Seasonal Sundays (Week 22) Late May

Leave it to 90-degree days to push me off the spring cliff straight into summer food. This got me to thinking about recipes that are happily repeated all summer long. So that's the focus this week, summer recipes to make again and again. Breakfasts. Simple Suppers. And Sweets, too! Plus the usual collection of recipes to inspire your week ...

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

So is it just a St. Louis "thing" or an everywhere "thing"???

When my now-grown nephews were little, they'd call out "yellow car" every time one came within sight. When the twin grandsons were with us so much last summer, same thing. And sure enough, the car/driving game is indeed a "thing".

But it's seeming to me that yellow cars – from a few soft, pretty buttery yellows to mostly look-at-me-look-at-me sunflower yellows – are everywhere!

Last weekend, we counted 29 during a 540+ mile one-day trip to Fayetteville, Arkansas.

But that's nothing. Ten or eleven can easily appear during an hour of errands within 10 miles of home. My personal favorite is a yellow Jeep with black top, very cool. In a sea of black and white and gray SUVs and pickups, yellow cars are definitely noticeable!

So. A St. Louis thing or not? Let me know what shows up in your world!

PS No taxis. No school buses. No parking lots full of industrial earth-moving vehicles. No "metallic gold".

About the Photo By Popular Request, a Little Insight into the Top Image: A small glimpse into the single sunny spot in my herb garden, thus the spot where I put not herbs, lol, but colorful annuals, here just geraniums and pansies planted for Easter color which will fade as soon as summer heat really hits.

LOOKING BACK 2020, when we were all getting used to the idea that Covid wasn't going away anytime soon.

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PICK ONE

Pick One is for those of us overwhelmed by life's unending choices. If that resonates, then check out this one recipe and then call it a day. It's one that I think could make the most difference, the one I hope will become a regular in your kitchen, as it is in mine.

• THE RECIPE Asparagus Spears with Easy Lemon-Mayo Dip A simple appetizer, gorgeous lemony dip.
• WHY THIS, WHY NOW Last week, I threatened promised to kick off our dinners with some sort of snack. It was great! This was our favorite and so completely simple. We loved it with asparagus but when that ran out, the rest was used instead of plain mayo on smoked chicken sandwiches: HEAVEN. You do need to allow time for flavors to meld, otherwise you'll be wondering what all the fuss is about.

Compliments!

Dang spammers. I've had to turn comments off again, thanks to spambots leaving hundreds of spam comments a day, what a scourge.

But I miss hearing from y'all!

So if you've made a recipe from Kitchen Parade or A Veggie Venture, feel free to drop a quick email via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. I especially love to hear about your adaptations.

Kitchen Parade's May Favorites

• THE RECIPE Tourlou Tourlou (Greek Baked Vegetables) A rainbow of vegetables slow-cooked in the oven.
• ANOTHER TAKE Greek Baked Beans (Gigantes Plaki) Cooked til creamy in the oven.

• THE RECIPE Lime Crema A DIY Mexican crema for tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas and more.
• ANOTHER TAKE Ten-Minute Foolproof Enchilada Sauce Perfect for fast enchiladas and any time a "hot sauce" is useful.

• THE RECIPE Mexican Salsa Bread Great for loaves or buns, perfect for toast, sandwiches, burgers.
• ADAPTED FROM Our Daily Bread: My Easy Everyday Bread Recipe An easy, European-style bread I make every few days.

A Veggie Venture's May Favorites

• THE RECIPE Summer Lentils aka the "Great Big Vegetable Salad with a Few Lentils Thrown In Just for Fun".
• ANOTHER TAKE Best-Ever Lentil Salad An unusual cooking technique, great for meal prep.

• How to Shop at a Farmers Market Thoughts & Tips from a Veteran Shopper
• ANOTHER TAKE How to Save Money on Groceries A multi-part series with techniques used my entire life.

• THE RECIPE Gorgeous Raw Asparagus Salad
• ANOTHER TAKE Asparagus Noodles

Summer Breakfasts to Make Again & Again

• THE RECIPE Cold-Brewed Coffee Low-acid cold-brewed coffee makes perfect iced coffee for hot summers.
• ANOTHER TAKE Hibiscus Tea with Ginger & Vanilla My caffeine-free coffee substitute.

• THE RECIPE Everything Bagel Breakfast Salad
• ANOTHER TAKE Mexican Scrambled Eggs (Huevos Revueltos a la Mexicana)

• THE RECIPE Magical Breakfast Cream From "French Women Don't Get Fat".
• ANOTHER TAKE Simple French Eggs Simpler than omelettes, light, airy, delicious.

Simple Summer Suppers to Make All Summer Long

• THE RECIPE Mediterranean Eggplant Skillet Quick, easy & tasty vegetarian supper.
• ANOTHER TAKE Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables A casual feast, even mid-winter.

• THE RECIPE Simple Lentil Salad with Seasonal Vegetables A concept recipe for a supper salad.
• ANOTHER TAKE Red Quinoa Salad Your Way, a Quick Supper, Healthy grains, crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs & creamy cheese.

