The Heat is On!

Celebrating sun-kissed summer dishes

Summertime. Finally Connecticut emerged from a wet and chilly extended spring only to be hit with a sizzling heat dome. Europe is melting right now, while parts of Pakistan, India, and China are under water. Hopefully, wherever you are, you are finding some way to cope with the unpredictable and extreme weather.

Climate change is challenging our farmers. Yields for many crops are off, and food prices are rising. We may all have to change what we eat a little to help our growers — eating fewer animal products (which carry much higher climate footprints) and leaning into plants instead. Summer offers so many delicious, healthful, eco-friendly choices! Here are a few of my favorites. I hope you enjoy them too. (Let me know!)

Let's start with starters...

Scarpaccia di Zucchini a think crispy savory tart made with zucchini, onion, and herbs

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Onion Tarte with Roasted Piperade Sauce, a whole wheat tarte topped with topped with onions, tomatoes over mildly spicy roasted Basque piperade pepper sauce.

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Polenta Parfaits, a tasty dish that repurposes sauces and sautéed vegetables that you have on hand. What a beautiful, delicious way to use up leftovers!

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Baby Eggplant and Artichoke Ragout, a tasty stew featuring tiny Indian ratna eggplants, baby artichokes, mini peppers, cherry tomatoes, aromatics, with sharp Lebanese green olives to balance the sweetness of the vegetables. Mop up the tasty sauce with warm whole wheat pita or your favorite flatbread.

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Peach and Plum Tian, a scrumptious way to enjoy the season's peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, and cherries. Top with a dollop of strained soy yogurt.

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Soft Cherry Peanut Cookies, peanut flavor without the fat, these tasty, high protein and fiber cookies, use defatted peanut powder made only from roasted peanuts. Even comes with a cherry on top!

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For a whole lot more fun, nutritious plant-based, eco-friendly recipes, remember to check out my cookbooks: Love the Foods that Love the Planet (HCI Books), and Love the Foods that Love You Back (Rizzoli), available wherever books are sold :)