Summer

When I make a dessert like this, one that is so simple, effortless really, I think back to all the desserts I've put together that take so much energy and time...and I laugh. Because this dessert has so much flavor and tastes so special and really requires nothing from me but a few swipes of my knife.

I have always loved roasting fruit, it brings out incredible flavor and sweetness and these strawberries are no exception. Over vanilla ice cream it is something that can't be beat.

You will laugh too over how little you need to fuss to achieve this flavor. It is also perfect for a large crowd!

Try this tonight, you won't be disappointed, especially if you believe in simplicity.

Picnic salads are some of the best summer foods. What would any outdoor cookout be without them? I can't imagine fried chicken without potato salad or steak without three-bean salad. The classic recipes are always appreciated, but sometimes it's nice to try something new—with a twist. This time I decided to reinvent the classic three-bean salad with a recipe that uses all fresh beans, with three different kinds—and colors.

This salad has yellow wax beans, green string beans, and purple wax beans. But it's hard to tell from the picture which ones are purple, because they lose most of their color once cooked. A shallot, though, makes up for the loss of purple color. Using herbs in the vinaigrette adds refreshing earthy flavor. And topping the salad with ricotta salata cheese adds a slight salty tanginess. This Mediterranean-style salad is great for party picnics with family and friends. Plus it pairs with just about any comfort food.

This is one of my favorite things to make at the peak of strawberry season. I like to go to my local farmer’s market near closing time when vendors often drop the price of fresh berries.

This recipe will work with almost any type of fruit, but you may need to increase the sugar depending on the tartness – blackberries and raspberries usually require a bit more, peaches and plums use a bit less.

Read all the instructions before starting this recipe – you’ll need a few things prepped and ready – such as sterilized jelly jars (just follow instructions on box for sterilizing jars).

It is also worth purchasing a canning kit which usually includes wide mouth funnel, magnetic lid lifter, vinyl coated jar lifter, jar wrench & vinyl coated tong. You can find them online for about $10 at The Kitchen Store.

A rawist is a person who consumes primarily raw food, (or all raw food in some cases).

Now a rawist should not to be confused with a nudist. A nudist could be a rawist, but not necessarily so - it really just depends on what they eat. We actually have plenty of both here in California. As it turns out, however, I am neither.

Don't get me wrong, I like raw foods plenty - love peaches, kiwis, cucumbers, and tomatoes. But the thought of eating solely uncooked food seems, well, not fun. I cannot imagine life without grilled eggplant, roasted carrots, or, heaven forbid, stuffed artichokes.

A couple years ago when I was feeling particularly in touch with my natural-girl-self, I attended a talk in LA given by a rawist woman (wearing clothes) who made claims like, "Raw foods will cleanse your system!" "Raw foods make your skin glow!" and "Raw foods will make you healthy and improve your sex life!" I remember during the talk thinking, "Geeze, the only thing raw foods couldn't do is solve the Israeli - Palestinian conflict. Or could it?"