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We have weather two mega heatwaves so far this summer and it is only the end of July. Eeps! To get me through I’ve been turning on the oven very little and only using the stovetop as needed. There has been a lot of gazpacho, sandwiches, and ice cream on our dinner table. Yes, the ice cream has been put right on the table alongside our dinner because it is practically part of the main course when it is so hot out. I am still trying to lose the very last of the baby weight, but that doesn’t mean I still can’t enjoy a small scoop at the end of the meal. I just tell myself it is in the name of staying cool.

Every so often I like to share one of my favorite kitchen appliances with you. Remember the milk frother from last winter? I swear, that baby got me through infant sleep-deprivation like it was nobody’s business. Needless to say, I’ve put that away for the summer and have become devoted to the Magimix Vision Toaster.  Magimix by Robot-Coupe makes the highest quality kitchen appliances. Remember the food processor from last year? It is the gold standard in food processors and, like that appliance, the Vision Toaster is the highest quality toaster I have never used. In fact, I love it so much I’ll be giving one away in September.

Each summer I usually set aside a few days to preserve as much of my favorite produce as possible. It can be tough to undertake such projects with the little ones underfoot. But I find I can usually accomplish what I set out to do over the course of a few naptimes and with my mother to help with a little babysitting. However, there are times when I simply don’t have the luxury of my parent’s big kitchen and my father’s helping hands. So, instead of tackling several pints of pickles or a day of apple pie filling, I take the simple route and make a small batch of jam in the skillet.

Last week we had a heatwave of epic temperatures. It was one of those weeks I had no interest in turning on the oven. I could barely handle boiling water! So, the best solution, in my mind, was the hit the food truck scene at our nearby outdoor beer garden. Thankfully, the garden is full of awesome food choices. Since my kids were with me (it was only 5pm) I decided to let them choose and we landed on The Melt Mobile, the local grilled cheese food truck.

My friend Phoebe inspired me last month. We share a mutual take-it-or-leave-it attitude to the amazingly popular smoothie trend. Sometimes I make them, most of the time I don’t. But last month Phoebz made an inspired smoothie using my favorite breakfast drink: chai tea! Genius! I decided to take a page out of her book and make one of my favorite summer drinks, a cool silky horchata, with some warm and nutty chai spices.

In cooler weather I am a big fan of cheesy mushroom pizzas, hot mushroom crepes, and thick mushroom soups. But what to do when the thermometer reads 90 degrees F+? When faced with this question last week I decided to take a cue from Rick Bayless and run for the border. Since margaritas have been my drink of choice in this heat wave it only seemed natural to pair them with some spicy tacos, chips, and guac! As part of my year exploring the use of mushrooms in a variety of foods I decided to give basic tacos a vegetarian twist and make them with fresh mushrooms straight from the farmer’s market.

The trifecta of tomato, basil, and mozzarella might be one of the best (or possibly the best) flavor combinations of all time. Add a splash of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and I’m done. It is the only thing I want to eat all summer long. A few years ago I made this delicious Caprese Pasta Salad and it is still one of my favorites. However, recently I decided to change it up and use some spaghetti and give the tomatoes a little heat to make them more tender and sauce-like.

I look forward to the ice cream social in Cooperstown every year. It is put on by the Presbyterian church. After dinner everyone in town gathers on the church lawn to eat as much ice cream as possible for a mere two dollars per person. Since we couldn’t attend the social this year we decided recreate a fun social at home on the back porch. To change it up I ordered a few fun things from Wayfair and set-up a little ice cream sandwich bar for my family to enjoy.

I can’t sign off for Fourth for July without leaving you with a few goodies for your holiday. Here are some of my red white and blue foods for the season. Have a safe holiday and see you next week!

Clockwise: Blueberry Thyme Poundcake,Strawberry Syrup, Roasted Strawberry Lemonade, Blueberry Pie Filling, Strawberry Muffins, Watermelon Margarita,

I have a new summer salad. I say that every year, and I try to share them with you whenever I can. This year my salad is inspired by Melia Marden’s new book. It is one of those “this is so simple I can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself” salads. It has just two main ingredients but is packed with flavor and texture, and every bite tastes like summer. It is also healthy to boot, a welcome side note, but I don’t even eat it because of that! Honest. I just pick the tomatoes from our plant on the porch and whip it up whenever I have the chance.

Merrill always comes up with the best recipes. It’s not that I don’t love all the recipes on Food52, I just always seem to gravitate toward Merrill’s, or her mother’s, every time I am browsing the site. The two of them know so many little secrets to improving some of my favorite foods. In the years of cooking experience between them they have figured out that little touches like pressing sugar designs into cookies, adding a touch of cream to bolognese, or stirring butter into strawberry jam will make an already excellent dish so much better.

My herb pot yielded its first batch of basil large enough for making pesto. Needless to say, I already have one batch in the fridge and a small container stashed in the freezer for later this winter. As my husband pointed out, never doubt how much Kelsey loves homemade pesto! The kick off the pesto party this summer I made up an easy summer recipe for pesto grilled chicken. It is perfect for a quick weekend meal and comes together in nearly an instant.