My Go-To Summer Pasta Dish

It's been a good summer, hasn't it? As much as I like to hold on to summer forever, fall is my favorite season so I'm not upset it's coming. But before embracing the new season, I want to take a little time to reflect on this one.

Mini Profiteroles With Tomatoes And Basil

Can you guys believe it's almost Labor Day? I know we still have a few weeks of summer left, but for some reason, Labor Day always feels like a symbol of the end of summer. To keep the summer going strong, I made these mini profiteroles and filled them with a mixture of ripe, fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes and basil, plus olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a little salt and pepper. These mini profiteroles would be perfect to serve at any Labor Day party or barbecue or just as a dinner-party hors d'oeuvre.

Roasted Tomato Farro Bake

I am getting tons of gorgeous, colorful tomatoes from my garden, and while I love eating them as is, I've also been trying to find new ways to use them. They're great in salads and in pasta dishes, but I was searching for something a little different.

My Garden, 2014

Last year I tried planting a vegetable garden for the first time, and while it was a learning experience and a lot of work, overall I was happy with the results and enjoyed getting outside, maintaining it, and reaping the benefits. I got a decent amount of plum tomatoes and peppers, handfuls of herbs, and some zucchini and pattypan squash. This year, I was inspired to plant a garden again and went to nearby Volante Farms toward the end of May to get the best selection of tomatoes (by the time I'd decided to plant last year, plum tomatoes were just about the only variety left). I kept the tomatoes inside until June just in case of too-low overnight temperatures.

I decided to plant along the side of the house this year instead of in the backyard (because we had visions of trying to get our backyard into some kind of shape), so I had a little more room to work with but wanted to keep things simple. I picked out a variety of tomato plants, all of which would yield bite-size tomatoes (my love of mini foods extends to vegetables as well!) -- Sun Gold, Yellow Pear, Red Pear, Sweet 100, Sweet Gold, and Golden Sweet -- some cubanelle pepper plants, and some basil and thyme.

Scenes From Dinner In The Field At Volante Farms, Needham, Mass.

On July 10, guests gathered at Volante Farms for their first Dinner in the Field of 2014. Below are scenes from the dinner, with dishes prepared by chef Todd Heberlein and staff using farm-grown produce.

Pasta With Summer Squash, Garlic, And Basil

I am in full-on summer vegetable mode now. I run over to my tomato garden every day after work to see if my assortment of cherry and pear tomatoes are ripe enough to pick. I spy on my cubanelle peppers, hoping that they'll finally be big enough to pick and grill. I imagine stockpiling corn on the cob, giving it a quick dip in some boiling water, and slathering it with butter. And I crave summer squash, as much summer squash as I can get my hands on.

Orzo Salad With Chicken Sausage, Spinach, And Feta

It's hot out these days! When it's so hot outside, turning on the oven isn't high on anyone's priority list. That's where this simple orzo salad comes in. After boiling some pasta and browning a couple of chicken sausages, you can turn off the stove, stir in the other components, and sit down to a cool summer meal.

Israeli Couscous With Roasted Squash And Eggplant

Summer is finally here! Can you feel it? I've been enjoying the long days and warm rays and trying to get outside as much as possible. I'm sure you've noticed that I haven't been blogging as much -- I just haven't really wanted to spend my time sitting in front of the computer (after sitting in front of one for 8 hours at work every day) when I could be outside taking Gunner for a walk, tending to my tomatoes, or just sitting on the deck listening to Pandora and sipping coffee with Jeff (usually while we stare at our tiny backyard and think how amazing it could be if money were no object).

My heart also hasn't really been into blogging, and there's nothing worse than trying to write something when you just don't feel like writing it. You guys would see right through that. So the posts I have been sharing with you -- though they're few and far between -- are the ones that make me feel that spending some time at the computer (albeit in the late evening) is worth it. These are the posts I really care about and hope you do too! I'm not writing just to write; I'm writing to share things with you, like this Israeli couscous dish that's chock-full of summer vegetables.

Farfalle With Roasted Summer Vegetables And Chicken Sausage

This is one of those dishes that I feel silly giving you a recipe for because I make it all the time in different iterations. It changes based on what pasta shape I'm in the mood for; what vegetables I have on hand and whether I want to roast, grill, or sauté them; whether I want to go meatless or throw in chicken sausage or Italian sausage; what I want to flavor it with (vinegar, herbs, or lemon juice); and whether I want to throw cheese on top and what kind. It's simple. It's pasta and vegetables and sometimes sausage and cheese. I make it without a recipe, throwing in what I want, tasting and adjusting seasonings as I go.

Quinoa And Grilled Sourdough Salad

Hey, guys. Do you see these tomatoes? I grew them! I'm pretty impressed that I've been able to keep the plants alive and get some gorgeous little tomatoes. I planted all plum tomatoes, but they've been coming out different shapes and sizes. My initial plan was to grate them and turn them into sauce, but I really didn't have enough of them to make very much sauce, so I used them in a salad instead. 

