Sometimes a walk in the woods is all you need to clear your mind from a week of worries.

the riverwalk trail in rock hill, south carolina

I met up with Erin and Brittney on Saturday morning to walk the trails at the Riverwalk in Rock Hill, SC. Turns out, last week’s tornado warnings really did cause some damage here.

tornado damage along the catawba river

Our trail walk was cut very short due to the storm, but it was still long enough to de-stress and get in plenty of girl talk.

you shall not pass

Later in the day, Brittney and I saw a late afternoon showing of Something Borrowed, then dived into a fish taco feast cooked up by my master-chef hubby.

the newest in bridal bouquets

Although it’s technically still spring in the Carolinas, the weather here is decidedly not. We’re already hitting the 90s fairly regularly, and if it’s anything like last year, the 90s are here to stay until September.

As spring is becoming a distant memory, black bean salad was just the thing I needed to complement Saturday’s hot temperatures. It’s one of my favorite summer side dishes and the perfect companion to any kind of taco. We even used the leftovers for tempeh tacos tonight. Best of all, the cilantro and parsley came from our very own organic garden.

tempeh + guacomole + salsa + black bean salad + spinach

Black bean salad is my go-to if I need a side dish to last a few days. It works great for potlucks and picnics too. The best part is that the salad gets better as the days go by, so time can allow the flavors to collide in awesome vinegar and veggie wonderness.

black bean salad

black bean salad
recipe source: slightly adapted from Gourmet Meals in Minutes
serving size: billions okay, maybe not that much, but it serves a lot

ingredients

• two 26.5-oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
• one 16-oz can of unsalted, whole-kernel corn, drained and rinsed
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 orange pepper, diced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and veins removed
• 1 red onion, diced
• 3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil (dress to taste, just keep in mind that flavors meld as it sits)
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or, dress to taste)
• salt and pepper to taste

directions

1. Combine all ingredients and toss thoroughly.
2. Ta-da! And you’re done. Just like that.