Seasonal Sundays: Summer Easy

Grab your calendar because hooray, there's summer free time ahead thanks to this week's "Summer Easy" recipe collection, where the motto is Less Cookin' & More Livin', complete with a Billie Holiday theme song. I hope you'll find one or two destined as "keepers" in your own summer-recipe repertoire.

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

~ PIN This ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

Hey, all. Thank you for following Kitchen Parade, for checking in on these Sunday recipe collections. It means the world to be welcomed into your InBox and RSS readers and most of all, your kitchens. So thank you, thank you. And if you like this week's recipes, perhaps you'll share this newsletter with a friend or social circle? If you forward this message, others may subscribe for free right here. Thank you!

Today is Memorial Day here in the United States today, the day we stop to solemnly remember those whose lives were cut short fighting this country's battles.

When I was a girl, each year my small town gathered in the K-12 school gymnasium to hear the somber intonation of familiar family names, then all men, the ones of the sons and husbands and brothers, fathers and grandfathers, grandsons and nephews and friends who crossed oceans to defend democracy against the flog of fascism in foreign forests and wayward waters, the same names chiseled into granite at the cemetery a dirgeful march away.

I wonder about the Memorial Day experience in big towns and giant cities, where perhaps one name is known, where the other names are those of strangers', even if those assembled to hear the names are united by the heavy toll of shared loss, the death and devastation of war.

I wonder about lives cut short, family trees with missing limbs, wives unmet, children unborn, work unfinished, prayers unanswered.

And I wonder what it will take for this country to again be worthy of their sacrifice.

I wonder, I wonder, I wonder.

PS I'm taking a short break, at least one Sunday, possibly two. But pinky promise, then I'll be back with more summer recipes.

In Praise Of ...

• ... The National Memorial Day Concert on PBS Sunday night, just stunning, now available for streaming on the PBS app.


• ... Blue Bell takes Missouri! Blue Bell Ice Cream is "the" ice cream of Texas and oh, I've missed it since leaving the Lonestar State some 31 (yikes) years ago now. But this year, our local St. Louis grocery chain Schnucks is introducing Blue Bell to the market. A half gallon is just $5 (probably an intro price) so stock up! I don't usually go for the "fluffy" flavors but we made "school's out" root beer floats for the twin grandsons this week and I was thrilled to taste a vanilla ice cream and root beer sherbet mix. So good! Black walnut? Heaven. Gooey butter? It will be tried, what St. Louisan can not?


• ... a laugh-out-loud moment when a couple of ladies outside a shoe store looked into the air, surprised to see a couple of cicadas, their first, they said ... when ack, our back yard is thick-thick-thick, the dog is hoovering them up as fast as he can (oh, the gas ...) and we had to turn up the pool and need to empty the skimmer two or three times a day, just to keep up ... it just goes to show, in a real buggy way, how we can be neighbors and still have very different experiences ...

The Words of Wise Women

The country needs calm, thoughtful and assertive voices amid the chaos inflicted by a minority hellbent on taking/retaining generational power by strangling democratic principles and equal rights. None of us have to personally change the world. We just have to do our part. Pick one thing for the top of your To Do List this week.

Every so often, I like to share my favorite sources of information and activism. Hmmm. I just this minute realized that all my favorites are ... women.

• My #1 pick will always be the brilliant Heather Cox Richardson who has been writing Letters from an American nearly every single day since September 2019. For me, "Heather" (as we refer to her in this house) is a must-read. She cuts through the day's news and presents an interpretation in a calm, history-grounded voice, with an eye/ear for what will matter to historians in future. Facebook people, she also does twice-weekly talks/lectures: she's whip-smart, speaks in plain language without drama. Yes, I'm a big fan.


• Joyce Vance writes another Substack newsletter called Civil Discourse. She's a law professor, a 25-year veteran of the Department of Justice, a former U.S. Attorney, a legal analyst for MSNBC and NBC – also a knitter and chicken keeper! The chicks and chicken show up every so often. I have increasing appreciation for her intellect and encouragement. "We're in this together," she signs off.


