Picnic in the Park Watermelon Arugula Salad with Watermelon Vinaigrette

Are you loving these long days of summer (except for my friends in the other hemisphere... for you I wish you warm weather soon!)?  Mornings with no alarms, impromptu beach sessions with friends, and Friday evening Jazz in the Park... I'm loving each and every sunny moment.  And frequently these special summer moments include food, but the potluck part can sometimes be difficult if we don't have the right tools.

Once again I have OXO to the rescue.  Making me a super salad queen, we have no more soggy salads when using the 8 Piece Snap Glass Round Container Set and the super handy Little Salad Dressing Shaker to transport my goodies to the fun.

Heading to mom and dad's last week, mom requested her favorite watermelon salad.  Not a problem, but I knew we wouldn't be eating until other friends arrived and by the time I transported the salad and let it sit for a few hours we'd have a less than appetizing, soggy dish.

So, I placed the greens and quinoa in the largest of the 4 glass snap bowls, then the watermelon in another bowl and the dry, crispy toppings in another.  The salad shaker brought the dressing separately and I placed it all into a cooler with OXO's 2 in 1 Salad Servers.

When the time came to serve I simply tossed the greens, added watermelon, and then dressed and garnished with my favorite crispy chickpeas and served - all in mere minutes and we had a fresh, crisp salad.

Mom loves the sweet watermelon paired with the zesty arugula (I love the name "rocket" that my Australian friends use for it!) and I adore the crispy salty chickpea/pumpkin seed topping.  Easy to toss together, this salad works well from the beach to the park to your own backyard.

My thanks to OXO for the bowls, and for once again making me look all put together and polished.  The snap lids are perfect for transportation with 4 locking snaps and a removable gasket that makes these beauties totally leakproof.  Nestable and stackable, these bowls store easily in the cupboard or transport well in the cooler.

Wishing you health and happiness as we enjoy these summer days...
Eat well always,

Picnic in the Park Watermelon Arugula Salad with Watermelon Vinaigrette
Sweet yet zesty, watermelon and arugula seem to have been meant for each other.  Toss together at the last minute for a fresh, crisp salad that's sure to sing summer's praises.
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Salad Recipe:
4 large handfuls arugula
1/3 cup cooked and cooled quinoa
3 Tbs chopped red onion
3/4 -1 cup watermelon chunks
crispy chick peas
pumpkin seeds (I like Go Raw Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds) 

Dressing Recipe:
1/4 cup watermelon chunks
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs good quality olive oil
4 mint leaves
1 Tbs chopped red onion
1/2 tsp mustard

To make the dressing place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.  Strain if desired (I don't strain).  Place into a storage container and keep in the fridge until ready to use.

Place greens, quinoa and chopped red onion in a bowl and toss.  Add the watermelon chunks.  Add desired amount of dressing and toss gently to combine.  

Serve onto serving plates and garnish with the crispy chickpeas and/or pumpkin seeds.  Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Liv Life Note:  Note that the salad ingredient measurements are only a guide... add more greens, more watermelon, etc for a bigger crowd.

Liv Life Note 2:  My thanks to OXO for sending me an 8-Piece Glass Snap Set along with the super handy (I adore this thing!) Salad Dressing Shaker along with a set of 2 in 1 Salad Servers (they turn into tongs too!).

8 Piece SNAP Glass Round Container Set 8 Piece SNAP Glass Round Container Set 2-in-1 Salad Servers 2-in-1 Salad Servers Little Salad Dressing Shaker Little Salad Dressing Shaker