Watermelon, Blueberry, and Feta Salad from Leslie Budewitz

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  Three of Mr. Right’s favorite ingredients in one bowl – what could be better? 

Like many gardeners, I learned the hard way that mint does not play well with other herbs in the garden – it’s very bossy. If you grow it, keep it in a pot you can put outside in summer and bring in for the winter. In the garden, cut the bottom out of a large plastic pot, plant the pot, and plant the mint inside. I did that, and still had spill over, so watch those young mint sprouts like a hawk.

Better yet, dig them up and use the leaves in tea, julips, or salads, like this one! It’s a great way to say “thank you” and “see you next year” to summer. Take a bowl or your Labor Day picnic. Or serve it alongside meat, chicken, or fish, and add a hunk of crusty bread and a glass of a crisp white wine or rose and enjoy! 

PS: I finally figured out how to embed a PDF of the recipe for easy printing. 

Scroll down to the 💕 for the link. 

Watermelon, Blueberry, and Feta Salad

3 cups (about a pound) watermelon, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons lemon juice, or more to taste

1 cup (about 5 ounces) feta, diced or crumbled

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped or julienned 

In a large serving bowl, gently stir together the melon, berries, oil, zest, and juice. 

Add the feta and stir until combined. 

Just before serving, top with fresh mint.

Serves 8. 

As summer wanes, what seasonal fruit or vegetables will you most miss? 

💕 Click here for a free printable PDF! 

At Seattle Spice Shop, owner Pepper Reece has whipped up the perfect blend of food, friends, and flavor. But the sweet smell of success can be hazardous . . .  

Spring is in full bloom in Pike Place Market, where Pepper is celebrating lavender’s culinary uses and planning a festival she hopes will become an annual event. When her friend Lavender Liz offers to share tips for promoting the much-loved—and occasionally maligned—herb, Pepper makes a trek to the charming town of Salmon Falls. But someone has badly damaged Liz’s greenhouse, throwing a wrench in the feisty grower’s plans for expansion. Suspicions quickly focus on an employee who’s taken to the hills. 

Then Liz is found dead among her precious plants, stabbed by a pruning knife. In Salmon Falls, there’s one in every pocket. 

Pepper digs in, untangling the tensions between Liz and a local restaurateur with eyes on a picturesque but neglected farm, a jealous ex-boyfriend determined to profit from Liz’s success, and a local growers’ cooperative. She’s also hot on the scent of a trail of her own, sniffing out the history of her sweet dog, Arf. 

As Pepper’s questions threaten to unearth secrets others desperately want to keep buried, danger creeps closer to her and those she loves. Can Pepper root out the killer, before someone nips her in the bud?

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!

ALL GOD'S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES: A STAGECOACH MARY FIELDS COLLECTION, now available in in paperback and ebook 

Take a step back in time with All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection of historical short mysteries, featuring the Agatha-Award winning "All God's Sparrows" and other stories imagining the life of real-life historical figure Mary Fields, born into slavery in 1832, during the last thirty years of her life, in Montana. Out September 17, 2024 from Beyond the Page Publishing.  

“Finely researched and richly detailed, All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories is a wonderful collection. I loved learning about this fascinating woman . . . and what a character she is! Kudos to Leslie Budewitz for bringing her to life so vividly.” —Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of Crow Mary

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Spice Shop Mysteries set in Seattle's Pike Place Market, and the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, set in NW Montana. As Alicia Beckman, she writes moody, standalone suspense, most recently Blind Faith. She is the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories: Best Nonfiction (2011), Best First Novel (2013), and Best Short Story (2018). Her latest books are To Err is Cumin, the 8th Spice Shop Mystery and All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection, in September 2024. Watch for Lavender Lies Bleeding, the 9th Spice Shop Mystery, on July 15, 2025.

A past president of Sisters in Crime and former national board member of Mystery Writers of America, Leslie lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine. 

Swing by Leslie's website and join the mailing list for her seasonal newsletter. And join her on Facebook where she shares book news and giveaways from her writer friends, and talks about food, mysteries, and the things that inspire her.