nectar summer

Jen Altman is one amazingly cool cookie. Photographer, writer and mum to three seriously cute girls, Jen has just released her newest blog Nectar, aptly subtitled 'slice of life and rock n' roll'.  At Nectar Jen waxes lyrical about food and family, but my favourite part is the playlists that often accompany Jen's posts, matched to the food like an accompanying wine (see Jen's weekend playlist here).

The Turkish Prawn & Vegetable Kebabs with Grilled Watermelon Salad look perfect for the upcoming summer.

TURKISH PRAWN & VEGETABLE KEBABS

1 1/2 lbs large prawns, peeled


1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil


2 teaspoons Turkish baharat kebab spice blend 


1 zucchini, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced


1/2 large red onion, sliced into thick half-moons

8-10 button mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed


additional olive oil for brushing


8 to 10 metal or bamboo skewers *soak bamboo skewers first so they don't burn

Cacik

5 oz Greek yogurt


1/2 small garlic clove, minced


1/2 cucumber, finely grated

Toasted Pita with Za'atar 

4 pitas
extra virgin olive oil for brushing

za’atar spice *za'atar is a ubiquitous Middle Eastern spice blend of sumac, thyme and sesame seeds that can be used on virtually anything and everything from pita, vegetables, fish, poultry and more.  

GRILLED WATERMELON SALAD WITH CUCUMBER, FETA & MINT

½ watermelon, cut into triangular wedges, rind discarded
1 cucumber, diced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 ounces Greek or Bulgarian feta cheese
¼ cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
½ hot red chili, thinly sliced, *if desired
extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
juice of ½ lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
sumac for sprinkling  *sumac is a Mediterranean spice with purple-reddish hue and a tangy, lemony flavor. 

Heat a grill or grill pan on medium-high.  Grill watermelon triangles for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until light grill marks appear. Arrange slices on a platter.  Mix remaining ingredients together in a mixing bowl and spoon over top watermelon.  Sprinkle salad with sumac.

Photos by Jen Altman | Recipes by Marissa Lipert