Hello, dear readers! In this issue:

• Fresh off the vine: tomato recipes

• We say potato: more recipes

• Shake it up, baby: easy ice cream

• Our favorite pick

• Share your photos

Fresh off the vine

When I was a little girl, a friend of the family said, “You’ve never tasted a tomato until you’ve had one right off the vine.” Quite frankly, I don’t think I’d ever even had a tomato before then. But when she led me to her garden with a salt shaker in hand, I was in awe of the different shapes and colors of the tomatoes. I was even more fascinated by the bright red orb she plucked off the plant and sliced open for me to taste. It was love at first bite.

While I’ve given up growing my own, I still look forward to summer’s tomatoes, not to mention my friends’ buffer crops. Throughout the season, I always have gazpacho from our buoyant hometown hero, Chef Jose Andres. Actually, this is his wife’s gazpacho recipe. I dress it up with thin-sliced avocado and a bit of lump crabmeat when it’s affordable, and a couple of croutons to make it a meal.

It’s also the time of the year for sentimental favorites, like tomato sandwiches. This gift article from New York Times Cooking offers an irresistible twist on the classic, using toasted bread rubbed with fresh garlic first. How about creating a fresh tomato galette with goat cheese? It’s great for a light dinner or for brunch. Try serving it with a simple green salad and a glass of Prosecco. Another great recipe is this heirloom tomato galette with a cornmeal crust.

Do you have too many tomatoes? This simple tomato jam will turn your abundance into something extraordinary. Use it to dress up burgers, hot dogs, and a variety of sandwiches, or top a meatloaf with the jam about fifteen minutes before you take it out of the oven. Don’t miss putting a dollop on brie cheese. It also makes a great hostess gift when packaged in a small Mason jar.

If you have an air fryer or convection oven, you’re ten minutes from enjoying the simplest fresh roasted tomatoes to top a bowl of pasta. Speaking of which, we’d be doing you a disservice if we didn’t include more pasta dishes. Capture the vibrant colors and sweetness of fresh tomatoes with this beautiful angel hair pasta dish. If you’re a fan of cold pasta salads, Greek pasta salad is a winner with its layering of healthy Mediterranean flavors paired with the al dente bite of a shaped pasta like rotini or orecchiette.

I just made last-minute plans to have a friend over for dinner.  I'm either going to serve grilled steak with tomato tartare, laden with capers and shallots. Or, swordfish BLT that sounds different and delicious.

And we say potato…

I recently bought a Blackstone grill, making it easy to invite last minute company over for dinner. And when I do, you can count on finding a potato dish right along with it. Whenever I prepare this French potato salad, I can count on being asked for the recipe. It’s a great compliment to most grilled meals and lasts for several days. Even better, its tangy vinaigrette is healthier than the mayo counterpart.

Whether I’m entertaining indoors or out, I like baking a crustless potato galette, especially if I’m serving an entree that’s on the lighter side, like grilled salmon. It’s also a great along side of lusciously creamy scrambled eggs and whatever breakfast meat you prefer.

Then there’s gnocchi, where the humble potato is the star ingredient. Serve plain or dress it up with store-bought pesto or alfredo sauce. And it freezes well for last-minute meals. Gnocchi’s versatility makes it ideal with:

• Gorgonzola, burrata, or other soft cheese

• Classic butter and sage

• Brown butter and walnuts

• Roasted veggies,sautéed greens, mushrooms etc.

• Grilled chicken, shrimp, Italian sausage, or Bolognese 

• Seafood and seafood-based sauces

Shake it up, baby

I discovered this fabulous no-churn ice cream trick on Delish.com. And it works! What I particularly like about this is that the ice cream is made in a Mason jar. That makes it easy to whip up a couple of different flavors for you or your guests…and even easier to create your own fantasy flavor. 

Here’s the scoop:

In a 16 oz. Mason jar, combine:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 2 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

• 2 Tbsp. whole milk

• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Screw on the lid and shake until mixture is thickened and holds its shape for a couple of seconds when drizzled (just before soft peaks form), about 3 to 4 minutes. 

NOTE: I cheated on my second batch and used the whisk on my immersion blender. It cut the time and effort down by nearly a third.

Next, add your mix-ins and stir or shake until blended. Freeze until solid but still spoonable, about 3 hours (this can be frozen longer, but the best texture is between 3 to 4 hours). Here’s a great resource for mix-in ideas.

Share your photos

Two flavors from the author: bourbon peach and espresso chip.

Have you tried any recipes from our newsletters? Share your photos and thoughts

Editor’s note: If you’d like to put tomato in a fruit salad, here are a couple of winning ideas:

Tomato fruit salad

Summer Stone Fruit Caprese Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes

Peach Tomato Salad with Burrata and Basil 

Watermelon Salad with Feta

We look forward to building this tapestry of experiences with you.