Yellow Dress + Yellow Salad!

It’s another edition of #forestfeastfashion where I pair one of my favorite dresses of the moment with a Forest Feast dish!

I just got this yellow floral dress (that’s made in America!) to wear to Alt Summit next week and thought it would be perfect paired with the Yellow Salad from my first cookbook.

It’s a long stretchy faux-wrap, and super comfortable, with big florals (like I love!)

YELLOW SALAD (from The Forest Feast cookbook)

Toss 1 yellow bell pepper (cubed), 1 can garbanzo beans, 1 c yellow cherry tomatoes (halved), 1 small raw golden beet (thinly sliced or diced), 1 sliced (lemon) cucumber, 1/2 c golden raisins, 1 T lemon zest, and raw kernels from 1 ear corn (about 1/2 c). Dress with a little olive oil , salt and a squeeze of lemon, or your favorite vinaigrette.

See some more dress/dish pairings here!

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Disclosure: The Forest Feast is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and The Forest Feast may earn a percentage when purchases are made from some links in this post.

DIY Al Fresco Entertaining Video

I recently partnered with nousDECOR to demo some easy summer recipes from The Forest Feast cookbook that would be great for outdoor entertaining: a Cucumber Spritzer Cocktail, Asparagus Straws and Guacamole Deviled Eggs. We shot it at the most beautiful stable-turned-home in Woodside, CA. Hope you enjoy the 2 minute video!

Video by Yiqian Peng and nousDECOR, www.nousdecor.com

Recipes by Erin Gleeson, www.theforestfeast.com

Photo above of Erin is by Yiqian Peng from nousDECOR. All others are by Erin Gleeson.

Artichoke Potato Salad with Arugula

I love a good potato salad, and I find roasting the potatoes a bit tastier, perhaps for those crunchy edges. My mom puts sweet pickles (cornichons) in her potato salad, and I thought I’d try a twist on that by adding marinated artichoke hearts. They add some vinegary tang which I like. Plus the spiciness of the arugula makes for a good combo. Happy outdoor summer dining!

This recipe was part of a fun summer BBQ menu that I put together for InStyle Magazine. Check out the whole menu HERE.

Photos and illustrations by Erin Gleeson for The Forest Feast

Summer Menu Planning

It’s officially SUMMER! Out here in the woods, we are gearing up for some outdoor entertaining. Here are some Forest Feast favorites from summers past to get you going with your summer menu planning:

Cucumber Sangria

Watermelon Bruschetta

Peach Salad

Cucumber Caprese Bites

ALSO! There are a few more California Forest Feast cookbook events coming up in the Bay Area:

Tonight! June 25th in Santa Cruz, 7pm Bookshop Santa Cruz

Tomorrow! June 26th In Oakland, 6-8pm at Umami Mart

July 14th: A special dinner event at 18 Reasons in SF (tix here)

Aug. 9th in Healdsburg at SHED (workshop at 12pm & signing at 1:30pm)

More info here: theforestfeast.com/cookbook Hope to see you then!

Cookbook Giveaway!

I am a blogger for Better Homes and Gardens, and they are hosting a GIVEAWAY of 5 (yes, five!) copies of my cookbook! Click on over to the BHG blog for a chance to win!

Above is one of my favorite recipes from the book, the Kale Caesar Salad. It has a super garlicky dressing and the polenta “croutons” make it a filling dish.

Best of luck and Happy Cooking!!

(PS- if you’re in Palo Alto, come to my signing tonight at 7pm!)

photos & illustrations © Erin Gleeson

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UPDATE 5/6/14: The winners have now been notified, thank you to all who participated!