Today’s creative’s dish features the talented maker behind ABJ Glassworks, Ashley Bram-Johnson. She creates beautiful modern pieces for the home using traditional stained glass methods. I own one of her terrariums (like shown above), which might be my favorite pieces she creates, but the jewelry boxes and lamps are pretty freaking amazing too. Ashley has been a busy bee working on her upcoming autumn collection (can’t wait to see the new designs!), so I was thrilled that she was able to participate in the series.

Ashley currently calls Philadelphia home so we weren’t able to get together in person, but she sent me over a recipe for a watermelon salad and I couldn’t think of a better place to try it out then at the cabin! Learn more about Ashley and get the full taste-of-summer watermelon salad recipe after the jump…

SS: What made you choose this recipe?

ABJ: I’m a big cook and baker but in the summer I can feel like avoiding the oven (except for pie!). This recipe is simple to mix up, the perfect companion to other dishes or delicious on its own. I also can’t get enough watermelon and mint in these hot months. I discovered a recipe for watermelon gazpacho earlier this summer that has become another go-to, and I stick mint in everything including water. Mint=summer for me.

SS: Most prized kitchen utensil?

ABJ: Silpat baking mats. They work perfectly and are reusable, two important criteria in my book.

SS: Name three things we may not know about you.

ABJ: 1. I thought I would go to school to be a veterinarian until the summer before I went to college. I did a complete 180, changed my major to Anthropology and never looked back.
2. I have a ukulele that I’ve been tinkering with for the past 5 years (this does not mean I play well).
3. I was raised in the country and didn’t have neighbors until I was 9.

SS: Guilty pleasure?

ABJ: Cheese.

SS: What are three blogs you can’t stop reading?

ABJ: I’m mainly drawn to blogs about food and lifestyle: Orangette, Witchin in the Kitchen and Nothing in the House.

SS: Sweet or Savory?

ABJ: Savory

Being such a simple summery salad I took it to the outdoors and put it all together on our patio. No better way to enjoy it than with the sun kissing your face. Thanks to Ashley for sharing the recipe and for giving me an excuse to eat more watermelon! 🙂

To see more of the Creative’s Dish series check here.
To see more of Ashley, check out her shop here, follow her on instagram here, or read her blog here.

Watermelon Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1/8th seedless watermelon (rind cut off and cut into 1” cubes)
5-6 cups arugula
1 cup mint (roughly chopped)
1 cup basil (roughly chopped (optional))
feta
balsamic vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS:

To make the salad just layer the arugula, watermelon, mint and feta in a salad bowl or other large bowl. Sprinkle the feta as liberally or as sparingly as you’d like, you can even have a little bowl of feta on the table for people to add to their salad. Sometimes on very hot days I like to dial back the feta and add more watermelon and mint. Dress with balsamic vinaigrette and enjoy the taste of summer!

Recipe Images by Sarah Sherman Samuel