Wave No. 5
JUNE 2023
Our Intention
The Wave is a step away from the constant flow of content we take in on a daily basis, where things are often saved and rarely returned to. Revisit this journal during the next few weeks to get inspired, slow down, and take action to create your vibrant life.
“We don’t heal in isolation,
but in community.”
Monthly Mantra
~S. Kelley Harrell
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While I love building these new relationships, I still nurture the existing and distant relationships in my life. One of the relationships I value the most is the one I share with my family. Time with them feels very natural, nourishing, and easy for me. My sisters are my best friends, and I am grateful we get along so well. On Mother’s Day weekend, Cate and I prepared the Coventina dinner party menu, and gathered with family by Jupiter’s Intracoastal. It was a casual, simple, perfect evening. The sun cast an orange-yellow hue in the sky as we watched the boats and paddleboarders pass on the water, and by some miracle, Florida’s typical humidity had subsided for the evening. Our meal brought us together for an engaging conversation about life, and love, and the best part of the night…hearing the incredible stories of my uncle Octavio.
My family has given me a supportive inner circle to expand from as I grow a new community. I moved here not knowing anybody outside of some extended family, so I had an ideal opportunity to build new connections with intention. So when I meet someone I find interesting, intriguing, or matches my energy, I reach out for that connection. I have thrown away my fear of making the initial effort; I just go for it. This has led to friends for different activities, moments, and bonds. So far, this approach has been off to a great start. And yes, a start, because even after eight months here, I feel like I am just getting started in a refreshing and motivating way.
It is important to balance the relationships of our lives: nurturing existing relationships, while expanding and reshaping our communities. I am gently nudging myself to continue to show up with intention and openness, even during weeks that aren’t perfect, because in the end, community is a core part of a vibrant life.
With love,
CarlyCo-Founder, Creative Director // Coventina and Co.
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What is the most nourishing relationship you have in your life? How does it heal you? How might you be healing the other person(s)?
Hello Summer Dinner Party
As the warm weather invites us back outside, dinner parties are a perfect way to bring together family and friends to enjoy a good meal and each other’s company. This dinner party menu uses the fresh, bright, mediterranean flavors to create a meal that celebrates late spring and early summer produce.
Dinner parties often require a lot of work for the host, but this menu keeps simplicity in mind. It was designed to be flexible for dietary restrictions, as many of the dishes only need small adjustments to be vegan or GF. More importantly for the host, almost all the elements can be prepared early in the day or even the night before. So, when it comes time for your guests to arrive, you simply have to grill your fish and pop your potatoes in the oven, and focus on the people rather than the cooking.
Starting Snacks: Marinated Feta Dip + Simple Hummus w/ Pita
Main: Easy Grilled Salmon with Greek Lemon Potatoes, Tomato Cucumber Salad, Tzatziki
Sweet Ending: Soaked Orange Pistachio Cake
Recipes designed for six people
Starting Snacks:
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This dip recipe was shared with me by a friend, and she described it as a “cook with your heart kind of thing” so season and add to your taste.
The Ingredients:• 6-8 oz of crumbled feta
• 3 green onions
• 2 Roma tomatoes
• olive oil
• Cavender’s Greek Seasoning (or a mix of garlic powder, dried oregano, black pepper, and salt
The Recipe:
1. Thinly slice green onions (greens and white parts), and dice the Roma tomatoes
2. Add green onion and tomato to a shallow dish or bowl with the crumbled feta
3. Coat the mixture with a heavy pour of olive oil, allowing there to be enough that the feta can marinate. Liberally season the dip with the Greek seasoning and stir (1 tsp or more, season to where you want it to taste)
4. Place in the fridge covered, and let sit for at least 1 hour, preferably 3 or more. When chilled, serve with pita or pita chips.
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The Ingredients:
• 1 15oz can of chickpeas
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 lemon
• ½ cup tahini
• crack of salt + pepper
• olive oil
• Fresh parsley
• Red bell pepper, cucumbers, carrots for serving
The Recipe:
1. Rinse chickpeas, then dry well. (If looking for a smooth hummus, when you rinse peel of the skins of each chickpea when washing!)
2. In a food processor, puree the chickpeas and garlic until smooth. Add in the tahini and lemon, along with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
3. Add to a plate or bowl alongside your veggies of choice, and top off the hummus with fresh parsley and a drizzle of oil and flakey sea salt. (If you store has them, I like to add some pomegranate seeds onto my hummus for an extra touch!)
