Grilled Peach & Corn Summer Bowl
& hello from the bay!
Hi! Welcome to “good mood food” from Kale Me Maybe’s Carina Wolff. If you’ve made it here and aren’t yet a subscriber, come join! You can expect recipes, musings, and faves in your inbox every Wednesday! Paid subscribers get even more! Learn more about my paid membership here. You can also try a week for free!
CATCH UP!
Greetings from Oakland! I’m up in the Bay Area to visit an old friend and to watch Grant play one of his final shows before he finishes up his tour! The few weeks he has been away have gone by quickly, but I’m so excited to finally catch one of his shows.
Something that’s been on my mind lately is the bland repetitiveness I’ve been seeing on TikTok recently. I’ve been feeling really disappointed I feel when I scroll through my feed. I am seeing so much of the same: the same filters, the same beauty products, the same aesthetic templates, the same cosmetic procedures. It makes me really sad that there is so much conformity.
I know Threads came out and everyone was all excited about it — and don’t get me wrong, I’m okay with Threads — but I do miss the early days of social media when people would get popular because they stood out. I know TikTok is designed to promote the posts of those who jump on trends, but the result of that is so much repetitiveness. I see it bleeding into real life where everyone wants to have the same style, the same face, and the same picture-perfect image. It feels to me like we are regressing in that way.
And I’m definitely not sitting here saying I’m immune to it by any means — I’m truly not that unique lol. I just feel it very strongly when I’m flipping through my “For You” page and it feels like deja vu over and over again. I’m not sure how we fix it (or how I fix my algorithm!) but I hope the tides turn at some point on the internet and it becomes cool to do your own thing again.
THINGS I’M LOVING!
I’ve never owned a pair of Crocs before, but I saw someone get these sandals on TikTok, and I was influenced. They don’t look like your run-of-the-mill Crocs though! These Brooklyn Buckle Low Wedge Platform Sandals look like super cute platform sandals, but they have the comfort factor of Crocs, well, because they are!
I’m very much a planner girl — I need a notebook for my many, many lists, and I’m very particular about what my planners look like. The company I usually buy my planners from went out of business (sad), but I found this Daily Planner from Papier that I am actually very happy with. You can customize the front to say whatever you want, and there’s a weekly planner, daily schedules and lists, and even a place for you to put your long-term goals.
When I saw this recipe for Rhubarb Sour Candy from Plant You, I knew I immediately had to make it. If you’re someone like me who loves sour belt candy, this is a great alternative that’s a little bit more nutritious and makes use of this beautiful summer produce! I wish I took a picture of my own when I made it, but we devoured it too quickly!
RECIPE!
I’m back with another summer bowl! This one is also quinoa-based, but it contains grilled corn and peaches, feta, avocado, almonds, pickled onions, and a basil vinaigrette! Truly all things summer.
When you eat it all together, it basically turns into a hearty salad, but it’s a beautiful mix of sweet and savory, which you know is my fave. You can enjoy it as is, but if you want extra protein, you could add in some grilled chicken, beans, or chickpeas!
Grilled Peach & Corn Summer Bowl
Ingredients (serves 2)
Bowl
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
2 corn cobs, shucked
1 peach, cut into slices
Olive oil
1 avocado, sliced
4 oz feta, roughly chopped
2 tbsp roughly chopped almonds
1/4 cup pickled onions
2 tbsp hemp seeds
Salt & pepper
Crushed red pepper
Basil Dressing
1/3 cup packed basil leaves
1 shallot, chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp honey
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/8 cup olive oil
Pinch of salt
1. Prepare the quinoa according to package. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat some olive oil on your grill or grill pan on medium-high. Add the corn and the peaches. Cook the peaches for 2-3 minutes on each side until just charred. Cook the corn for 10-15 minutes, turning the corn over every few minutes. Using a knife, slice the corn kernels off the cob.
3. Prepare the dressing by blending together until everything is evenly combined and somewhat smooth — it’s okay if there is some texture.
4. Divide the quinoa into two bowls, and top with peaches, corn, avocado slices, feta, almonds, and pickled onions. Top with hemp seeds, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Serve immediately!