Today at the Farmers’ Market the produce was gorgeous. I purchased a quart of zebra tomatoes, so named for their magnificent alternating lime and dark-green stripes, a quart of rainbow-colored cherry tomatoes, a large bag of long and lovely purple eggplants, a mix of spicy greens, and a few other goodies.  

I was intent on making a traditional tomato gazpacho, but at the last minute I decided on this beautifully different gazpacho instead.  Think of gazpacho as salad soup.

8 cups watermelon (peeled from rind, seeded, and chopped)
3 small-medium pickling cucumbers, diced
1 red bell pepper (cored, seeded, and diced)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl.

Blend approx 2-3 cups of the ingredient mixture in a blender or food processor, pulsing until chunky, not smooth. Collect the blended mixture in a second bowl.

Continue to blend one small batch at a time until approx 1/2 cup of the original mixture remains. Add this to the contents of the second bowl as is, without processing, and stir. Refrigerate for at least 2 hrs, and serve chilled. Garnish with basil or parsley. Yield: 6-7 cups

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In honor of my colleague and co-worker’s beautiful baby girl, Rosemary!
 
The herb garden is filled with basil, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and chives, among others.  I absolutely adore having fresh herbs at the kitchen door to snip and savor at a whim.  Here is a great recipe to make with rosemary.  It also works wonderfully with a combination of thyme and chives (use 1 teaspoon of each).
 

It’s 2 large carrots, 1/2 apple (cored and peeled), a very thin slice from a little knob of ginger, and 1/2 a squeezed lime.  Then it’s a Vitamix, 4-6 ice cubes, and yum!

Last Sunday night we sat down to a wonderful dinner of…

thinly sliced purple peppers with whole grape tomatoes, dressed lightly with olive oil and salt; 

followed by…
Sauteed bass filets
Small red beets marinated in white vinegar
Roasted broccoli and eggplant
Corn on the cob

followed by…
Cubes of watermelon….

and washed down with iced tea…

ahhhhh….summer.

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Twice this week I brought to work a lunch that was particularly delicious, nutritious, crunchy, flavorful, satisfying and filling, not to mention easy and self-enclosed.  Not just that but it was incredibly inexpensive. 

And here, from Lia, is a direct link to the recipe: 

This is not the time of year to turn on the oven.  Or the stove, for that matter.  But the tomatoes are starting to ripen, and you won’t need more than a knife and a cutting board for this recipe.  It’s simple, but it’s oh-so-much more than the sum of its three ingredients.

You should see my kitchen counter.  My husband adores stone fruits, and ‘tis the season!  I love them all, too, but something needs to be done about this, because there is much more than we can eat.

Here’s something wonderful you can do with nectarines, peaches, apricots and plums, in any combination you choose.  I am crazy about sweet and sour, so this recipe resonates with me.  Also, it freezes very well, so you can save some to serve with your Thanksgiving turkey.

4 ripe peaches, nectarines, apricots or plums in any combination 

1 cup pitted cherries (optional)

1/4 cup very thinly sliced sweet onion (like Vidalia)

4 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon garam masala 

Halve, pit, and slice the stone fruits into thin slices. Add the onions and cherries (optional). Combine in a large bowl, and add the honey, vinegar, and spices. Toss gently, and let stand at room temperature 1-2 hours, tossing occasionally. Then refrigerate. 

This chutney tastes great cold or at room temperature.  

Note: If you can’t find garam masala, substitute a good, fragrant curry powder.  The taste will be different, but also wonderful.  

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If you’ve never been on “Your Health is on Your Plate” before, and you’re not sure where to start, visit Lets Start at the Very Beginning to get a jumpstart on preventing diabetes and obesity in yourself and the ones you love!!

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Ingredients