Refreshing

We’ve made a new lunch discovery here at Eire. (Always a reason to celebrate!) Our go-to corner deli for sandwiches, soups and salads has been serving Watermelon Gazpacho for the soup of the day, and it is delicious! A refreshing twist on the more common tomato gazpacho, it’s cool and sweet with a perfect little kick. I don’t have Brett’s recipe, but here’s one that is similar. (Brett’s has lots of jicama and some sort of a hot pepper diced in, too!) Get chopping and enjoy!

Ingredients

8 cups finely diced seedless watermelon, (about 6 pounds with the rind) (see Tip)

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced

1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

2 tablespoons minced shallot

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Mix watermelon, cucumber, bell pepper, basil, parsley, vinegar, shallot, oil and salt in a large bowl. Puree 3 cups of the mixture in a blender or food processor to the desired smoothness; transfer to another large bowl.  Stir in the remaining diced mixture. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Melon Tip: Melon selection & storage – Look for symmetrical unblemished melons, without flat sides, that have a creamy yellow spot on the bottom indicating ripeness. At 92% water, this fruit should feel heavy when you heft it. Precut melon flesh should be dense, firm and appear moist. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week or keep in a cool, dark spot. Cover the cut surface of melon with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Nutrition – Per serving: 116 calories; 5 g fat ( 1 g sat , 4 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 296 mg sodium; 345 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (110% daily value), Vitamin A (45% dv).

Tradition

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. Not because I’m such a big patriot (although I certainly appreciate the benefits of being an American), but because it’s a chance for me to participate in some long-standing family traditions and catch up with family members – many of whom I don’t see the rest of the year.

I am blessed to come from a large extended family. With over 25 first cousins, almost all of whom have children (and grandchildren) of their own, family get-togethers can quickly become overwhelming. But every year around the 4th of July, we have a family reunion at the lake where my grandfather bought land and built a cabin over 60 years ago. The 4th of July reunion began 40 years ago and has continued with only a few alterations, to this day.  The day starts with games – musical chairs, cherry spitting, watermelon eating. Prizes are awarded for winners (this year the prizes were strings of brightly colored beads which I saw on kids the rest of the week!). A potluck dinner follows, which always includes the same standards: roast beef, twice baked cheesy potatoes, green salad, and fruit salad with cookies and brownies for dessert. The day of the celebrations, the kitchen in every house is busy chopping, sautéing, baking, mixing to prepare their portion of the meal.

Finally, there is the talent show. It’s usually about an hour long, not because we have so much talent in the family; but rather, because we “think” we have so much talent! There are toddlers shaking rattles, young boys swinging swords along to music, singing (usually the truly talented), playing of musical instruments, and even some tumbling and gymnastics. We’ve had magic shows, made up songs, and skits. It’s a lot of fun and one of the best parts of the day. My favorite act this year was a 2 ½ year old boy singing “This Land is Your Land” and strumming a full size guitar along to the beat.

The best part of the tradition, for me, is the comfort that comes with knowing exactly what to expect – the same games, same meal, even same songs at the talent show. Yet each year I also delight in the new things, like seeing my niece play musical chairs and almost win. Or having my son in the talent show for the first time ever. And throughout the entire weekend, I get the opportunity for conversations with some of the most amazing and interesting people I know. One of my cousins told me about work she’s involved in to bring basic medical care to remote villages throughout Africa. Another one spoke about her decision to maintain a gluten-free diet and how it’s positively impacting her health. With yet another relative, I talked about the state of the economy and the world of marketing agencies.

Coming back from this trip each year, I feel relaxed, refreshed, and ready to tackle my work and get back to the real world with a new perspective. I can’t wait for next year.

Around Here

Just a few of the projects we've worked on at Eire lately:

Architectural Contest Poster.

Angels Grace Hospice website.

Valpac, Valassis and Money Mailer inserts.

Full-court POP.

Top 10 Made in America Products.

TOP 10 Made in America Products:

I recently read an article by Alex Brokaw that appeared on my MSN Money page titled “10 Products America Makes Best." A very catchy title that caught my interest; before I read the article I ventured a guess as to the companies that I thought would be on the list. The following were my thoughts on the types of companies that came to mind. I initially thought of General Electric, Motorola, Nike, Microsoft, Apple, Ford, GM, Tiffany’s etc.  

I was quite surprised to see the list which is outlined below.

1. Harley Davidson Motorcycles – Made in Milwaukee Wisconsin since 1903.  
2. Blockbuster Movies – US remains the number one position in terms of box-office receipts. 87 of the top 100 grossing films of all time were made in the United States.   
3. Weapons – Really? Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman and Boeing are the top of a long list of companies making technology, weaponry and vehicles deployed by armed forces. 
4. Lighters – Zippo Lighters are still made in the United States and have been sold for over 70 years. On June 5th Zippo rolled out its 500 millionth lighter.
5. Luxury Kitchen Appliances – Viking Range and Sub Zero refrigerators are made in the US; Viking in Mississippi and Sub Zero in Madison, Wisconsin.  
6. Software – Seven of the top 10 highest grossing software and programming companies are found in the US. Oracle, Symantec, Adobe and Intuit lead the field.
7. Craft beers – US craft beer industry is booming. According to the Brewers Association there were 1,945 craft beer breweries operating in the US in 2011. The industry is currently growing at 15% per year.
8. Guitars and pianos – The US is the home to the manufacturers of some of the world’s best musical equipment. Gibson’s Guitars, Nashville, Tennessee and Steinway Pianos, New York, NY.  
9. Office Chairs – Aeron made by Herman Miller in Zeeland, Michigan is the only office chair brand people recognize by name.  They estimate that an Aeron chair is built every 17 seconds.  
10. Billionaires – The US is home to more billionaires than any other nation according to Forbes Magazine.  The US boasts more than 425 out of 1,226 around the world.

I was pleasantly surprised by the list and have to admit that I have never driven a Harley, made or been in a movie, fired a weapon, light a cigarette or cigar with a Zippo lighter, played a piano or guitar or met a billionaire. But, I do have a Sub Zero refrigerator, use adobe software, sit in an Aeron Chair and invest in a craft beer company (Mad Tree Brewery, Cincinnati, Ohio) so I am feeling a little better about made in the USA this 236th anniversary of the United States of America.  

Happy 4th of July!