• THE RECIPE Sweet Pepper Pasta Skillet Colorful bell peppers in a light cream sauce.
• ANOTHER TAKE Broccoli Rigatoni with Chickpeas & Lemon Another easy pasta supper, lemony, garlicky, cheesy, broccoli good.

Summery Sweets to Sweeten Summer Suppers

• THE MASTER RECIPE Rustic Fruit Ice Cream An easy, no-cook rich, creamy and fruity ice cream, here peach but also blueberry, strawberry and banana.
• ANOTHER TAKE Homemade Frozen Yogurt with Blackberry Sauce Simple to make, simple to serve.

• THE RECIPE Naked Peach Cobbler Peaches so good, who needs a topping?
• ANOTHER TAKE Peach-Pie Pudding It's peach pie without the crust!

• THE RECIPE Mom's Blueberry Coffeecake A family favorite, for good reasons.
• ANOTHER TAKE Raspberry (or Blueberry) Morning Cake A fruity coffee cake.

Lunch at the Kitchen Table

• THE RECIPE Homemade Thousand Island Dressing
• ANOTHER TAKE German Salad Dressing

Snack Before Supper

• THE RECIPE Chunky 'Choke & Chickpea Chow Hummus meets artichoke dip.
• TRY THIS FIRST How to Cook Dried Chickpeas Especially for Hummus aka "Jerusalem Chickpeas" For extra-smooth, extra rich hummus.

Summer Easy: Less Cookin', More Livin'.

More than a decade ago, I started collecting a certain style of summer dishes that espouse my summer motto, Less Cookin', More Livin'. These are Kitchen Parade's most simple, most fresh, most memorable and most summery recipes, all in one place. I hope you love 'em all! See Easy Summer Recipes!

• THE RECIPE Green Mayonnaise A whole new way to think of mayonnaise.
• ANOTHER TAKE Almonnaise Vegan mayonnaise Made from Almonds

The Dinner Bell

Seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, the dinner bell rings. If we're gonna eat, somebody's gotta cook, some nights fuel, some nights a feast. Let's make it good, a welcome end to our days.

• THE RECIPE Mexican Chicken Salad Rotisserie chicken tossed with lime-yogurt vinaigrette, black beans, jicama, corn and tomato.
• ANOTHER TAKE Chicken Greek Salad with Simple Hummus A Quick Supper, just assemble and serve - another good reason to eat at home!

• THE RECIPE Lemon & Asparagus Pasta Light and bright for spring.
• ANOTHER TAKE Leek Sauce for Pasta Pasta hugged by a gentle leek sauce.

• THE RECIPE Perfect Thick Pork Chops Turn out juicy, perfectly cooked meat every time.
• ANOTHER TAKE Perfect Lamb Chops How to cook lamb chops perfectly each and every time.

Good to Know

• JUST THE FAVORITES Favorite Asparagus Recipes
• THE A-Z COLLECTION All the Asparagus Recipes

Put an Egg on Top aka "How About Eggs for Dinner?"

Why should breakfast get all the eggs?! If eggs for dinner were a club, I'd be president, chief marketing officer, resident evangelist, public advocate and ... hey, wanna join my club? Start here!

• THE RECIPE Asparagus Whole Wheat Bread Pudding A rustic bread pudding with whole wheat bread, asparagus, cheese, fresh herbs and lemon zest.
• ANOTHER TAKE Savory Bread Pudding with Butternut Squash, Chard & Cheddar Make in advance for a holiday brunch or buffet.

Something New to You? A Challenge!

It's one thing to know what we like. It's another to get caught in a rut of repetition. Every so often, I may offer a challenge to try something that just might be new. The challenge is yours to accept – or y'know, not – but I hope to pique your palate!

• THE RECIPE New-Fashioned Sauerkraut Salad Still convenient, now contemporary.
• ANOTHER TAKE Alice Waters' Coleslaw No mayo, bright with lime and cilantro.

Savoring Sweet Potatoes: A Challenge

So usually my "challenges" are, well, a challenge, an undertaking, an endeavor, a project. But here? For a few weeks, I hope you'll throw a few sweet potatoes onto your grocery list, knowing there'll be a simple recipe to tackle. Who's game?!

• THE RECIPE Confetti Potato Salad A crowd pleaser for large gatherings.
• ANOTHER TAKE Sweet Potato Salad with Roasted Poblano, Roasted Corn & Chipotle A sweet potato salad for summer, a colorful and mouth-watering blend.

Meal Prep

• THE RECIPE Homemade Greek Salad Dressing Just a few pantry ingredients plus feta.
• ANOTHER TAKE German Salad Dressing Just three ingredients. No oil!

Summer = Simple Smoothie Season!

• THE RECIPE Strawberry Rhubarb Smoothies Spring's favorite couple in a glass.
• ANOTHER TAKE Strawberry Milk Not a smoothie, almost a milkshake.

Finnish Food

• THE RECIPE Finnish Whole-Wheat Flatbread Hot bread to the table in just minutes.
• ANOTHER TAKE Grilled Flatbread Rye flour, fresh herbs. Great flavor, great texture!

