Oven dried cherry tomato pesto.

Thanks to some season-long gardening woes, I’m just now harvesting Sun Gold cherry tomatoes. A lot of them. And so I’m making this: Oven-Dried Cherry Tomato Pesto. So easy and so delicious. What do you do with Oven-Dried Cherry Tomato Pesto? It’s great on pasta and in pasta salads. Great spread over grilled fish. Great on turkey sandwiches, grilled cheese or BLTs. Great spooned over sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Get the recipe over on writes4food.com!

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dark chocolate sea salt energy bite recipe | writes4food.com

Dark chocolate sea salt energy bites.

Midmorning, I’ll grab a mini Lara bar to stave off the hungries, especially if I’m heading to the gym for a lunchtime workout class. I thought: Could I make these little date-nut energy bars myself? Yep, I can. They’re super easy, delicious and 82 calories each. Get the recipe over on writes4food.com!

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homemade egg noodle recipe | writes4food.com

Grandma’s homemade egg noodles.

I thought of my grandmother Dorothy today, which prompted me to recall this favorite recipe she shared with me for homemade noodles. Like all cooks of her generation, Grandma is a “some of this, some of that” kind of cook, so I had to wrangle her to get the actual measurements for this recipe. Learn to make homemade egg noodles (pasta all’uovo) at writes4food.com

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homemade roasted red pepper hummus recipe | writes4food.com

Low-fat red pepper hummus.

In this lower-fat hummus recipe, I’ve added nonfat Greek yogurt to add tang and smooth texture. In place of tahini, I’ve used a splash of toasted sesame oil—so you get all that bold sesame flavor with less fat. Get the recipe on writes4food.com!

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sweet and spicy red pepper jam recipe | writes4food.com

Sweet-spicy red bell pepper jam.

What to do with the crop of red bell peppers from the garden or farmers’ market? Make jam, of course! Sweet and a bit spicy (you can up the spice level to suit your taste), this is the perfect accompaniment to a salty cheese like Manchego. Inspired by a dish we had on vacation earlier this year. Get the recipe on writes4food.com!

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Caprese salad with homemade ricotta.

If you’re tired of sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella — the classic Caprese salad — try it with freshly made ricotta cheese instead. Homemade ricotta? Absolutely! Super easy and fun. Start with high quality dairy (we love Snowville Creamery products) and let heat and acid work their magic! Get the recipe for homemade ricotta cheese on writes4food.com!

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homemade spiced cherry tomato jam recipe | writes4food.com

Spiced cherry tomato jam.

You may ask yourself, “tomato jam?” And I say, “yes! Tomato jam!!!” Fantastic with sharp cheddar and chevre on a cheese board. This excellent Spiced Tomato Jam recipe is a gateway to both jam-making and home canning: It yields a small batch, cooked without pectin, that’s easy to manage if you want to give canning a try. (Freezes well, too.) Get the recipe!

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Fun ingredient: seed toppings.

If you’ve dined out recently, you’ve probably spotted this new food trend: toasted seed toppings on all kinds of salads and main dishes. I’ve been playing around with toasted seeds (and with seed-herb blends) to dress up my summer cooking. It’s like adding a pretty scarf to a plain dress — just that little bit extra that makes it memorable. Get the recipes for toasted seed toppings and start playing yourself!

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Clean-out-the-larder minestrone.

I call this ‘clean-out-the-larder’ minestrone, because you can make it with whatever leftover or not-enough-for-a-meal vegetables, fresh or frozen, that you have on hand. Dump everything in a pot, simmer, and voila! Soup! Get the recipe (plus 2 secrets for excellent soup).

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