Caprese Salad

Melon Caprese Salad, originally uploaded by shannon_turlington.
A classic insalata caprese hardly needs a recipe. Just layer tomato slices, fresh mozzarella slices and basil leaves, and drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. For me, this simple Italian salad is one of the best ways to enjoy the goodness of summer.
But what about when the tomatoes aren’t [...]

Homemade Tomato Soup Just Like Mom Used to Make (With a Can Opener)

This is a very simple but very satisfying recipe for tomato soup that reminded me a lot of the Campbell’s tomato soup I used to eat as a kid — only better! A batch keeps for about a week in the fridge (I don’t recommend freezing), so this is a good soup to make on [...]

A Big Batch o’ Gazpacho

There’s no denying it. Despite the hotter-than-Hades August that seemed like it would never end, fall has arrived. The cool, crisp days with no humidity almost make you forget that we’re still in the midst of a record drought. Who needs rain when you have glorious blue sky and it’s 72 degrees out?
So why am [...]

What’s in Season? Tomatoes

There is nothing quite like the taste of a vine-ripened tomato picked out of your own garden. Supermarket tomatoes in any season are pale, watery imitations of what real tomato-y goodness can be, and therefore not worth buying, in my book. (Fortunately, canned tomatoes will get us through the winter.) Fresh-picked tomatoes are the essence [...]

Tomato & Bread Salad

Tomato and Bread Salad is a resourceful way to turn day-old bread and an abundance of summer tomatoes into something delicious. This is actually one of my favorite salads, one I could eat every day for lunch during the height of tomato season.

Although bread salad, called panzanella in Italy, is most often associated with Italian [...]

Roasted Tomato Salsa (Salsa Ranchera)

Here is another salsa to add to the collection. This one is simply delicious on warm entrees like enchiladas and beans. It is also a good choice when the fresh tomatoes are not at their best, because roasting the tomatoes brings out all of their sweetness.
Roasted Tomato Salsa
Time to make: ~15 minutes
What you need:

4 plum [...]

Turkey Loaf with Roasted Tomato Sauce

My husband specially requested that I make a meatloaf, which I have never made before. I actually didn’t think I liked meatloaf all that much, having associated it with dried-out, ketchup-laden school cafeteria food. But I had some ground turkey to use up, and in the spirit of trying new things, I attempted it.
I combined [...]

How to Make Salsa

One of the most useful recipes you can have in your repertoire is salsa. Salsa is super-easy to make, can be varied as many ways as you like, and has 101 uses. Need a dip for a party? Salsa! Need a super-fancy garnish for grilled or broiled fish? Salsa! Need something to jazz up a [...]

Quick and Easy Tomato Sauce for Pasta

When you don’t know what to make for dinner, pasta is always a good solution. But don’t you dare open that jar of pasta sauce with all of its corn syrup and artificial ingredients that tastes more like sugar than anything. In just a little more time, you can make a really tasty pasta sauce [...]