Main:
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Sometimes it is best to keep things simple, and let great ingredients shine. So season with salt and pepper, and let the grill do its magic on this flavorful filet.
The Ingredients:
• 3 lbs. Salmon (usually about two whole filets)
• 1 lemon
• Salt
•Pepper
The Recipe:
1. Heat your grill on a medium-high flame2. Cut two pieces of aluminum foil the size of your filet, and place them on a platter. Put fish on the foil and season liberally with sea salt and pepper
3. Cut a lemon into round slices and place across your filets
4. When the grill is heated. Place the foil with the fish right onto the grill.
5. Let cook until the salmon becomes a pale pink, and reaches the desired temperature. I like my salmon done medium or medium well, so this will normally take 7-10 mins on my grill
6. Place onto a platter and serve with sides and the Tzatziki
TZATZIKI:
The Ingredients:
• 1 medium cucumber• 1 ½ cup of whole milk Greek yogurt (or 1 cup of Greek yogurt and ½ cup labneh)
• 2 Tbsp chopped dill
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 lemon
• Salt
• Pepper
The Recipe:1. Use a box grater to finely grate cucumber, and let it sit for 10 minutes or so in a bowl. Drain out the liquid that releases from the cucumber and using your hands or a paper towel squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the cucumber.
2. Return the cucumber to the bowl, and add in yogurt, along with a nice sprinkle of salt ( at least ½ tsp), about 5 cracks of black pepper, and the chopped dill.
3. Using a garlic press or Microplane, grate in one garlic clove
4. Squeeze the first half of the lemon to the mixture, taste, and squeeze the other half if desired
5. Adjust for salt and pepper, and put in the fridge until ready to serve. This can be made ahead of time, even the night before if need be.
Note: Feel free to make this plant-based by using a greek yogurt alternative
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The Ingredients:
• 16 oz of portobello mushrooms
• 4 zucchini
The Recipe:
1. Cut Zucchini into thick slices (1 inch rounds) and wash mushrooms.
2. Alternate the veggies onto long metal skewers to create kabobs (if using bamboo skewers be sure to soak them in water for at least one hour).
3. Season well with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
4. Grill over a medium/high heat until slightly charred and cook through)
Sides:
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Gold potatoes are braised in lemon and olive oil for a luscious and tangy side dish to complement the fish.
The Ingredients:• 2-2.5 Lbs of gold potatoes
• 1 ½ cup veggie broth
• ½ cup olive oil
• ⅓ cup of fresh lemon juice
• 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp sea salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• Fresh oregano leaves
The Recipe:1. Preheat the Oven to 400 F
2. Wash potatoes, then cut them in half lengthwise, or into quarters for larger ones.
3. Add potatoes into a large roasting pan, along with the oil, broth, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
4. Place in the oven to braise for 40 mins, or until potatoes are soft and tender, stirring them once halfway through. You will be left with some liquid that will mostly be oil at the bottom of the pan.
5. Squeeze more lemon onto potatoes if desired, and top with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and oregano.
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This simple take on a greek salad offers a fresh crunchy bite to go with the meal.
The Ingredients:
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
• ½ small red onion
• 1 English cucumber
• Lemon
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive OilThe Recipe:
1. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half, and add to a medium bowl
2. Thinly slice the red onion, and add to bowl.
3. Slice the cucumber into ½-inch or 1-inch rounds, and add to the bowl.
4. Juice ½ the lemon into the veggies, as well as a few cracks of black pepper, and salt to taste. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil (1 tsp or so) and mix well.
5. Place in the fridge to chill, for at least 30 mins but this salad can be made hours in advance.
6. When ready to serve, taste and adjust seasoning as needed, and enjoy! This dish can be made ahead of time. I often make it about 3 hours before serving to let the juices marinate with the oil and let the onion lose its sharpness.
Sweet Ending:
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This delightful cake takes the classic flavors of Mediterranean desserts and gives it a tres leches treatment. It can be made up to a day in advance, and is the perfect note to end the night.
*Please note this cake needs at least 2 hours to chill and soak before serving.
Ingredients:
For the Cake:• 1 cup of raw shelled pistachios
• 1 cup + 1 tbsp of granulated sugar
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ¼ cup of unsweetened soy milk
• 4 tsp of apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 oranges (1 for batter, 1 for serving)
• Coconut Whipped Cream (Or regular)
For the Syrup:• ½ cup of coconut milk
• The juice of one orange
• 1 11 oz can of sweetened condensed coconut milk
Recipe:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Start by making the vegan buttermilk by stirring the apple cider vinegar into the soy milk. Let it sit for 10 mins while you prep the other ingredients.
