All Four Burners

I never gave a second thought to where cantaloupes are grown. Actually, I never even gave them a first thought. Italy? El Salvador? China? Seriously, no clue. But, once I moved to Colorado, summer was all “peaches peaches peaches” and “cantaloupe cantaloupe cantaloupe.”

More than six pounds of basil yielded nearly a gallon of pesto, all of which is currently nestled in my freezer. It will last well into the holiday season as a lingering reminder of this summer’s few sun-kissed days.

My dad is a nut. Exhibit A: He trekked 3000 miles to spend just 1.5 days with my sister and me (and our respective husbands — which makes us sound terribly grown up). Exhibit B: He brought 10 pounds of tomatoes from his garden with him. Because I asked him to. I had high expectations […]

Since I completely missed summer solstice, how about some ideas for a July 4th menu? (Chow, Epicurious) Which could include grilled meat from my girl Martha. (Martha Stewart) Everyone needs an induction burner (including me). (The New York Times) Mmmm…basil. (Bon Appétit) And other summer produce. This is my favorite time of year. (Cooking Light)

I don’t like pasta salads, unless they somehow include mayonnaise and elbow macaroni. Maybe I even actively dislike them. The noodles are usually all rubbery and slimy; the dressings tend to be excessive and oily. And there’s rarely enough vegetables to be considered a salad salad. So you’re usually left with a overcooked pasta-y grody […]