Fresh Tomato Sauce

Learn how to make tomato sauce at home! Made with fresh tomatoes, this simple, flavorful recipe is perfect for serving on pasta, pizza, and more.

For me, making this homemade tomato sauce recipe is one of the highlights of late summer. Like bruschetta or a good Caprese salad, it’s something I only make at this time of year, when fresh tomatoes are sweet, juicy, and abundant. This tomato sauce has a slightly looser, chunkier texture than my traditional marinara sauce, and its flavor is sweeter and fresher. If you have a garden full of tomatoes, it’s a great way to use them up, but even if you don’t, I hope you’ll try it. You can toss it with pasta or zucchini noodles, spread it on…

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Blistered Shishito Peppers

Looking for a fun summer appetizer or snack? Make these blistered shishito peppers! Tender, charred, and topped with sesame oil, they're always a hit.

I love the simplicity of this blistered shishito peppers recipe. It relies on just 3 main ingredients – shishito peppers, salt, and sesame oil – but it’s still flavorful, satisfying, and totally addictive. You might think you’re going to eat one pepper, maybe two, but before you know it, you’ll have devoured half the pan! Um…yes, I’m speaking from experience. If you’re not familiar with shishito peppers, they’re small, thin-walled peppers that are traditionally used in Japanese and Korean cooking. These days, you can often find them at farmers markets in the US and at major grocery stores like Whole Foods…

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Zucchini Muffins

Garden overflowing with zucchini? Make this zucchini muffins recipe to use it up! They're moist, puffy, and warmly spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon.

These zucchini muffins are the perfect way to use up (or at least make a dent in) a summer surplus of zucchini. A single batch uses 2 full cups of shredded squash…and if you’re anything like me, you’re going to make WAY MORE than a single batch. I’m on my third already this summer! These zucchini muffins are moist, puffy, and warmly spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon. They’re also fairly healthy. I make them with whole wheat flour, olive oil instead of melted butter, and, of course, lots of zucchini. Right now, my favorite breakfast is one of these zucchini…

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Herb Compound Butter

These herb compound butter recipes will add bold flavor to the simplest dishes. They're delicious on corn on the cob, toast, potatoes, and more!

I have a new favorite cooking project: making compound butter! In the summer, I’m always hunting for different ways to use the herbs we grow on our back deck. When I’ve blended up a million batches of pesto and tossed together fifteen pasta salads, I start to wonder, “What next?” I thought to make these compound butter recipes when I was dreaming up ways to serve corn on the cob. I imagined slathering it with butter and sprinkling it with herbs, but then I thought, “Why not put the herbs in the butter?” First, I experimented with chives and dill. The…

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Caprese Skewers

These Caprese skewers are such a fun summer appetizer! Topped with a tangy balsamic glaze, they're light, flavorful, and fresh.

Last week I shared this cherry tomato pasta recipe, and now I’m onto these Caprese skewers… If you couldn’t tell, I’m having a moment with cherry tomatoes. I love how many different varieties are available at this time of year – some are round and yellow, others are oblong and speckled with red. Still others are purple, orange, and green. When I see all these shapes and colors at the farmers market or grocery store, I can never resist bringing home some of each. They’re just so darn pretty (and delicious, too!). You can toss them into a salad, top…

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Balsamic Reduction (Balsamic Glaze)

Want to add sweet and tangy flavor to a salad, appetizer, or side dish? Make this balsamic reduction! You just need 10 minutes and 1 basic ingredient.

Since it’s the season for all things Caprese (find my salad recipe here and my skewer recipe here!), I thought I’d go ahead and share a simple balsamic glaze recipe too. This punchy reduction couldn’t be easier to make, and its sweet and tangy flavor is the perfect accent for seasonal ingredients like basil and tomatoes. That being said, this balsamic glaze recipe can come in handy at other times of year, too. You can toss it with Brussels sprouts in the fall, drizzle it over roasted acorn squash in the winter, and serve it with ruby red strawberries in…

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20 Easy Peach Recipes

Make the most of peach season with these fresh peach recipes! They include drinks, desserts, and more to help you celebrate this sweet summer fruit.

It’s peach season! For the next few weeks, I’ll come home with a bag of peaches after every trip to the farmers market or store. The season is just so short, so while it’s here, and fresh peaches are juicy, sweet, and abundant, I make it my goal to eat as many of them as I can. Some I devour plain, their sticky juice dripping down my chin. But I use even more in my favorite peach recipes. As you might expect, these peach recipes include desserts like crisps and cobblers. But they go way beyond that, too. Have you…

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Cherry Tomato Pasta

This cherry tomato pasta is my ideal summer dinner. Filled with bursty tomatoes, garlic, and basil, it's fresh, flavorful, and super easy to make!

Making this cherry tomato pasta recipe is like giving yourself a gift. It’s incredibly simple, so you don’t need a lot of time or energy to do it, and the flavor is just so good. Sweet, tangy, fresh…this cherry tomato pasta is what summer cooking is all about. Cherry Tomato Pasta Recipe Ingredients Like any good summer recipe, this cherry tomato pasta starts with peak-season produce. Here, that means lots and lots of cherry tomatoes. Use as many varieties as you can get your hands on. Any color or shape will work – the more, the merrier! You’ll cook down half…

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Healthy Zucchini Bread

This zucchini bread recipe is healthier than most, but that doesn't mean it isn't delicious. It's moist, warmly spiced, and lightly sweet. You'll love it!

This healthy zucchini bread is a delicious breakfast or summer snack. I should know, because I’ve just finished my [redacted] slice of the season, and I don’t see my healthy zucchini bread consumption slowing down anytime soon. 🙂 Like a traditional recipe, this healthy zucchini bread is moist, tender, and warmly spiced. It’s PACKED with zucchini, of course, but it also features a few other good-for-you ingredients that you wouldn’t find in a regular loaf. Almond flour adds protein and healthy fats, and it gives this loaf an especially moist texture. And instead of melted butter, olive oil brings richness.…

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Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

These peanut butter no-bake cookies are sweet, nutty, chewy, and delicious. Made with just 7 ingredients, they're an easy dessert or anytime treat!

Over the last few weeks, Jack and I have eaten more of these peanut butter no-bake cookies than we’d like to admit. They’re sweet and nutty, with an addictive chewy texture that comes from lots of peanut butter and whole rolled oats. We’ve pretty much had a constant supply of them on hand, because as soon as you finish one batch, it only takes a few minutes to whip up another and pop it in the fridge to chill. I recommend you enjoy these peanut butter no-bake cookies for dessert or an afternoon treat, but if I’m being totally honest,…

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25 Fresh Corn Recipes

Sweet corn is one of the highlights of summer, and these fresh corn recipes show it off at its best. Find salads, sides, and more to enjoy all season long.

If you’re looking for corn recipes to make this summer, you’re in the right place! There are few, if any, foods I love more than fresh sweet corn, and as a result, I’ve developed tons of corn recipes over the years. I’ve rounded up my 25 best below. They range from simple preparations of corn on the cob to spicy dips, zesty salads, comforting soups, and more. No matter what kind of corn recipes you’re craving, I’m sure you’ll find something you love. My Top 5 Corn Recipes If you only make one of the fresh corn recipes in this…

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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.