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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homemade tabbouleh salad recipe | writes4food.com

Easy tabbouleh salad.

Pack-able, healthy lunch option; easy afternoon snack; part of a festive array of appetizers: Tabbouleh — that Middle Eastern salad of cracked wheat, herbs and vegetables — is a rock star. You know you have all this stuff in your fridge (OK, maybe not the cracked wheat, but we can remedy this). Get this easy recipe for homemade tabbouleh!

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Best summer tomato recipes.

Are you ready? I mean, READY, people? It’s tomato season, folks. Here’s a whole library of my favorite summer tomato recipes to get you psyched about this most magical of times. Bookmark it: You’ll be wanting these tomato dishes all summer long. Get the recipes!

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pasta with swiss chard pesto and creme fraiche recipe | writes4food.com

Pasta with chard pesto and creme fraiche.

Here’s another taste of California Wine Country cuisine for you: a bright, velvety, gorgeous pesto made with Swiss chard, enhanced with the creamy tang of creme fraiche. (Who knew?) Get this recipe for pasta with Swiss chard pesto, inspired by our recent travels!

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poached eggs and sweet potato hash recipe | writes4food.com

Poached eggs and sweet potato bacon hash.

A recent trip to California’s Sonoma County and its lovely wineries and dining scene provided a ton of much-needed inspiration for new recipes — especially for dishes that are simple, seasonal and produce-centric. I’ll be posting several of these new recipes in coming weeks. First up: a fantastic sweet potato-bacon hash with poached eggs that’s great for brunch or “breakfast for dinner.” Get the recipe!

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whole grain farro salad with corn and tomatoes recipe | writes4food.com

Whole grain salad with tomatoes and corn.

This recipe is inspired by a dish that a colleague many years ago brought to an office potluck. Some 15 years later, it’s still one of my favorite lunchtime salads, and a great side dish for grilled chicken, too. This fantastic salad features whole-grain farro, sweet vegetables, herbs and an easy balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Get the #recipe!

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Arugula green garlic pesto.

A glut of overgrown arugula in my garden — combined with some beautiful green garlic I scored at the farmers’ market — went into a big batch of spring arugula and garlic pesto this week. It’s fantastic over pasta, or as a condiment for grilled Italian sausages and new potatoes. Get the recipe!

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baby kale caesar salad recipe | writes4food.com

Baby kale caesar salad.

When I spotted a bin full of beautiful purple and green baby kale at the farmers’ market recently, the farmer and I agreed it would make a terrific caesar salad. And it did. Of course, you could use the traditional romaine lettuce, or do a mix of baby lettuces and salad greens like arugula. Don’t be afraid of the anchovy or raw egg — both are essential to caesar dressing. Give this a try while greens are still in their adorable baby stage. Get the recipe!

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Orzo salad with spring vegetables and herbs.

Of all the recipes in my “Findlay Market Cookbook,” a simple pasta salad is the one I’ve made most often. It starts with orzo (cooked in vegetable stock for flavor), and has the perfect simple dressing and tons of vegetables. What I love most is that it’s so adaptable; here, I’ve swapped vegetables and herbs from the original recipe to make a perfectly seasonal spring pasta salad. Get the recipe!

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