4th of July / Memorial Day / Labor Day

Spring Farro Salad

This 30-minute spring farro salad is made with a delicious mix of seasonal veggies and herbs, farro, chickpeas and a quick lemon vinaigrette. Cheers to spring salads! ♡ After making this winter farro salad countless times over the past year, I decided we needed to try a springtime version with fresh seasonal veggies and herbs. […]

This 30-minute spring farro salad is made with a delicious mix of seasonal veggies and herbs, farro, chickpeas and a quick lemon vinaigrette.

Cheers to spring salads! ♡

After making this winter farro salad countless times over the past year, I decided we needed to try a springtime version with fresh seasonal veggies and herbs. And thus, this zippy spring farro salad recipe was born.

It’s loaded up with chewy farro and chickpeas, a crisp mix of cucumber, radishes and shallots, a sprinkling of tangy crumbled feta, loads of fresh herbs (I opted for mint and dill), and my favorite lemony everyday vinaigrette that pulls everything together. Each bite tastes wonderfully light and springy, especially thanks to all of those fresh herbs. And this salad holds up beautifully in the fridge if you’d like to prep the salad in advance for easy lunches or sunny picnics or springtime nights by the grill.

As you can imagine, it’s also an easy recipe to customize with whatever seasonal veggies, herbs or cheeses you would prefer to toss in. And if you need a gluten-free option, no prob, just swap in some quinoa for the farro. Let’s make some salad!

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Watermelon Salad with Whipped Feta

Fresh watermelon and cucumber are tossed with lemon and mint and served over a bed of silky whipped feta. For all of you fellow watermelon feta salad lovers out there…consider this twist on the classic with whipped feta! ♡ I should probably back up by saying that we make some version of a watermelon feta […]

Fresh watermelon and cucumber are tossed with lemon and mint and served over a bed of silky whipped feta.

For all of you fellow watermelon feta salad lovers out there…consider this twist on the classic with whipped feta! ♡

I should probably back up by saying that we make some version of a watermelon feta salad here in our family at least once a week in the summertime. It’s my husband’s favorite summer salad, and while we were living in Barcelona, he would eagerly volunteer to haul a heavy watermelon the kilometer’s walk home to our flat, chop it up to toss with mint and feta, and then usually polish off half of the bowl before dinner, lol. Needless to say, we’re big fans of watermelon salads here during the summertime, and that classic pairing with feta, mint and cucumbers (I love the extra crunch) is always such a winner.

In an effort to mix things up the past few years, I occasionally started tossing the feta in the food processor with some Greek yogurt to create a bed of silky, creamy, whipped cheese as the base for the salad. And it has turned out to be such a fun way to mix things up, especially for entertaining! Enjoy the salad with a fork or serve it with toothpicks for dipping — whatever you’d like. And if you’d like to add in some arugula, avocado, pistachios or a drizzle of balsamic glaze, the sky’s the limit with fun customizations here.

However you make this watermelon feta salad, it’s one of those refreshing recipes that never fails to hit the spot. So the next time you see some ripe watermelon, whip up that feta and give it a try!

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Ginger Lime Pork Tenderloin

This grilled ginger lime pork tenderloin recipe is incredibly easy to make and bursting with rich, savory flavor. Today we’re throwing back to one of the very (very, very!) first recipes I ever shared here back in the summer of 2009 — this grilled ginger lime pork tenderloin. All of these years later, it’s still […]

This grilled ginger lime pork tenderloin recipe is incredibly easy to make and bursting with rich, savory flavor.

Today we’re throwing back to one of the very (very, very!) first recipes I ever shared here back in the summer of 2009 — this grilled ginger lime pork tenderloin. All of these years later, it’s still one of my favorite recipes to toss on the grill in the summertime, especially since it only requires a quick 15-minute marinade. ♡

Simply combine lots of lime zest and juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, oil, salt and pepper to form the zesty marinade. Let that mingle with the pork for 15 minutes (or up to 4 hours). Pop the tenderloins on the grill until they are perfectly charred and tender and juicy. Sprinkle with some more lime juice, a pinch of flaky sea salt for some crunch, and extra black pepper. Then slice, serve and enjoy.

It’s one of those low-effort, high-reward recipes that’s perfect for easygoing summer evenings when you can’t be bothered to spend much time cooking. I recommend serving it up with some grilled veggies or a simple side salad, and an absolutely delicious dinner can be ready to go in no time.

Let’s get to grilling!

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The Best Potato Salad

My go-to classic potato salad recipe is easy to make, perfectly zesty and creamy, and always a crowd fave! I’m returning to my Midwestern roots today to pay homage to the potluck dish that will forever be a nostalgic favorite…my classic potato salad recipe. ♡ There are of course a million different takes on how […]

My go-to classic potato salad recipe is easy to make, perfectly zesty and creamy, and always a crowd fave!

The BEST Potato Salad

I’m returning to my Midwestern roots today to pay homage to the potluck dish that will forever be a nostalgic favorite…my classic potato salad recipe. ♡

There are of course a million different takes on how to make potato salad. But if you grew up in the Midwest or South and spent any amount of time at backyard barbecues, church basement dinners, or summertime picnics, you know exactly what I’m talking about when it comes to a “classic” creamy potato salad. We start with freshly-diced potatoes, boiled until perfectly tender and then tossed with a hint of vinegar. Then to the potatoes, we add the classic building blocks of hard-boiled eggs, crisp celery and tangy red onion. A big scoop of pickle relish adds a deliciously briny kick, although some may argue it’s optional. Then everything gets tossed with a rich and creamy dressing spiked with mustard, celery salt, vinegar, and paprika to bring everything together. Potato salad perfection.

Now I know that there are strong opinions out there on the topic of Miracle Whip versus mayo, so you do you! Feel free to also add in any extras you might like, such as bacon, avocado or fresh herbs. And while I personally love leaving the potato skins on for extra texture and nutrients, you’re totally welcome to peel the potatoes here if you prefer.

Let’s make some potato salad together! (more…)

Blueberry Chicken Chopped Salad

This blueberry chicken chopped salad recipe is loaded up with a zesty mix of ingredients and tossed with a lemon vinaigrette. Whenever fresh berries are in season, I always look forward to this making this blueberry salad. ♡ It’s an oldie-but-goodie here on Gimme Some Oven. (Just realized the original recipe was posted nearly a […]

This blueberry chicken chopped salad recipe is loaded up with a zesty mix of ingredients and tossed with a lemon vinaigrette.

Blueberry Chicken Chopped Salad

Whenever fresh berries are in season, I always look forward to this making this blueberry salad. ♡

It’s an oldie-but-goodie here on Gimme Some Oven. (Just realized the original recipe was posted nearly a decade ago!) But all of these years later, it continues to be a yummy staple in our salad rotation and one of my personal faves.

The choice of protein here is completely up to you — I love making this salad with pan-seared chicken, but it’s also delicious with steak, salmon, shrimp, roasted chickpeas, or you can leave out the protein entirely. We’ll build the salad with a base of your favorite chopped greens, nuts, diced red onion, crumbled goat or feta, lots of fresh blueberries, and then give it a toss with my everyday dressing. And the result is a sweet, savory, tangy, fresh balance of flavors that I’m certain you are going to love.

So the next time you’re craving a big green salad, grab some fresh blueberries and let’s go!

Blueberry Chicken Chopped Salad Ingredient in Bowl (more…)