homemade sweet and salty trail mix recipe | writes4food.com

Sweet and salty trail mix.

In advance of National Trail Mix Day on August 31 (who knew that was a *thing*?), here’s my favorite homemade trail mix recipe. My ideal mix is a salty-sweet combo with mostly healthy stuff (whole grain cereal, unsalted nuts, raisins) plus some Reese’s Pieces. I’ll be packing this along on our next road trip. Let my trail mix recipe inspire you to try your own combination: see it on writes4food.com!

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Fun ingredient of the week: figs.

Please pardon a little garden-success boasting here, but you have to see these figs! We’ve discovered how easy and rewarding it is to grow figs: the tree itself is a beautiful accent on the patio, and just last week it exploded with dozens of fat, ripe fruits. Figs, meet your new BFF: prosciutto. Get inspired to try growing a fig, and get a simple recipe for figs and prosciutto!

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recipe for smooth tomato gazpacho | writes4food.com

Creamy tomato gazpacho.

It’s gazpacho time, people! Time to use all those tomatoes, cukes and bell peppers threatening to overtake the yard (or is that just my yard?). Time to toast up some croutons to go on top. Time to not really cook at all, but still feel like you’re eating like royalty. Get my latest gazpacho recipe!

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easy food-processor gazpacho | writes4food.com

Mom’s quick gazpacho.

This stretch of otherworldly hot weather has me craving my mom’s gazpacho: cool, savory, unfussy, utterly satisfying. All I have to do is gather some fresh summer produce and plug in the food processor; it does all the work and the kitchen stays nice and cool. Make this at least a day before you plan to serve it; the flavors really develop over time. Get the recipe for Mom’s Quick Gazpacho!

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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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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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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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