as the others, but the Kowalskis pay well and the work is interesting. I think about quitting teaching myself, taking on a few more accounts, making this the whole thing. Haven't said that out loud yet. Some ideas need to cook a while before they're ready to share.
The potato salad was the anchor, but a table for twelve with only one side always feels a little bare — and when I’ve got a week’s worth of summer produce and a grill running hot, I like something bright and cold to set alongside it. This arugula and watermelon salad is exactly that kind of dish: peppery from the greens, sweet from the melon, and done in the time it takes the coals to settle. It’s not trying to be the main event, which is exactly what makes it right.
Arugula & Watermelon Salad
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 6 cups baby arugula, washed and dried
- 3 cups seedless watermelon, cubed (about 1-inch pieces)
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, torn (optional)
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Prep the onion. Soak the sliced red onion in cold water for 5 minutes to mellow the sharpness, then drain and pat dry.
- Assemble the salad. Spread the arugula across a wide serving platter or large bowl. Scatter the watermelon cubes evenly over the top, followed by the red onion slices.
- Add the toppings. Sprinkle the crumbled feta and toasted pepitas over the salad. Add torn mint leaves if using.
- Dress and serve. Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving — do not toss in advance or the arugula will wilt. Serve immediately alongside grilled meats or as part of a summer spread.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 148 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 10g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 210mg