Grilling Ideas For Labor Day Weekend

This post was sponsored by McCormick and is the last in a series of three posts featuring McCormick Grill Mates and Lawry's. The opinions expressed are my own.

Do you have any big plans for Labor Day Weekend? I'm actually going on a road trip with my mom, so I won't be celebrating in the normal way -- picnic* hopping, grilling, etc. (I'll likely be eating cheesesteaks.) But if I were staying home, I'd definitely be throwing something on the grill and spending time outside during the unofficial last weekend of summer.

As you know, I've partnered with McCormick to bring you grilling ideas using McCormick Grill Mates and Lawry's products, so I wanted to share a few tips and ideas for the weekend.

How To Make An Heirloom Tomato And Goat Cheese Tart

I wait all year for beautiful, ripe summer tomatoes. And when they finally show up, I can't get enough of them. They're great in salads, especially Caprese; they're wonderful paired with feta and watermelon; they make flavorful soups and sauces; and, if you really want to showcase their beauty and range of colors, they make the most stunning tarts.

Lemony Israeli Couscous With Corn, Scallions, And Zucchini

With most barbecues revolving around meat, I think it's important to have a flavorful, summery vegetarian side dish in your back pocket for any non-meat-eaters you might be hosting. Thinking along those lines, while glancing through my "Pastas and Such" Pinterest board, I saw a light, bright-flavored quinoa dish with corn and scallions. Using that as my inspiration, I came up with an Israeli couscous version and threw in some zucchini too -- just because I had it on hand and some extra vegetables never hurt anyone, right?

Backyard Barbecue With McCormick Grill Mates

This post was sponsored by McCormick and is the second in a series of three posts featuring McCormick Grill Mates and Lawry's. The opinions expressed are my own.

A couple of weekends ago, we had some friends over for a little backyard barbecue featuring McCormick Grill Mates products and concepts from the McCormick Grill Mates and Lawry's Flavor Forecast: Grilling Edition. I spent days planning and re-planning the menu. I thought about all of McCormick's trends as I planned: Flavors to Watch, Breads on the Grill, 5-Minute Marinating, Smoke & Spice Pairings, Charred Fruit Drinks, DIY Condiments, and Social S'mores. McCormick offers a lot of ideas and recipes for these different trends.

McCormick Grill Mates and Lawry’s Flavor Forecast 2013: Grilling Edition

This post was sponsored by McCormick and is the first in a series of three posts featuring McCormick Grill Mates and Lawry's. The opinions expressed are my own.

There's nothing like burgers on the grill on a warm summer evening. I often find myself craving a burger and am so happy we have a grill and can just throw a couple on whenever that craving strikes. They make for such an easy dinner. When Jeff and I make burgers at home, he always seasons them with Lawry's Seasoned Salt and a little garlic powder.

Cucumber Salad With Feta And Toasted Bread Crumbs

You'll want to eat this cool, crisp summer salad with cucumbers, feta, and toasted bread crumbs every night. The crunch of the cucumbers is punctuated by creamy, briny bites of feta, and the lightly salted toasty bread crumbs are like the icing on the cake. It was inspired by a cucumber salad we tried at Ten Tables in Provincetown -- one I couldn't wait to re-create at home.

Soba Noodle Salad with Pesto And Grilled Eggplant

Every time I get a new issue of one of the (too) many food magazines I subscribe to in the mail, I immediately flip through it and dog-ear the pages with all the recipes I want to make. I never end up making everything I flag, but I turn back to the recipes often and eventually get to some of them. Sometimes I follow the recipes exactly, and other times I use them for inspiration.

I made skirt steak tacos with a mango guacamole inspired by the Smoked-Chile-and-Mango Guacamole in the May issue of Food & Wine (I still need to make the Silky Tortilla Soup in that issue). I made a fabulous punch by swapping out brandy for rum in the Strawberry-Ginger Punch in the June issue of Bon Appetit. And most recently my friend and I whipped up the Soba Noodle Salad with Pesto and Grilled Eggplant from the July issue of Food & Wine.

S'mores Tartlets

Instead of wedding cake we had an array of mini desserts at our wedding. Everyone raved about the adorable s'mores tartlets. I know there are so many takes on the s'more out there, but I have an obsession with tartlets, so the idea to combine the two in a small, compact package was right up my alley.

Grilled Potato Salad, BLT Style

If you're anything like me, you're thinking, "Ugh. Not potato salad." But don't click away. I promise you this is not the sort of potato salad that sits untouched at a picnic, warming its mayonnaise-drenched parts in the sun and attracting flies. This is the sort of potato salad that features still-warm grilled potatoes and bursting sweet tomatoes, salty bits of bacon, and sensational grilled romaine. It's the sort of potato salad you eat as soon as it's ready, savoring each bite, appreciating the contrast in flavors, the carefully chosen ingredients, and the lack of mayonnaise.

Simple Summer Sparkler

I hope you all have a happy, safe, and fun 4th of July! To kick it off, try this very easy recipe for a festive drink.