Pan Charred Green Beans
A little char on green beans adds a ton of flavor. Giving them that char, while cooking them through is an easy exercise in a skillet, if you know just a few tricks.
Melted Zucchini Pizza
Melting a full pound of zucchini is the perfect amount to dress a 12-inch pizza. Melting the zucchini coaxes the water out of it, reduces it in size and concentrates its flavor. Give this a try with your favorite pizza crust methodology.
Roasted Vegetable Ratatouille
Ratatouille is the quintessential dish of late summer. It combines tomatoes, squash and eggplant that arrive earlier in the summer with the sweet peppers which take a little longer to show up. This version of ratatouille uses a tomato sauce made on the stovetop while the other three vegetables are prepared in the oven to their own individual perfection.
Jimmy Nardello Chile Peppers
Jimmy Nardello chile peppers are a special variety of Italian style frying peppers with outstanding flavor that are worth seeking out. You’re not likely to find them in a regular grocery. Hopefully that motivates you to look at your local farmers’ markets in the second half of the summer through early autumn.
Carolina Summer Chile Relleno
Tons of flavor complexity that all work together like a symphony. The smokey, earthy flavor of the charred poblanos. The richness and smokiness of NC smoked pulled pork, along with the tartness of the vinegar it brings. The sweet and tang of fresh peaches and blueberries. The warmth of the cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. The herbal earthiness of the oregano. The crunch and nuttiness of the pecans. All of that covered with a rich, nutty, goat-cheesy cream sauce with a hint of bourbon. Yeah, how can that not be good?
Peach and Tomato Salad on Whipped Basil Ricotta
Every ingredient in this salad pairs with every other ingredient, in any pair or any combination. Peach and ricotta, check. Tomato and basil, check. Peach and basil, check. Tomato and ricotta and balsamic, check. Peach, tomato, ricotta, basil and balsamic, all together, CHECK!
Melted Zucchini Grilled Cheese
How do you cram a quarter pound of veggies into a delicious grilled cheese sandwich? “Melted” zucchini has a creamy texture which pairs so nicely with gooey cheese for a veggie loaded grilled cheese sandwich.
Fresh Tomato Cream of Tomato Soup
What’s better than Campbell’s cream of tomato soup to go with your grilled cheese? It’s homemade cream of tomato soup using fresh garden or market tomatoes!
Peach Risotto with Crispy Prosciutto
Peaches are obvious choices in sweet preparations, but I love to use them to bring their tangy sweetness to savory dishes. This recipe is a great example with peaches playing with a background of aromatics, side by side with basil and Parmesan, and topped with crumbled prosciutto “chips.”
Melted Summer Squash Pasta with Sausage and Lemon
Do you have more zucchini coming out of your garden than you know how to use? This recipe is a great option. It uses a full two and a half pounds of summer squash. All that squash reduces to a creamy concoction perfect for coating pasta.
Southern Tomato Galette
A mashup of Southeastern U.S. and French traditions. A tomato pie in the form of a galette. Tomato pies are an homage to summer and the bounty of garden and farmers’ market tomatoes that summer brings. This recipe takes an investment of love to pull off, which will be fully appreciated by family and friends.
No Oil Tomato, Cucumber and Red Onion Salad
The concept of a quick pickle improvised to make a salad. Marinate the cukes and onions as you start preparing dinner. Add the tomatoes as you are finishing dinner prep.