• Jessica Craven's Chop Wood, Carry Water comes 5x a week with encouragement (so important!) plus a meaty list of very specific actions individuals can make, from 2 minutes to maybe an hour. But for anyone who's feeling discouraged, her Sunday "good news" newsletter is a must-read. Prepare to feel re-inspired!


• Jess Piper is my latest newsletter crush, she calls herself the "Dirt Road Democrat" and is an activist who ran for office (and lost) in Deep Red Missouri. She's a great writer and storyteller and while The View from Rural Missouri covers Missouri, well, its threads are woven into the fabric of this country.


• Podcast people, you'll appreciate the rich language and extemporary eloquence in Dahlia Lithwick's podcast covering the Supreme Court called Amicus. Isn't that such a great name?! (Amicus is an individual or organization that is not a party to an action but who volunteers or is court-invited to advise on a matter before the court.)

Swim Party Food ... A Call for Ideas

This summer, we'll be "invaded" by a bunch of family moms and their Littles ages 18 months to eight, a weekly affair to gather cousins and second cousins and their kids from three branches of the family for a couple of hours of swim and cousin time.

For one reason/another, we've set the start time as 3pm. I figured people would stay for a couple of hours, then head for home. I planned to put out drinks, a platter of fruit and a cooler of my signature popsicles.

But ... as I realized after talking this through with one of the moms ... this could well mean moms heading for home with wet, hangry kids and ... how many drive-through stops?

So I'm looking for food ideas that ...

• ... will be familiar/anticipated by the kids
• ... something they'll likely eat
• ... offers some protein, not sugary stuff or empty calories
• ... can be repeated every week, no decision-making for me
• ... may be "very" easily made << or >> purchased at Sam's Club or similar to serve/or heat up to serve
• ... can easily adjust up/down depending on how many people come each week
• ... any other things I should be considering?

I'd love your ideas! (And yes, readers have been so helpful when I've asked for similar hive-mind ideas recently, thank you!) Comment on this post or send me a quick e-mail (my current address is in the FAQs). Thanks in advance!

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THE SEASONAL SEVEN: Easy Summer Recipes

Who's primed for summer? Plotting getaways to beachy or cooler climes? already lusting for ripe peaches and thick-tomato sandwiches?

But that's the thing about seasons, right? My summer isn't your summer and yours isn't mine.

Last week, I was kinda shocked (and impressed! and envious!) when my sister reported that their backyard peach tree is bent over with really-really-really good peaches. (Gift Tip! For years, her older son has gifted fruit trees for birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc. My sister and her husband now have a veritable backyard orchard!)

But here in Missouri, we won't see local peaches until maybe July 4th but they last into early September ...

The one thing I believe we share in common is that summer means a little extra ... let's call it simplicity.

Last night, my husband threw some fish and some corn and carrots on the grill, adding a little smoke. No recipe, no fuss, no real prep.

It's why way back in 2009, I started a series of "recipes" that I still call "Summer Easy". There's even a motto, Less Cookin'. More Livin' and a theme song, Billie Holiday's Summertime.

And I say "recipes" in quotes because these food ideas so simple, once you have the suggestion, you need little more detail because they're both memorable and easy to memorize.

Tis the Season.

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

• THE RECIPE Everything Bagel Breakfast Salad Just minutes to throw together yet filling and satiating.
• ANOTHER TAKE Mexican Scrambled Eggs (Huevos Revueltos a la Mexicana) From Diana Kennedy, the most famous eggs in Mexico.

• THE RECIPE Smoked Salmon Salad with Quick-Pickled Cucumbers & Roasted Peppers A Quick Supper, easy and refreshing.
• ANOTHER TAKE Salmon with Crispy Crust Moist, flaky fish topped with a golden bread crumb crust. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Grilled Balsamic Chicken Start in the oven, finish on the grill.
• ANOTHER TAKE Baked Baby Back Ribs with Spicy Berry Sauce Good and tender, done in an hour.

• THE RECIPE Greek Chicken Dagwood Sandwiches A towering sandwich, summer style. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Oil Tanker Burgers Stacked so high, you might call 'em Super Tankers.

• THE RECIPE Fresh Corn & Tomato Salad Perfect corn, perfect tomatoes add up to more than the sum of their parts.
• ANOTHER TAKE Summer Green Bean Salad with Corn & Pickled Onion Simple ingredients, so much more than the sum of its parts.