3. In a food processor or blender, blitz the sugar and pistachios until finely ground. Then add the zest of one orange, and pulse a few more times to incorporate into the sugar.
4. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Then add in the pistachio/sugar mixture and whisk to combine.
5. In another medium bowl, mix the soy milk mixture, along with the extracts, and olive oil.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir with a spatula until just combined.
7. Pour batter into a greased baking dish or pan, either a 9x13 pan or an 8-10 inch round pan.
8. Place into the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when interested in the center of the cake.
9. Take the cake out and let cool for 15 mins. In the meantime, make the syrup by whisking the coconut milk, orange juice, and sweetened condensed coconut milk together.
10. After 15 mins, using a skewer or fork, poke small holes all over the cake. Then, slowly pour the syrup all over the cake.
11. Place cake in the fridge and let sit for at least 2 hours, preferably 4, or even better overnight.
12. When ready to eat, serve the cake with big dollops of coconut whipped cream, fresh orange slices, and a sprinkle of chopped pistachios.
Sounds of Coventina: Dinner Party Mix
A chill mix of indie rock and oldies makes an ideal background for a lively dinner party.
Features music by Eric Clapton, Al Green, Hippo Campus, Harry Styles…
What We’re Loving
In The Kitchen:
Dandelion (Iced) Tea
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Earthy, toasty, and delicately sweet flavor, without caffeine. We enjoy dandelion tea purely for its taste, but it also contributes to better health. Its content of vitamin k, vitamin a, potassium, antioxidants, and calcium help aid in healthy skin, bones, and liver cleansing.
Some of our favorites blends are: SuperHerb Tea’s Organic Dandelion and Teeccino’s Dandelion Carmel Nut
Daily Living:
Jolie Shower Head
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It has been in the back of my mind to make sure my water is properly filtered in home. I have been eyeing the Jolie for awhile, but finally made the purchase when my new apartment had a terrible shower head that was just asking to be replaced. The Jolie has a nice pressure to it and I feel as if it helps with scalp buildup. It is an easy fix for a cleaner shower that only requires replacing the filter every three months. I even gifted it to my sister for her birthday.
Learn + Inspire:
Path of The Panther
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If there is one film I have been telling everyone in my life to watch, it is Path of the Panther. This incredible documentary takes you right into the heart of the Florida Wildlife Corridor and follows a group of photographers, biologists, and conservationists as they team up to capture footage of the elusive Florida Panther. The film’s subject, Carlton Ward Jr, fills this film with stunning images and thrilling video footage to convey why preserving and protecting the lush wildlife of Florida is essential, and much bigger than just saving these endangered cats.
Streaming on Nat Geo/Disney Plus
Natural Connections:
Plant Power Restoring Florida Waterways
Seagrass may not be as cute as a sea turtle or as cool as a colorful coral, but the coastal plant is essential to the health and happiness of our waterways. It even has the ability for incredible positive impact on a global level.
Seagrass…
creates habitats for organisms to thrive
acts as food for species like sea turtles, manatees, sea urchins, pinfish…to name a few
stabilizes sediment which helps lessen erosion
absorbs + stores carbon, which means help lessening carbon emissions in the atmosphere
Earlier this week, I took a morning trip to Stuart, FL and spent some time preparing seagrass mats with the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center. This is a vital part to their restoration efforts of the Indian River Lagoon. These seagrass meadows are harmed by poor water quality, algae blooms, and overflow of fresh water. It currently need some support to thrive again.
So, let’s give some more attention to seagrass, spend some time caring for it, and witness all its spectacular capabilities .
Learn More about Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center’s seagrass restoration
Your Natural Connection
To prepare the seagrass mats we pinned 24 shoots of nursery seagrass to each piece of burlap. The society will place 900 of these mats in the lagoon to settle into the sediment and allow the seagrass to grow.
How can you participate in the restoration of a local habitat?
Keep us in the loop + receive a gift. Subscribe to Coventina’s newsletter (below), follow @coventinaco on Instagram, and DM us sharing how you took action with the Natural Connection this month. Let us know by Fri June 23, 2023 and you’ll be entered into a giveaway of a Coventina tote.
Sources:
Help Grow Coventina
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Support Coventina by subscribing with your email, following @coventinco on Instagram, sharing us with your community, and donating. All actions are greatly appreciated.
A portion of all donations received go to the Gumbo Limbo Coastal Stewards and their sea turtle rescue program. Thank you for supporting Coventina’s mission and the greater community.