Sautéed Patty Pan Squash

Show off the summer's cutest veggie in this easy patty pan squash recipe! Seasoned with lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs, it's a delicious, easy side dish.

If you love a cute, colorful veggie as much as I do, head to the farmers market and buy yourself a box of patty pan squash. These adorable summer squash tend to be small in size, and their shape varies. Some are round, others are tulip-shaped, and still others look like little flying saucers with fun scalloped edges. You’ll find them in a variety of colors – dark green, light green, yellow, or a mix – but they all have a similar texture and taste. Their flavor is close to that of yellow squash, but they have firmer, denser flesh.…

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Panzanella

Filled with ripe, juicy tomatoes and crusty bread, this panzanella salad is a delicious summer meal. A shower of fresh basil takes it over the top.

It’s official: I can’t make it through a summer without sharing a new panzanella recipe. To me, this Italian bread salad is the perfect template for turning whatever produce I happen to have on hand into a fresh-yet-satisfying meal. Sweet corn? Peaches? Peppers? Yep, I’ve panzanella-ed them all. Of course, traditionally, panzanella isn’t an any-vegetable-goes kind of salad. It originated in Tuscany as a way to use up stale bread, and tomatoes were always a key ingredient. Their juices soak into the bread, softening it and giving it flavor. Onions, basil, and a tangy vinaigrette round out the dish. Earlier…

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Easy Vegan Coleslaw

This vegan coleslaw is the perfect summer side dish. A creamy, sweet, and tangy dressing coats lots of crunchy veggies - no one'll guess that it's vegan!

This easy vegan coleslaw is the perfect side dish for a summer cookout, picnic, or BBQ. It tastes just like classic coleslaw, but the ingredients all happen to be 100% plant-based. A creamy, sweet, and tangy dressing coats crunchy cabbage, carrots, and scallions. Set it out at your next gathering with whatever you’re grilling, and I promise, it’ll be a hit! No one will guess that this coleslaw is vegan. Vegan Coleslaw Recipe Ingredients This vegan coleslaw recipe calls for 10 simple ingredients: Cabbage – I love using a mix of red cabbage and green cabbage to create a blend…

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Vegan Hot Dogs

These vegan hot dogs are the best I've tried. Full of smoky, savory flavor, they're perfect for summer cookouts and BBQs. Fire up the grill!

How adorable are these vegan hot dogs!?! If you’re looking for a really tasty, really fun recipe to make for a cookout or BBQ this summer, friends, this is it. I love these vegan hot dogs because they are true veggie dogs. They’re not made with soy protein, pea protein, or any other ingredients that commonly appear on the labels of store-bought vegan hot dogs. Instead, they’re made with veggies! Carrots, specifically. I know, it sounds crazy. How can a carrot taste like a hot dog? Well, with the right marinade and a few minutes on the grill, I assure you that…

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Pickle Relish

This homemade pickle relish takes veggie burgers and hot dogs to a whole new level! It's crunchy, sweet, and tangy - the perfect summer condiment.

It’s official: I’m never buying pickle relish at the store again. This homemade version is tangier, crunchier, and more savory and complex. The recipe also makes a very reasonable amount – right around a cup – so it’s actually possible to polish it off within a couple of weeks. (Looking at you, every massive jar of store-bought relish I’ve never managed to finish.) The next time you want to jazz up a veggie burger, hot dog, or whatever you’re grilling, I highly recommend you give it a try! Pickle Relish Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to make this sweet pickle…

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Homemade Lemonade

This homemade lemonade recipe is just the thing for a hot summer day. Made with 3 simple ingredients, it's sweet, refreshing, and deliciously tart.

We’re way overdue for a homemade lemonade recipe on Love & Lemons, don’t ya think? I can’t tell you how it happened that I never thought to post one until now, but I can tell you that this recipe was 100% worth the wait. The freshly squeezed lemonade is easy to make with just 3 ingredients, and it’s sweet, refreshing, and deliciously tart. Served over ice, it’s everything I crave on a hot summer day. This lemonade recipe makes a big batch, so it’d be a great refreshment for your next cookout or BBQ. However, you can easily scale it…

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Tomato Salad

This tomato salad recipe is the ULTIMATE summer side dish! Full of juicy, ripe tomatoes and fresh herbs, it's simple, flavorful, and refreshing.

You can’t beat this tomato salad recipe in the summertime. It’s super simple—it calls for 8 ingredients and comes together in under 10 minutes—but it’ll still impress anyone you serve it to. Thick wedges of heirloom tomatoes mingle with crisp red onion, fruity olive oil, tangy red wine vinegar, and fresh herbs. It’s light, refreshing, and incredibly flavorful, largely because summer tomatoes are just so good. Enjoy this tomato salad with crisp white wine and crusty bread for sopping up any tomatoey juices left on your plate. Happy summer, friends! Tomato Salad Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to make…

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Gremolata

Gremolata is an Italian condiment made of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest. Sprinkle it over pasta, veggies, and more for a burst of fresh, bright flavor!

A sprinkle of parsley is one of my favorite ways to finish a dish, adding freshness and an appealing fleck of green. But if I really want to kick that same dish up a notch, I’ll sprinkle it with gremolata instead. What Is Gremolata? Gremolata might sound fancy, but really, it’s incredibly simple. An Italian condiment, it consists of chopped parsley mixed with lemon zest and garlic. The combination is zippy, bright, and fresh, making gremolata an easy way to liven up almost any dish. How to Make Gremolata Making gremolata is as simple as it sounds: all you have…

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Mushroom Tacos

Avocado salsa and grilled portobello mushrooms fill these mushroom tacos with bold, fresh flavor. They're an easy and delicious plant-based dinner!

It’s Tuesday – let’s make mushroom tacos! Of all the plant-based taco fillings out there, mushrooms are one of the best. Meaty, juicy, and savory, they make a taco incredibly flavorful and satisfying to eat. I’ve shared a few recipes for mushroom tacos in the past, but if you ask me, you can never have too many taco recipes in your back pocket. We’ve been making this one a TON lately, and it’s become one of our new favorites. I think you’re going to love it too! The great thing about these mushroom tacos is that they’re so simple. They…

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Grilled Mushrooms

These grilled mushrooms are an easy, delicious summer side dish! Seasoned with tamari and balsamic vinegar, they're meaty, juicy, and SO flavorful.

If you have a grill or grill pan, this grilled mushrooms recipe is one that you need in your back pocket. And if you don’t have a grill or grill pan, well, it might be worth getting one just to try this recipe. It’s insanely easy to make (we’re talking 6 ingredients and 15 minutes), and the flavor is out of this world. As the mushrooms cook on the grill, they become charred on the outside and juicy in the middle, and their savory, umami flavor intensifies. You can serve them as a knockout side dish with almost any summer…

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Avocado Salsa

This avocado salsa recipe is fresh, flavorful, and SO easy to make! Serve it with tortilla chips for a zesty summer appetizer, or add it to tacos and more.

This avocado salsa recipe is kinda like a mashup of two of my favorite things: mango salsa and guac. So naturally, I’m obsessed with it. It’s a super simple recipe – you can make it in all of 10 minutes! – but it still packs in a ton of contrasting textures and flavors. Creamy avocado plays off sweet, juicy mango, which in turn accents spicy chiles, crisp red onion, and cilantro. A big squeeze of lime juice adds the perfect zesty pop. I love to serve it as a fun, fresh appetizer with tortilla chips, but this avocado salsa is…

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A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.