• THE RECIPE Grape Salad with Almonds & Cilantro An unusual fruit salad, savory and sweet at the same time. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Cantaloupe Salad with Feta & Basil A sweet 'n' savory summer fruit salad.

• THE COLLECTION Easy Summer Recipes Less Cookin', More Livin', that's the summer motto. (PIN This)

May: Reader Favorites

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

May: Lost Recipes

• THE RECIPE Lemon Chive Chicken Salad Chicken breasts gently poached in lemon water for flavor and tenderness. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Chicken Salad Especially for Sandwiches Makes up in minutes with pantry ingredients. (PIN This)

The Kitchen Parade Almanac: Looking Ahead ...

• June 16 - Father's Day
• June 19th - Juneteenth
• June 22 - Midsummer
• July 1 (a Monday) - Canada Day
• July 4 (a Thursday) - July 4th

• THE COLLECTION Father's Day Recipes Hand-picked recipes destined to put smiles on dad's faces everywhere!
• SO MANY HOLIDAYS TO CELEBRATE! Recipes by Holiday All organized for easy browsing and exploration.

• THE COLLECTION Juneteenth Explore food traditions for America's new national holiday on June 19th.
• A PERSONAL ESSAY, RECIPES & MENU Finding Juneteenth An evening of serendipity in Louisville.
• SO MANY CELEBRATIONS! Recipes by Holiday All organized for easy browsing and exploration.

• THE COLLECTION Midsummer An especially personal collection of recipes, many from the time I lived in Finland.
• SO MANY HOLIDAYS TO CELEBRATE! Recipes by Holiday All organized for easy browsing and exploration.

Looking Back ...

THIS WEEK, YEARS PAST
• 2020 Memorial Day (Week 22)
• 2022 Recipes on Repeat All Summer (Week 22 )

RECENT WEEKS
• Summery Spreads & Dips (Week 21) (PIN This)
• Make It a Muffin Morning (Week 20) (PIN This)
• Reveling in Rhubarb (Week 19) (PIN This)
• Cinco de Mayo @ Home (Week 18) (PIN This)
• Plant-Based Recipes for Earth Day (Week 17) (PIN This)
• Cooking for One or Two During Spring (Week 16) (PIN This)
• Easy Dinners for a Busy Week (Week 13) (PIN This)

Soups & Salads Especially for ... June

• Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes for June, tons of ideas!

• THE RECIPE Finnish Summer Soup (Kesäkeitto) Milky broth with the freshest, newest vegetables from the garden. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Summer Seafood Chowder Shrimp and scallops in a milky broth, with barely cooked tomato, corn and my favorite vegetable this summer, okra.

• THE RECIPE Finnish Summer Potato Salad Just new potatoes and a simple vinaigrette. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Mom’s Potato Salad All her tricks for extra-good potato salad.

Good to Know!

• THE COLLECTION Favorite Summer Salad Recipes From sides to suppers, make-ahead to eat-it-now, simple to sumptuous, all special for summer. (PIN This)
• AND ANOTHER Favorite Summer Soup Recipes Gazpachos, summer chowders, cold soups, raw blender soups, fruit soups, so many soups! (PIN This)

Silly (But Fun?!) Food Holidays

June 1 - National Olive Day

• THE RECIPE Easy-Easy Broiled Salmon with Olive Salad Just three ingredients, on the table in 20 minutes. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Baked Orzo Casserole with Eggplant, Olives, Goat Cheese & More Make-ahead pasta loaded with Mediterranean vegetables.

June 1 - National Pineapple Day (first Sat in June)

• THE RECIPE How to Sweeten Lemonade with Fruit Not Sugar Summer experiments with pineapple, watermelon and more. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Old-Fashioned Homemade Lemonade How to make real lemonade with a simple technique that extracts extra flavor from the lemon peels. (PIN This)

June 2 - National Frozen Yogurt Day

• THE RECIPE Homemade Frozen Yogurt with Blackberry Sauce Just five ingredients!
• ANOTHER TAKE Easy Fruit Sorbet aka "If You’ve Got Three Ingredients and Five Minutes, You’ve Got Sorbet".

