This salad is literally everything summer should be. It's refreshing, invigorating, healthy, full of color and flavor and, best of all, it's simple. We shot this post a couple of weeks ago at my friend Kara's loft downtown. It had been a hectic morning of responding to urgent emails, getting social up for sponsored content, and then swinging by the escrow office in Beverly Hills to drop off paperwork. The entire time, I kept thinking about how I really didn't have time to be shooting that day and feeling guilty about how overbooked I had allowed my schedule to get. However, it was as if all the cares of the morning went out the door the moment I walked in the door to Kara's sun-drenched, perfectly curated loft in downtown LA. The kitchen island was overflowing with fresh produce and flowers and Amanda, my friend and photographer, was investigating the lighting in different corners of the space. Kara told me how almost everything in her place had been gifted or found, which you never would have guessed by a mere glance. We spent the next two hours stirring, mixing, slicing, recipe testing, and taste testing until our heart's content and I left feeling so newly inspired and grateful for these two friends. It was a reminder that you just have to make space for doing the things you love. So much of business and life is in the mundane that it's easy to lose track of the special moments where you're in your stride and using your talents and gifts, but man those are THE moments. I duplicated this salad with grilled chicken that night for dinner and it was a hit. Keep reading for Kara's recipe...
Easy Summer Salad
Ingredients:
- arugula
- fresh corn cut from the cob
- cucumber
- red onion
- avocado
For the Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon honey
- dash of sea salt
Fill a salad bowl or plate with the arugula then top with remaining salad ingredients. In a separate bowl mix together all dressing ingredients and stir repeatedly until well combined.
Photography by Amanda Gallant
Food Styling by Kara Elise