It’s Friday! Wow, this week has flown. Partly because we’re trying to do all we can to hold on to the last days of summer, and partly because we’ve been busy with a pretty big surprise for you. “What? A surprise?” We’re glad you asked!

If you haven’t seen it yet, there was some extensive remodeling done over at The Pioneer Woman. Lots of bright and shiny new things going on there. One of those shiny new things is something a little extra special for us here at Tasty Kitchen: a section called Food & Friends. There, you’ll find recipes and tips and food-related posts from Ree’s friends, many of whom you’ve already met as Tasty Kitchen members.

We hope you’ll pop over, say hi, and make yourself at home. We’ve also created a Food & Friends Tasty Kitchen account, so you can find all the posted recipes right here on TK. (Instagram, too!) And don’t you worry, Tasty Kitchen is here to stay, and will continue as the happy recipe sharing community that we’ve all come to love.

Here’s what you’ll find there!

How to Make Simple Syrup. There’s a reason it’s called simple syrup. Up your cocktail game by making flavored versions!

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad. Grilled croutons for the win!

Blackberry Soda Floats. Creamy and fruity and bubbly. Play around with different combinations!

You Rule Cookies. How cute are these. Perfect back-to-school treats!

Summertime Shrimp Pizza. Hang on to summer just a little bit longer with this pizza. Sweet and crunchy corn, sweet and briny shrimp. Throw in extra summer veggies and dig in!

Peach Pistachio Galette. So easy and beautifully rustic. The peaches really shine here!

Spinach Basil Pesto Risotto. I’m sorry, you said something? I was too busy staring at the bowl of lusciousness.

We’re blown away by talents of the contributors there, and we know you will be too. So come say hi! Here’s the link to take you there directly: Pioneer Woman: Food & Friends.

Have a great weekend, friends!

Hi everyone! Do you see that bright golden haze in the meadow? No, really. There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow. And the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye! It looks like it’s climbing clear up to the sky. Oh what a beautiful morning …

Ahem. Sorry. Kinda got carried away there.

I’ve been singing that song to myself these past few days every time we drive past a meadow or any patch of land that resembles a corn field. I’ve been singing it in grocery stores and farmers markets too, as I walk past the beautiful ears of corn for sale. I apologize if you live in my area and have had to endure my shameless humming, but I can’t help myself. Because mmmm. Corn. It makes me happy.

For me, corn and summer go together like pumpkin and fall. Throwing a few ears of corn on the grill makes for an instant, easy BBQ side dish, and frankly, often I’m quite content with just that and some butter. But I also love corn kernels in cornbread, mixed in with grits, polenta, rice pudding, or just about any kind of stir fry. I even love corn ice cream, which might sound weird to some, but try it and you’ll know what I mean.

Corn is plentiful during the summer, and before the season ends, let’s try a few new ways to enjoy it! Tell us:

What’s your favorite way to enjoy corn?

I shared my favorites above, which can be summarized in one simple statement: “I’ll eat corn with everything.” But I’m always open to new ideas! So share your corn recipes, your tips and tricks for buying or shucking or cooking corn. Or maybe you have a preferred kind of corn (white? yellow? bi-color?) that you seek out at the market. Tell us all about it below!

Peaches at the local markets here have been quite excellent. They pile them in bins close to the doors, hitting you with a wave of that heady scent of sweet summer nectar. They look so inviting with their earthy red and orange hues, and I haven’t been able to resist bringing home a bag or two every time I walk into the store.

Peaches are perfect without any special preparation. I mostly prefer the “grab and bite” method. But it’d be a shame not to expand that repertoire with the abundance of peaches available right now! So tell us:

What’s your favorite way to enjoy peaches?

Do you like making peach ice cream? Pies? Peach iced tea? Do you enjoy them in a compote for pancakes, or grilled and part of a salad? We want to hear all the ways you use up a bounty of peaches, and share any recipe links you have!

#234 Jessica H: “Pot roast with potatoes.”

Congratulations! Contact prizes@thepioneerwoman.com and start shopping!

Happy Friday! Betsy and I have been trying to figure out what you might need in your kitchen this time of year. We’re failing. You might still be in summer mode and want an ice cream maker. Or maybe school is starting and you need a little help getting organized. Since we can’t decide, we’re putting you in charge! We’re giving away a $150 gift card to Chef’s Catalog. You can find just about anything you could possibly need there, so the shopping’s on us!

 
TO ENTER

To enter this giveaway, just answer the following question in the Comments section of this post:

What are you planning on eating this weekend?

Just leave your answer below and you’ll be entered to win!

 
THE RULES

One entry per person, please. Contest ends tomorrow at 9PM PST.

The winner will be chosen randomly and announced this weekend.

Sponsored by Tasty Kitchen.

The other day, a friend of mine showed me a photo of something I had never seen before. It looked like a miniature yellow watermelon on the outside, with white flesh and cucumber seeds inside. I asked what it was, and she said: “It’s a lemon cucumber!” A lemon what? “Imagine a lemon and a cucumber got married and had babies.” Well. I love to munch on diced cucumber doused with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of sea salt, and this pretty much makes that a one-step snack! Needless to say, I’ve been on the lookout for those babies ever since.

I did a little bit of research, and it turns out lemon cucumbers aren’t a new thing—they were just new to me. And I know there must be countless other as-yet-unknown fruits and vegetables waiting to be discovered by more than the fortunate few who already enjoy them. They fly under the radar, like those really interesting, complex, fascinating introverts hiding out somewhere, the ones everyone falls in love with once they get to know them.

Let’s shine some light on them and get the love-fest going, shall we? Tell us:

What’s your favorite not-so-commonly-known fruit or vegetable? Which one was your latest or strangest discovery?

