Grilling Tomatoes with a Grill Pan

Grilled whole tomatoes, a summertime favorite, can be prepared indoors on your stovetop with the aid of a grill pan. The ridges on the bottom of the pan replicates the effect of an electric indoor grill or a charcoal outdoor grill. Rub ripe, juicy tomatoes with olive oil, and cook them in the heated pan until they're slightly charred and fragrant. For a delicious sandwich, layer grilled whole tomatoes with basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar between two thick slices of hearty bread.

Grill pans are widely available in department stores, cookware stores and chef's catalogs.

SOURCES

11-inch square Calphalon grill pan
12-inch round Claphalon commercial nonstick grill pan

Available at cooking-supply stores

Garden Harvest

When late summer rewards gardeners with a bounty of fresh produce, they can finally savor the fruits of the labor that began last winter when they planned their gardens. Now is also the time for gardeners to contemplate their successes and failures, and start thinking about next year's gardens.

Enjoy a colorful array of eggplants, like violet-colored Japanese, orange-tinted Turkish, and crisp white varieties like Solanum melongena 'Snowy.' Or try exotic 'Blue Cocoa' string beans, which turn a familiar green when cooked. Experiment by making a simple stew of white and orange beets flavored with celeriac. Your own vegetable garden should foster pride and offer any culinary possibilities.

Preserve your cornucopia by canning, pickling, or freezing--come January, you'll be very happy that you did. And don't forget your friends, who will appreciate baskets of vine-ripened treats that are still warm from the summer sun. A summer harvest also frees up space for a late planting of baby lettuces and herbs, which mature quickly, or hearty cabbages and root vegetables like radishes and carrots, which can withstand the first frost.

SOURCES

Heirloom seeds

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
P.O. Box 170
Earlysville, VA 22936
800-973-4703

Preserving Herbs with Salt

If the advent of winter leaves you longing for fresh herbs, this Tuscan technique will preserve plenty of basil, rosemary and sage--even as snow covers your garden. Alternate half-inch layers of herbs in a covered glass container, beginning and ending with coarse salt. The salt absorbs mold-breeding moisture and stalls the action of enzymes that turn fresh herbs brown. Refrigerate. Before using, rinse the herbs with water, and pat dry. You'll be savoring the flavors of August well into December.

From Garden to Table

Discover our freshest recipes and culinary good things from the best of Michael Vyskocil's Suite101 Recipes articles.

• Fourth of July Cookout
• Fresh Summer Dessert Recipes
• Casual Cookouts
• Great Grilled Summer Supper
• Cooking with Sweet Bell Peppers
• Cherry Clafouti Dessert
• Baking Seasonal Peach Cobbler
• Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich Recipe
• Sweet Cabbage Relish and Refrigerator Pickles
• Country Apricot Tart
• Summer Heirloom Tomato Salad
• Cooking with Summer Tomatoes

Made with Love

Carrot Column Cake

Discover favorite wedding how-tos and inspiration from Michael Vyskocil's Suite101.com Recipes articles.

Recipes

• Chocolate Dessert
• Disney Cruises & Baked Pineapple Sundaes
• Napa Valley Destination: Wine Country Cuisine
• Carrot Column Cake

DIY Weddings



Heart Sandwich Cookies

Get ready for the big day with simple, beautiful wedding ideas and delicious recipes from Michael Vyskocil's Suite101.com Recipes articles.

Recipes

• Baking Madeleines
• Heart Sandwich Cookies
• Bavarian Food Specialties
• Selecting Champagne
• Crystallized Pansies
• Coeur a la Creme Heart

Tips

• Tips for Baking Cakes
• Making Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Icing

Picnic-Perfect Menu

Plan a delicious outdoor feast with favorite warm-weather mains and side dishes from Michael Vyskocil's Suite101.com Recipes articles.

Recipes:

• Country Apricot Tart
• Creating a Quick and Easy Summer Picnic Menu
• Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich Recipe
• Star Shortcakes
• Classic Fried Chicken Recipe
• Cooking Quesadillas on the Grill
• Quick Cook Summer Dinner Recipes
• Recipes for Memorial Day Cooking
• Memorial Day Picnic Basket Staples
• Summer Vegetable Side Dishes
• Fourth of July Cookout
• Basics of Pickling Vegetables