Sarah Walker The Curated House, Author at The Curated House

Summer Salads: Watermelon, Feta + Basil

I absolutely love the sweet, fresh flavours of summer. Our family are watermelon addicts and we pretty much always have one on the go in the summer months when they are in season. So in celebration of the second official (smokin’ hot) day of summer, I thought I’d share a recipe with you. This is one of my favourite simple summer salads.

This salad is super fast, easy, and pleases even our son who tends to turn his nose up at the sign of anything too “mixed” or “with green stuff in it.” I think it’s the juxtaposition of the salty feta, the savoury basil and the sweet watermelon that makes it such a pleasant surprise to the palette.

Here’s what you need:

1 medium watermelon cut into 1″ cubes
1 container of firm feta (packed in rind – about 200g – more if you really love feta) cut into 1/4″ cubes
A big handful of basil leaves (maybe 1/4 cup when they’re pressed together), washed and cut into chiffonade (long, thin strips)
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp of my favourite mustard – Sable & Rosenfeld’s Tipsy Dijon (this amazing mustard is spiked with ale!)
2 or more tbsp of really good extra virgin olive oil
A generous pinch of salt (I use Maldon as the light flakes are just perfect for salad dressings)
Pepper to taste

Mix together the lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, salt + pepper until well combined. In a large serving bowl, combine the watermelon, feta and basil and gently drizzle half of the dressing over the salad. Toss and taste. Sometimes I stop there depending on how tart the lemon was and how much watermelon I’ve got. Sometimes I use it all. Just depends on my my mood and how the flavours are combining that day.

We love this salad along with a light and refreshing glass of Sparkling Pinot Grigio like this one from Barefoot Wines. It is remarkably reasonable at $12 a bottle and has that perfectly crisp, minerally refreshing taste that pairs beautifully with this kind of dish. I’m a champagne girl for sure, but this one fits the proverbial beer budget quite nicely, thank you very much!

Pair this salad with some gorgeous Lemon, Garlic + Rosemary Grilled Chicken (I’ll share that recipe soon) and it makes a delightful summer meal, especially al fresco!

Hope this whets your appetite for all the best tastes of summer! A feast awaits.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|June 21st, 2012|0 Comments

Lofty Inspiration – The Art of The Mix

I don’t know about you, but there is a version of me that could totally do big city loft living. In my mind, the building is an über chic, converted warehouse oozing with massive-windows-and-exposed-brick-and-wooden-beam charm.

Photo courtesy of www.thestwrd.com

My neighbours are of course artists and architects and musicians and innovators, and we all take turns hosting wine tastings and cooking parties where we talk about art and inspiration and our favourite recipes (and never discuss politics). The kitchen would no doubt look like this:

image found on Pinterest

My husband and I spent several glorious years living in the charmingly European neighborhood of Bloor West Village in Toronto. Though not a loft neighborhood, the 18″ gumwood baseboards and beefy (nearly edible) matching wood door casings were delightful. It had some of that ruddy charm that I love about a good loft, too. Something of a sense of history that made you feel very much at home and somehow connected with a meaningful story right there in your own neighbourhood.

We live in Oakville now, and it has many benefits including mature trees and bigger back yards. With that also comes normal ceiling heights, no 18 foot high walls of architectural windows, no real exposed brick or beefy gumwood baseboards…so we need to think of other ways to bring that vintage warmth and nostalgia into our spaces. For me, it’s about the art of the mix. It is about a home that is carefully curated over time – perfectly imperfect and reflective of a journey.

I recently trotted off to the local Christie Antique Show in search of just this kind of nostalgic inspiration. Here are a few of the treasures I found:

As it turns out, I went on this little adventure with something very specific in mind. I was searching for an antique, square, pressed-glass, footed cake stand. I knew exactly what I wanted (a dangerous place to start, I find) and had stuffed two $20’s in my pocket in the hopes I would find it. After spending $10 on parking, I had a generous $30 budget left and a pocket full of dreams. I had nearly gotten through the entire show and was feeling rather deflated when – like a mirage in the distance – there it was. A perfect, square, pressed-glass footed cake stand (skirted, even!) that was exactly as I had imagined it.

My elation quickly turned to deflation once again as I learned that my intended treasure – a Fostoria American collectible cake stand, patented in 1915 – was in fact $275. The fact that they took Visa did not help in this case (a budget is a budget), though the dealer was really hopeful when he saw how excited I had been to discover it.

So instead of going home with my intended treasure, I came home with an education on what I’m looking for, a little less naivete over the price of things and a few images to share with you! Hope to see you at the September edition of the Christie Antique Show!

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|June 20th, 2012|0 Comments

STITCHING TOGETHER HOPE

I love me a good redemptive story – the kind where someone is written off and then comes through as the hero at the end of it all, or where someone overcomes all the odds to find beauty and meaning in the midst of what everyone else just thought was hopeless. Those are the kinds of movies that leave me a weepy, happy mess. So when I heard about this amazing company and their beautiful products, I just knew I had to share them with you.

Sari Bari is a business that operates out of India, upcycling old saris in the most amazing and inspiring way. (Remember those incredible upcycled sari rugs I showed you last week? Sensing a theme?) The mission of Sari Bari is to offer freedom to women who are vulnerable to trafficking and trapped in the sex trade. They provide these women with employment in a safe, loving, restorative environment. They are then trained and treated as artisans, creating beautiful, truly one-of-a-kind, sustainable handmade products which are a profound metaphor for their own lives. Once discarded and treated as worthless, they are also being transformed back into something of great beauty and worth. Each piece is as unique as the amazing woman creating it.

Their technique comes from an ancient Bengali art form known as Kantha, meaning “old cloth.” In the traditional kantha style, five layers of used saris are sewn together with a single running stitch to make a quilted blanket. In Bengali tradition, such blankets are passed on as heirlooms to future generations.

Each woman has her own unique style and stitch, making each piece an original work of art. Of course – given the natural properties of silk – the blankets are also delightfully light, remarkably warm and incredibly soft. What a great way to infuse some inspiration into your home through the spectacular colours and patterns used! Once each blanket is finished, the women “sign” their pieces with their name, a mark of pride and identity. Now show me a product that is beautiful, functional and filled with a story of inspiration and hope and I’m IN! Hope you find yourselves inspired as well.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|June 20th, 2012|1 Comment