Summer Recipes
Tuna in Rustic Tomato Sauce
Quick, wholesome, and brimming with flavor, this one-pan meal makes a perfect dinner for two, but the recipe doubles easily. As summer dwindles and the days grow shorter, I find myself savoring the many varieties of local produce that will soon be gone until next summer. Sad as I am to say goodbye to…
No-Sugar Homemade Jam (choose your favorite flavor－even use frozen fruit－in this easy, small batch recipe)
This flexible, small batch recipe doesn’t use pectin as a thickener, so there’s no need for a copious amount of granulated sugar as is used in traditional jams. Instead it relies on heart healthy chia seeds and a small amount of maple syrup or honey. Healthy jam that tastes great…really? The perks of…
Crispy Baked Eggplant
Perfect all by themselves or dipped in your favorite marinara sauce, these tasty bites often vanish straight from the baking sheet in our house! My family always felt lukewarm towards eggplant…until this recipe. And it’s easy! Simply dredge slices of egg-dipped eggplant into a flavorful combination of Parmesan, crumbs, and seasoning. Then roast the…
Seven-Day Pickles
Seven Day Pickles have been a family favorite around here for too many years to count. The tried-and-true recipe originally came from the grandmother of a dear friend and offers a taste of summer all year long! Every summer, I look forward to making seven-day pickles. Although the name implies a long,…
Bourbon & Coca Cola Steaks
Typically, we keep steak preparation simple in our house. A sprinkle of spice rub is often as fancy as it gets. This clever steak marinade, compliments of Michaela Martin Kenkel (who has a delightful blog called An Affair from the Heart), earned points for originality. Until seeing her recipe, I thought of bourbon and Coke as…
Old-Fashioned Horseradish Pickles
Make crisp, tangy pickles just like your grandmother used to make them with these step-by-step instructions for naturally fermented pickles. It’s a truly simple process and you can taste and adjust as you go. What is the difference between pickling and fermentation? Pickling involves soaking food in an acidic liquid – usually vinegar-based –…
Grilled Apricot Shrimp with Harissa Aioli
These flavor-packed shrimp will impress all who try. They’re equally perfect as an entree or appetizer and can be enjoyed hot off the grill or at room temperature. From week to week I toil—probably longer than I should－over which recipes to share on this page. The decision becomes more difficult when a…
Grilled Chicken Kabobs
First, I must apologize to the readers who have subscribed to receive recipe posts via email. Yesterday, I inadvertently sent a draft of this post. Although I am sure to make an occasional ‘woops’ (my family would tease that I make them daily!), it is truly my goal not to send pointless emails. The…
Summer Peach Sangria
A summery spin on the classic sangria, you can use all peaches or mix it up with a combination of fruit, like mangos, cherries, nectarines, plums and/or apples. After living for a short time in Spain, I developed a love of paella, tortillas Españolas, and a certain time-honored, fruit-filled drink. Though my recipe for…
Lemon Chicken, 2 Ways
A reader shared her recipes for two lemony marinades, which are simple to prepare and complement a wide range of seasonal side dishes. We both ran side-by-side taste tests with our families to determine a favorite. Which would you choose? When a reader takes the time to send me a favorite recipe, I am always…
Sesame Soy Salmon (an easy 4-ingredient marinade)
Four simple ingredients come together with ease in this flavor-packed marinade that makes the most of salmon and so much more! I could hardly let a summer pass without sharing some version of my favorite 3-ingredient marinade. This marinade has been quite popular with my family and friends for at least a decade now,…
Classic Peach Jam
Clear, simple instructions make canning your own peach jam a breeze. Perfect for enjoying the sweet taste of summer all year long! There is something special about homemade jam. The smell of fruit cooking is sweet and delicious and the aroma truly takes me back to my grandmother’s kitchen. As someone who lived through…