Mexican Food

• THE RECIPE Quinoa & Black Bean Salad Transport straight back to Deep Mexico!
• ANOTHER TAKE Ina Garten's Tabbouleh Salad It has a secret ingredient!

Most Useful Recipes, Just One Per Year

When a blogger loves every single one of her published recipes, how in the world does she pick just one favorite? It's stunning, honestly, how each year one Kitchen Parade recipe stands out from all the others that year for sheer usefulness. So that's why I created this collection of best recipes, just one per year, Best-Ever “Most Useful” Recipes 2002 – Present, just one recipe per year from Kitchen Parade. Here's a sample.

• THE RECIPE Creamy Oatmeal Three tricks for the very best oatmeal, all easy!
• ANOTHER TAKE Microwave Creamy Oatmeal with Peanut Butter Try it with half a banana and a few blueberries, morning heaven!

PS Who's noticed? I'm big on highlighting "usefulness". To mark A Veggie Venture's 15th anniversary in 2020, I took a hard look at the first 365 vegetable recipes from the first year to select just 15 which, all these many years and recipes later, remain ever so useful. You'll want to dig into this collection, 15 Favorite Vegetable Recipes, Still Useful After 15 Years.

Lookin' for Love

We're all proud of our best recipes that family and friends (and the Internet!) just love. But what about the recipes we love but are, ahem, so far under-appreciated? This recipe is just that, it could use a little extra love!

• THE RECIPE Herb-Coated Broiled Fish Fish filets coated in fresh herbs, then broiled. So simple, yet seductive.
• ANOTHER TAKE Fish with Herb Butter A Quick Supper, one of my favorite simple meals.

• THE RECIPE My Favorite New Way to Roast Beets Just a little bit pickle-y!
• ANOTHER TAKE My Favorite Way to Roast Beets The traditional method for roasting beets.

Soups & Salads Especially for May

The month of May be be "full spring" on the calendar but for vegetable lovers, May is a straddle between early spring (when really, only greens and asparagus are in local season) and full summer (when really, in some parts of the country, evvvvvvery vegetable imagineable is fresh and lovely). For me, that May means gearing up for summer tastes all the while going gumby for reality: there's nothing like a hot bowl of soup on a chilly May day! nor a simple salad supper on a warm May evening! That's why I spent a year gathering all of A Veggie Venture's best soup and salad recipes into easy-to-scan month-by-month collections.

Dig into Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes for May, so many ideas!

Here's a sample!

• THE RECIPE Mark Bittman's "Salted" Chopped Salad Keeps for a week, fresh & flexible.
• ANOTHER TAKE Winter Tomato Salad (Quick Pickled Vegetables) Winter tomatoes worth eating!

Feeding a Sugar-Conscious Sweet Tooth

You too? We're cutting back on sweets without demonizing dessert, usually with smaller batches, smaller servings, shareable desserts or fruit desserts in addition to limiting frequency. But some times?

• MADE FROM SCRATCH Homemade Poppy Seed Cake With a layer of sweet spiced chocolate.
• STARTS WITH A CAKE MIX Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Perfect for baking with kids.

Timehop

Who else loves seeing old photos pop up, quick memories from years past? Welcome to a recipe timehop ...

• THE RECIPE Maple Glazed Salmon A Quick Supper, sweet & peppery marinated salmon.
• ANOTHER TAKE Roasted Salmon & Asparagus The original sheetpan supper.

• THE RECIPE Artichoke Asiago Cheese Bread Cheesy bread stuffed with artichokes and olives.
• ANOTHER TAKE Savory Cauliflower Cake A moist, sturdy savory cake, strewn with bits of soft cauliflower with a touch of parmesan.

Trending

My Top 10 Recipes are predictable, hello Should Cooked Pork Be Pink? and (Sloooow) Baked Potatoes (How Long to Bake a Baked Potato). But every week, seasonal recipes catch the internet's attention and start to trend.

• SAFETY TIPS How to Safely Purée Soups & Other Hot Liquids in a Blender Preventing big messes and bad burns.
• ANOTHER USEFUL IDEA How to Freeze Stock in Canning Jars

• THE RECIPE Kalamata Tuna Salad Bok Choy Wraps Homemade tuna salad made with kalamata olives wrapped in pepper leaves of bok choy.
• ANOTHER TAKE Chicken Salad for Sandwiches

Just Updated!

• THE RECIPE Party Asparagus with Aioli Great for parties, buffets, composed salads.
• ANOTHER TAKE Asparagus with Blender Hollandaise Spring's classic sauce, drizzled over fresh asparagus.

Don't Be a Stranger ...

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com, dot-dash in Morse code, build a fire for smoke signals, launch a message in a bottle, send a Christmas letter, get the dog to yip, toss me a note wrapped in a rubberband, write a message in the sky, scratch a note in the sand, listen to a seashell, tuck a question into a plastic Easter egg, whatever.

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. When you make my recipes, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below or better still, on the specific recipe's page.

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