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 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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quick refrigerator dill pickle recipe | writes4food.com

Quick dill pickles.

Just when I thought our cucumber crop was a bust (pollinators were slow to find all those yellow flowers hidden beneath giant leaves), we’re finding ourselves with something of a cuke farm. What to do with them? As they say on Portlandia, “We can pickle that!” Get the recipe for quick refrigerator dill pickles; they’re on our dinner table alongside burgers and chips for a summer supper tonight!

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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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healthy hummus-guacamole dip recipe | writes4food.com

Fresh chickpea (or edamame) guacamole.

Have you ever spotted fresh garbanzo beans in your grocery or food shop? They’re amazing: bright and green and full of flavor, funny wrinkly little beans tucked into puffy green shells. When I spotted fresh garbanzos …

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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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