Grilled Watermelon

This grilled watermelon recipe is such a fun summer side dish! I top each wedge with a tangy, spicy mix of fresh corn, feta, avocado, and basil.

Have you ever grilled watermelon? This summer, I’ve been grilling just about everything that enters my kitchen, and I finally got around to giving grilled watermelon a try. I have to say, I’m hooked! See, I love summer fruit like berries, cherries, peaches, and watermelon, but unlike Jack, who’s happy to eat an entire pint of blueberries in a single sitting, I rarely eat fruit on its own. More often, I use it as a sweet accent in savory dishes, like these summer rolls or this strawberry salad. So for me, grilling watermelon only makes it better. Its sweetness becomes…

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Cucumber Tomato Salad

This cucumber tomato salad recipe is bursting with summer flavor, but it's easy to make. The fresh veggies and zingy dressing do the work for you!

summer / salad

When I opened our CSA box last week and found jumbles of multicolored cherry tomatoes inside, I knew I had to make this cucumber tomato salad. Sometimes, I plan recipes months ahead of time. Green bean casserole for Thanksgiving, deviled eggs for Easter. But this cucumber tomato salad recipe was something I couldn’t plan in advance. It rose out of those particular tomatoes and my particular craving for a flavorful summer salad that would show them off at their best. Since then, this cucumber tomato salad recipe has become a favorite in our house. Made with halloumi cheese and grilled…

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How to Make Homemade Croutons

Learn how to make homemade croutons! They’re crunchy and rich, with a delicious garlic flavor. You’ll never get the store bought kind again!

cooking component

Who doesn’t love croutons? They add texture and complexity to creamy bowls of soup, bulk up light summer salads, and make just about any meal more fun. Do you want croutons on that? Yes, please! Luckily, homemade croutons are incredibly easy to make. All you need is good crusty bread (tip: the better the bread, the better the croutons), garlic, olive oil, plenty of salt, and a little dried parsley. Yep, this crouton recipe is that simple, and the results are fantastic. The homemade croutons are crunchy, rich, and garlicky – far better than any you’d find at the grocery…

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Grilled Corn on the Cob

Nothing screams summer like grilled corn on the cob! Learn how to grill corn perfectly every time, and find inventive ideas for serving it.

Let’s make grilled corn on the cob! Can you sense my excitement? Here in the Midwest, sweet corn season doesn’t arrive until the end of July. When it does get here, it doesn’t stay long, so right now, I’m busy eating as much corn as I can. I’m tossing it into salads, simmering it into soup, and even topping it onto pizza! But grilled corn on the cob is my absolute favorite part of summer. It’s crisp and juicy, sweet and smoky, and so darn easy to make. Below, I’m sharing two simple methods for how to grill corn on…

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Vegan Ranch Dressing

This vegan ranch dressing is just as good as the real thing! Made with simple ingredients like cashews and lemon juice, it's creamy and delicious.

vegan / snack

Wow! I am OBSESSED with this vegan ranch dressing recipe! I’ve made lots of ranch-like vegan sauces in the past, but this one really hits the mark. It’s cool and creamy, tangy and garlicky, and completely irresistible. All that, and it’s made with simple, plant-based ingredients that you likely have in your pantry already. Once you try it, you’ll never reach for store bought ranch – vegan or otherwise – again! Vegan Ranch Recipe Ingredients You only need 8 basic ingredients to make this easy vegan ranch recipe: Raw cashews – Like in my basic cashew cream recipe, raw cashews make…

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Cherry Clafoutis

Cherry clafoutis might sound fancy, but don't be fooled - this French dessert is surprisingly easy to make. And even more importantly, it's delicious!

summer / dessert

I first made this cherry clafoutis recipe a few weeks ago, after a trip to the farmers market. Here in the Midwest, the cusp of July and August marks the start of tart cherry season. It’s a time I look forward to every year. The season is short – a month or a little less – so I always buy as many fresh cherries as I can. Usually, I bake them into crisps or blend them into sorbet, but when I saw this clafoutis recipe in Diala Canelo’s new cookbook Diala’s Kitchen, I knew I had to try it. I’ve…

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Easy Gazpacho

Beat the heat with this easy gazpacho recipe! Made with summer veggies, vinegar, and olive oil, this cool soup is rich, tangy, and refreshing.

summer / soup

It’s no secret that I love gazpacho. Over the years, I’ve shared a gazpacho recipe with watermelon, one with corn, another with carrots, and still another with tangy tomatillos. What can I say? On a hot summer day, there’s no better way to cool off than with cold soup. If you’re not familiar with gazpacho, it’s a chilled soup that originated in Andalucía, Spain. Traditional recipes call for tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and bread, which thickens the soup. This recipe isn’t entirely authentic, but it has a lot in common with Spanish gazpacho. Tomatoes, cucumber, and…

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50 Fresh Tomato Recipes

Show off your peak-season tomatoes with these fresh tomato recipes! We've got salads, soups, pasta, and more - you're bound to find something you love.

summer

When I made our grocery list this week, one thing was clear: Jack and I were going to be eating a lot of tomato recipes. I needed cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, and tomatoes on the vine. But at this time of year, I think that’s how it should be. As a rule, I don’t buy tomatoes out of season. They’re often picked while they’re still unripe, so they never become really flavorful. Instead, they’re bland, watery, and mushy. So when summer rolls around, I have just a few months to make every tomato salad, sandwich, pasta, and pizza I’ve imagined…

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Tomato Bruschetta

Capers and olives add complexity to this fresh tomato bruschetta recipe. It's simple and delicious - perfect for warm summer nights.

Growing up in the Midwest, the term “bruschetta” meant one thing: toasted bread topped with diced tomatoes, a little basil, and maybe a sprinkle of cheese. But in Italy, “bruschetta” actually refers to the bread. Toasted on a grill – not in an oven – it’s crisp and lightly charred. When it comes off the heat, it’s drizzled generously with olive oil and rubbed with the cut side of a garlic clove. Garlicky, rich, and smoky, the bread is delectable on its own, but fresh toppings only make it better. And those toppings don’t have to be tomatoes – meats,…

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What are Capers + 10 Caper Recipes

If you're not already cooking with capers, now's the time to start! Read on to learn about these flavorful little balls, and find 10 of my best capers recipes.

I’ve always loved capers, but lately, I’ve been cooking with them like crazy. It doesn’t seem to matter what I’m making – pasta, eggs, a salad, or toast. These little guys always seem like the perfect finishing touch. Salty, briny, vinegary, and pungent, capers give any dish a tangy burst of flavor. What are Capers? You might be wondering, “What are capers, anyway?” Well, these green, pea-sized balls are actually pickled flower buds! They come from a plant called capparis spinosa, or more simply, the caper bush (check out this page to learn more about it!). Before they start to blossom,…

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35 Best Zucchini Recipes

Not sure how to use all that summer squash? These easy zucchini recipes are here to help! They include tasty ideas for dinner, dessert, and more.

summer / Favorites

At this time of year, do you start thinking that you’ve cooked all the zucchini recipes out there? This week, I looked at my market haul of summer squash and asked, “What next?”. Well, luckily for us, zucchini is one versatile veggie. It tastes fantastic in pastas, tacos, salads, and even chocolate cake! You can grill it, bake it, sauté it, and also eat it raw. We might feel like we’ve cooked it in every way known to man, but there are always more zucchini recipes to try. Below, you’ll find 36 easy zucchini recipes that I turn to every…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.