Seasonal Sundays: Summer's Best Tomatoes (Week 33)

Grab a knife, all, preferably a serrated one better for tomatoes because at long last, this week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection is all about summer's best fruit, the tomato. (I know, I know. What about peaches? Well, technically tomatoes are fruit too!) I hope you'll find one or two or three hundred destined as "keepers" in your own recipe repertoire. Let's get juicy!

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

As ever, thank you for welcoming me into your InBox and RSS feed reader. It's your kitchens, your lives, I conjure while writing ...

Sigh. Summer's end is nigh. We're scheduling back-to-back back-to-school ice cream dates because our favorite threesome Littles go back to school this week, the twin Teens next week. Mornings, the pool is littered with leaves. The local bucks are coming out of velvet.

But if ever there's a time to lean into seasonal eating, it's now. My husband ordered a charcuterie plate this week: usually I'd have no regrets but this time, I was, wait, what about that chilled beet soup? and the zucchini tacos?

But most of all, I'm throwing tomatoes into everything that calls for a fork, a spoon or a utensil-free bite, especially if the meal also comes with eggplant, peppers, summer squash, okra, corn, cucumber and tomatillos.

Ahhh, summer. Thank you for sticking around a few more weeks ...

In Praise Of ...

• ... the first chevron of low-flying Canadas; the return of the hummingbirds during an unseasonably pretty week; a rare pair of pileated woodpeckers who took up residence in a stand of pine trees for a few days


• ... summer's best tomatoes in abundance!


• ... sharing the laugh-out-loud memes from clever creatives expressing the s-t-a-r-k contrast between the JOY of Harris-Walz and the LUNACY of Trump-Vance.


• ... a houseplant (name unknown, sorry) whose large, colorful leaves rolled into cigars but popped open apparently none-the-worse after I let the whole plant soak in water for 5 minutes ... hmm, is there a resilience lesson in there? methinks! let's stay hydrated, all!

Democracy Matters

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.

People! It's been exactly 21 days since President Biden announced his honorable, historic decision to put country before party. And Kamala and her supporters are smiling big! As a native Minnesotan, I'm extra-loving the Tim Walz choice for vice president. What a breath of fresh air. His opening words during the first Harris-Walz rally? "Thank you for bringing the joy back."

If the party and so many people can accomplish this much in just 21 days, imagine what we can do in 86!

The fact that former President Trump is melting down, that both he and JD Vance are failing to appeal even to the GOP base, is frightening, however. The U.S. needs two serious, competitive parties but right now, this year, the Republican party is outright dangerous. Like others, I worry, yes, that the extremist Right plans to re-take power through the courts, not the campaign. Why bother to win over voters when you've already stacked the courts?

And that means, it's even more that we democracy warriors win both the popular and electoral vote by wide margins. Forget moon shots. Let's shoot for a landslide, shall we?

And that means, we need to be feet-first in the sprint toward Election Day. The best thing to do? Go out of our way to listen to and talk with our family, our neighbors, our co-workers.

I learned this week how little a smart, capable young couple we know is completely un-coupled from what's happening. Between jobs and kids and projects, they're just not paying attention. They don't know about Project 2025. They don't know about the rise of Christian nationalism. They don't know that the mainstream media is repeating 2016 all over again. They don't know that Trump is melting down. They don't know how the GOP is a parent's nightmare with intent to further dismantle: reproductive rights including IVF and contraception; voting rights; public education; the Affordable Care Act; Medicare and Social Security; climate change action; renewable energy action; migration and immigration reform.

And ... they don't know Kamala, either. They know who to vote against but not who to vote for and thus may not vote at all.

There are variations of this disconnect in every family and neighborhood. We are not one-minded, we're multi-multi-multi-minded. So let's get to listening ... and talking.

The Words of Wise Women

"Walz is so perfect for the job of VP. He's a rural progressive. He's my people. A dirt road Democrat. He’s a liberal guy who lives among conservative folks. He’s a veteran, a teacher, a lawmaker, and a dad. Walz can speak to Republicans and can likely help pull in Independent votes.

"He can show up to an event in a tee and a hat and a Carhart jacket and not look like he’s trying to be something he isn’t.

"Walz is the guy who could install your gutters and snake your drain and patch a hole in your drywall. He can also sign a bill into law to feed every kid in your state breakfast and lunch for free. How can you not love the guy?"

READ MORE Tim Walz! Teachers Understand the Assignment by the inspiring Jess Piper

Made Me Think ...

• LISTEN Anita Dunn on why Joe Biden really dropped out, this is fascinating, an interview with Biden's close advisor Anita Dunn, she speaks glowingly of Kamala Harris, how she was "actively all in" got Biden until he no longer was and endorsed her; how the media covers Trump without scrutiny; the wild ludicrousy of an open convention; the worry over disenfranchising primary voters; and much more
• OR READ the interview's script

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THE SEASONAL SEVEN: Summer's Best Tomatoes

For this week's recipes, I aimed for recipes with summer flavors and combinations that ...

• inspire your meals, morning to night
• simple dishes to happily make again and again, day after day
• a few special-occasion ideas, still simple but at the same time over-the-top because, well, summer produce does that ...

• THE RECIPE Mexican Scrambled Eggs (Huevos Revueltos a la Mexicana) From Diana Kennedy, the most famous eggs in Mexico.
• ANOTHER TAKE Quick Summer Squash & Tomato Sauté Barely cooked with a pile of garlic and a little tomato.

• THE RECIPE Creamy Feta Mousse with Greek Salads Some times, a salad isn't as much about the vegetables as what's served on the side.
• ANOTHER TAKE Warm Goat Cheese Appetizer with Mini Tomatoes & Capers Weeknight easy, worthy of an occasion.