June 2 - National Rotisserie Chicken Day

• THE RECIPE Southwestern Chicken Taco Salad Plates A summery Quick Supper, no cooking required, just assembly. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Mexican Chicken Salad Rotisserie chicken tossed with lime-yogurt vinaigrette, black beans, jicama, corn and tomato. (PIN This)

June 3 - National Egg Day

• THE RECIPE Farmers Market Quiche with Crispy Potato Crust That crust! It's crispy like hash browns!
• ANOTHER TAKE Crustless Quiche with Greens & Garden Vegetables A master recipe, easy to adapt all year round.

June 4 - National Cheese Day

• THE RECIPE Easy-Easy Triscuit with Cheddar & Basil A quick last-minute appetizer, such a surprise!
• ANOTHER TAKE Three Favorite Sandwich & Cracker Spreads Cranberry Orange Spread + Almond Cilantro Spread + Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

June 7 - National Chocolate Ice Cream Day

• THE RECIPE Chocolate Malt Ice Cream Old-time fountain flavor at home. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Buttered Pecan Ice Cream Old-fashioned goodness featuring native Missouri pecans.

A Quick Peek Into a Real-Life Kitchen

Just so you know, everything's not all pretty pictures around here, in the background is a pile of dirty dishes. And just like many (all?) of us, come five o'clock, I too draw a blank about what to make for supper, despite so many recipes I so dearly love. Here's a quick peek from this week.

• THIS WEEK I'm testing a new version of one of my signature recipes and oh! I think you'll love the update. But in the mean time, every time I roast a chicken, I wonder why I don't do it more often. Fast Roast Chicken is my new "I don't wanna cook but I'm gonna anyway" recipe. So good!
• THE RECIPE Fast Roast Chicken My signature recipe, just three ingredients and an hour.

• THIS WEEK See that chicken up there? Well, for five nights in a row, the leftovers were destined for a big dinner salad. But life totally intervened, we ate out said five nights in a row, the chicken had to be tossed (dang, I hate that ...) and by yesterday, I was itching to be back in the kitchen. I thawed some fish, made a couple of salads and voila, dinner at home, finally. For this salad, I used fresh corn for the third vegetable and tossed it all with fresh dill and a dill version of our "house" dressing.
• THE RECIPE Easy-Easy Artichoke & Tomato Salad Make it quick, make it your own. (PIN This)

• THIS WEEK This is such a quick addition to the fridge, I especially love a batch with lots of fresh dill, it just tastes extra-summery.
• THE RECIPE My Everyday Creamy Herb Salad Dressing Never the same twice.

The Best No-Recipe Recipe I Made This Week

Cabbage (sliced thin) + Carrot (grated) + Caraway Seed + Fresh Dill + that dressing, above = a lively, no-thinking slaw that was an excellent foil for ribs.

Something to Read

For this, the American Memorial Day weekend, let me recommend two books, one I flewwwwww through, one a book of "letters home" from a career-Marine who fought his first battles on Okinawa at age 17 (dear god), my husband's cousin, collected and published by his daughter.

The first is Kristin Hannah's latest novel, The Women. There are soooo many WWII-era works of historical fiction but The Women is a story of the Vietnam War. Maybe, just maybe, it takes a generation or two to take real stock in fiction?

Hannah's book "take you there". It's been three years since I read The Four Winds (affiliate link) and I swear, I still feel grit in my teeth.

The Women is another example of fiction that allows time travel. Although it started off a little slow (and frankly, trite), I am very glad to have stuck with it. The story line follows a young woman who joins the Army as a nurse, serves two tours, then returns "home". No spoilers but there's much to absorb and consider here.

• THE FIRST BOOK The Women (affiliate link) by Kristin Hannah


• THE SECOND BOOK Love to All: Letters Home During WW II (affiliate link) by Albert Whitney Wallach & Christine Wallach


• NO TIME TO READ? How I Read 4X More This Year Than Last What I gave up, how I read so much, what I read.

Don't Be a Stranger ...

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail (my current address is in the FAQs), 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.

• Any advice for Seasonal Sundays?
• Just one thing that would make it more useful for you?
• Anything else? Chime in, chat away.

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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, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. 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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