Was it a combination of more common varieties, like a pluot (plum and apricot) or broccoflower (broccoli and cauliflower)? Or maybe it was just a variety you’d never seen before. Naturally, some fruits that are native to certain areas are considered exotic and strange in others, like the dragonfruit, custard apple, or the kiwano or African horned melon seen above, described as a mix of cucumber, lime, and banana. (Must be some kind of sibling rivalry going on with the lemon cucumber.) A recent trip to Thailand introduced me to finger ginger, which was very different from the ginger (dubbed “boring ginger” by our guide) we usually see here stateside. I also discovered tiny Thai eggplant, which I had never seen before. And by tiny, I mean the size of wasabi peas. Wild. Or maybe you can tell us about something you saw at a farmers market that looked so interesting, you simply had to check it out.

Let’s give all those fruits and vegetables their time in the sun! (Unless, of course, they need shade.) We want to hear all about them. Share below!

You’re welcome.

In case you can’t wait to grab the printable recipe so you can make this for breakfast already, I figured I’d be polite and acknowledge the unspoken gratitude in your heart that’s currently being drowned out by the “chocolate, now!” sounds coming from your belly. It’s okay. I know the sound well.

This Trail Mix Chocolate Smoothie from TK member Tessa is one part healthy, two parts fun, three parts superfood, and eight parts chocolate. It’s more milkshake than smoothie, really, except sneakily healthier. And chocolate! Yes, please. All day long.

Have a great weekend, everyone! May it be filled with joy, laughter, and chocolate.

I love summer. And not just because it’s the opposite of winter. Summer brings with it a wealth of sunshine (an embarrassment of riches, really), an abundance of play time, and more varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables than you can shake a stick at. (Do people really shake sticks at anything? Have you seen this stick-shaking activity in your everyday travels? Enlighten me, please.)

For me, if there’s one fruit that screams “summer’s here!” loud and clear, it’s the watermelon. Okay, and strawberries. Peaches. Pineapple. But mostly watermelon. When I imagine summer picnics and fruity desserts, I usually picture a chubby-cheeked little boy happily chomping on a watermelon wedge, juice running down his arms, with a blissful look of satisfaction on his face. Watermelon is refreshing, hydrating, sweet, and if you stick a little funnel in it and infuse it with alcohol, it can be a little naughty too.

So let’s talk about watermelons today! Tell us:

Do you have any favorite tips for choosing, serving, or storing watermelon?

My mom taught me to look for a watermelon with a flat, yellow part where it would have sat on the ground. She said that means the watermelon spent time ripening on the ground, and wasn’t picked too early. My biggest challenge is finding space in the fridge to store 3/4 of a watermelon after we’ve cut into it. Well, maybe that’s my second-biggest challenge. Maybe my biggest challenge is that I’m allergic to watermelons but eat them anyway. Because apparently, I have little self-control when it comes to watermelon drinks. And watermelon granita, like the one in the photo above. Spiked or otherwise.

How about you? Are you a watermelon fan? Have you had those yellow watermelons or the square ones? Any recipes to share? (Agua fresca!) Any tips for picking a good one, or even growing them? Come share!

Smoothies have become my default summer morning option, and they’ve been doing right by me so far. I get a nice dose of protein to start my day, a cool drink to battle the rising temperatures, and the satisfaction of knowing I fed myself a healthy breakfast. But sometimes … sometimes I’d rather not drink my breakfast. Sometimes I want something warm and comforting, like sausages, or fried eggs, or yes, even grits. Mostly, though, when I want something warm, I want pancakes. Which is a bit tricky when I’m also avoiding gluten.

Enter these Lemon Blueberry High Protein Pancakes from TK member Lacey. These pancakes may masquerade as a breakfast splurge but deep inside, they’re actually good for you. And flourless, too! In fact, the ingredient list bears a striking resemblance to many a smoothie recipe. At only slightly more than 100 calories and 13 grams of protein per pancake, it wins a spot on my breakfast menu rotation.

Thanks for sharing this, Lacey! Now I know what to make when the pancake urge hits. Click on the photo above to get the printable!

Hope everyone’s week is off to a great start!

Leave it to me to be late to the party again. I just found out that yesterday was National Junk Food Day. What? A day just for junk food? Raise your hand if you knew this. Raise your other hand if you don’t care that it’s a day late and want to celebrate with me.

I try to eat healthy most of the time, and I do that mostly so I don’t feel bad about indulging in a guilty pleasure now and then. Sometimes, I’ll make an effort to create a homemade version just so I can justify eating more of it. Raise your other other hand if you do the same.

Let’s get ourselves into—and hopefully out of—trouble together, shall we? Tell us:

What’s your junk food weakness? Any tips for keeping things in moderation?

Do you love kettle cooked chips? Have trouble resisting chocolate bars? Need that soda pop fix? Can’t stop munching on tortilla chips and salsa? Are Doritos your true love? Or maybe Oreos? (Extra points if you share a recipe for a homemade version!) Or maybe you know a trick or two for battling those insistent junk food cravings and stopping at just one or maybe nine chips. (I could use some of those tips right now, because for some reason, all I can think of is Doritos.)

Come share below! In the meantime, I’m going to go drink three glasses of water and contemplate the meaning of moderation.

Happy Wednesday, folks!

I saw the words matcha and brioche and donuts in the title, and that did it for me. That the donuts look so pillowy soft and buttery pretty much sealed the deal. If you’re looking for a special summer treat to make, I’d like to suggest Strawberry Matcha Brioche Donuts from TK member Denisse! Click on the photo above for the printable, and get your week off to a great start with these.

Thanks for sharing, Denisse!