• THE RECIPE Tomatoes & Fresh Mozzarella for a Crowd A quick and easy way to serve two of summer's best treats.
• ANOTHER TAKE Tomato Platter with Olives & Feta Perfect for one or two or a crowd.

• THE RECIPE Fattoush (Traditional Middle Eastern Salad) Summer veggies in a lemon-sumac dressing.
• ANOTHER TAKE Panzanella The classic Italian tomato and bread salad, worthy of an occasion. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Roasted Eggplant Salad with Tomato-Caper Salsa Gorgeous make-ahead salad.
• ANOTHER TAKE Ratatouille The classic French baked vegetables, simplified.

• THE RECIPE Tomato Bisque Just four ingredients, dreamy good.
• ANOTHER TAKE Tomato Gazpacho Worthy of an occasion, a summer meal in itself.

• THE RECIPE Pasta with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes Once you start roasting tomatoes, easy suppers like this half make themselves. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Salmon with Pesto Zucchini Noodles & Warm Tomatoes Another Quick Supper, simple-simple summer food.

• THE COLLECTION tomato recipes from Kitchen Parade
• THE FAMOUS A-Z tomato recipes from A Veggie Venture
• JUST THE FAVORITES Never Take a Good Tomato for Granted: Twelve Favorite Tomato Recipes

What's Brand-Spankin' New?!

Wondering about a recipe from the last while? Check Recent Recipes from Kitchen Parade and Recent Vegetable Recipes from A Veggie Venture.

• THE RECIPE Easy Blueberry Vinaigrette A summer salad dressing, such lovely color. (PIN This)

August: Reader Favorites

• THE RECIPE Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta Shrimp cooked in a nest of tomatoes, spinach and feta cheese.
• ANOTHER TAKE Warm Baked Feta & Tomatoes with Shrimp The TikTok phenomenon plus shrimp. (PIN This)

August: Lost Recipes

• THE RECIPE Red Rice with Tomatoes A lovely rouge-tinted vegan summer side dish. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Green Rice with Spinach & Kale Hello, gateway greens. (PIN This)

Looking Back ...

THIS WEEK, YEARS PAST
• 2022 Preserving Summer (Week 33)

RECENT WEEKS
• Dog Days of August (Week 32) (PIN This)
• Cool as Cucumbers (Week 31) (PIN This)
• Summer Sweet Corn (Week 29) (PIN This)
• Peach Season! (Week 28) (PIN This)
• Red, White (& Blue) (Week 27) (PIN This)
• Let's Beat This Heat (Week 26) (PIN This)
• No-Ordinary Green Beans for Summer (Week 24) (PIN This)
• Summer Easy (Week 22) (PIN This)
• Summery Spreads & Dips (Week 21) (PIN This)

Soups & Salads Especially for August

• AUGUST's HUGE COLLECTION Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes for August Take advantage of all that summer produce!

BUT REALLY, DON'T MISS
• Grilled Steak with Tomato-Avocado Salad in a Warm Poblano-Bacon Vinaigrette A hearty salad supper, steak with a mess of lettuce, tomatoes, avocado in a poblano-bacon vinaigrette.
• Warm Tomato, Corn & Okra Salad The surprising richness of warm fresh tomatoes, what a surprise, how delicious this is.
• Jerusalem Salad Middle-Eastern classic, just summer veggies in a lemon-tahini dressing.

Good to Know!

• ONE QUICK TIP Tomato Knife for Clean, Sharp Slices
• PLUS ONE MORE My Most-Used Kitchen Tool, a Garbage Bowl or Compost Bowl (PIN This)

Silly (But Fun?!) Food Holidays

• August 11th (2nd Sun) — Melon Day (melon recipes)
• August 15th — Lemon Meringue Pie Day (Lemon Meringue Pie)
• August 17th — National Vanilla Custard Day (Custard with Rhubarb Sauce)

The Best No-Recipe Recipe I Made This Week

Strips of Sausage Cooked Til Crisp + Sautéed Onion & Pepper = Fabulous Sandwiches

All summer long, I've been sautéing onions and peppers for warm sandwiches, burgers, sliced pork tenderloin, salmon. It's the surprise of the summer!

Sam's Club Test Kitchen

What a hit! I ended up with a crew of early swimmers this week, which meant: lunch for 4 adults and 4 kids with about an hour's notice.

I'd heard that the frozen pizzas from Sam's were good but these Red Baron deep-dish individual pizzas caught my attention and I'm so glad they did. I baked them in the oven, let them cool a bit, then cut each one in four pieces with a serrated bread knife and just set them out with a platter of some veggies (with dip! kids gotta have dip!) and fruit.

Just six pizzas fed all eight of us because these are filling and with smaller pieces, less waste with the kids.

I'm keeping these on hand for quick lunches and even a last-minute no-thinking supper.

At $15 for a dozen, these are a real bargain too, especially since our Imo's (the local St. Louis chain) pizza delivery is running about $50 including a salad.

Hmmm .... I loved this similar homemade version, Easy Mini Kale Pizzas (Spaghetti Sauce "Doctored" with Kale).

Just Updated!

• THE RECIPE Herbed Goat Cheese An easy low-carb, make-ahead appetizer. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Cheese Puffs (Gougère) A make-ahead appetizer, served hot from the oven.

• THE RECIPE Thick Iowa Chops with Easy Stuffing Crust A Quick Supper, thick Iowa chops capped with a stuffing-like crust. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Thick Chops with Sauerkraut & Apples A Quick Supper, moist chops in apple-chunky sauerkraut. (PIN This)

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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