Colorful Characters

Colorful characters
A few months ago, we asked, “What’s your favorite color at the moment?” Your responses spanned the spectrum—we love that about you!—and we thought you might want to see the results.

And, because we couldn’t help ourselves, we’ve also included some recipes built around each of your top 4 colors. Enjoy!

Blue & purple
Blue was the clear winner, at more than 25%. That’s not surprising: Blue has long been the top choice in studies and surveys of all stripes. Blue is often associated with calm, depth, or introspection.

With nearly 20% of votes, purple came in at #2. Interestingly, purple is the secondary color formed by combining blue (#1) and red (#3). For many people, purple conjures up ideas of creativity and intuition.

Personally, on a more concrete level, we also associate blue and purple with berries, plums, eggplant and all the good things we can make with them.

Honeyed Yogurt and Blueberry Tart With Ginger Crust

Eggplant Stuffed With Summer Vegetables

Halibut With Grilled Eggplant Salad

Red
At 16.55%, red shines a beacon on vitality, passion, and high energy. From flowers to fireworks, it commands attention. (Let’s face it: Even green tomatoes taste red.) And summer is filled with tomatoes, strawberries, and other ingredients for bright-hued dishes.

Apple-Berry Shrub

Watermelon Gazpacho

Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta

Strawberry-Yogurt Popsicles

*OK, these technically end up being pink (which 5.7% of you selected as your favorite color). But: strawberries!

Green
Cool, often soothing, and slightly mysterious, green was the color of choice for about 14% of you. Growth and renewal, nature and motion—this is the color from which hope springs eternal. (Did we mention leafy greens? No, we did not. But we’ve included some in the recipes below.)

Fennel Salad With Arugula, Dill, and Walnuts

Marinated Zucchini and Yellow Squash Salad

Mediterranean Green Beans

Even if you’re firmly committed to shades of blue or purple, we won’t tell anyone if you feel like experimenting with red or green recipes. After all, taste in clothing or paint colors doesn’t necessarily extend itself to, well, food tastes.

Do you have a colorful summer recipe that everyone should know about? Tell us about it in the comments!