Happy football season to everyone! We are excited about the Alabama/Penn State game and Auburn/Mississippi State tomorrow. I thought I would share this fun game-day recipe for Basil Bloody Marys. I made these on television a couple of times last year for some tailgating shows, and I thought they would make the perfect tailgating drink for this weekend’s games. This recipe rocks-just try it and you will see. Enjoy the weekend!

Since Mother’s Day is this weekend, I thought I would share a super easy recipe from my new cookbook, “400 Best Sandwiches: From Burgers & Classics to Wraps & Condiments”. These Tomato, Fresh Herbs and Feta Crostini would be considered an open-face sandwich and a simple spring appetizer that is pretty, fresh and versatile with a brunch, lunch or dinner menu. I am making this recipe today along with 4 other recipes on Nashville’s Newschannel 5 “Talk of the Town”. My television segment will air at 11 a.m. central as well as on Comcast channel 50 at 12 p.m., 4 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. on Monday. I hope everyone has a great weekend and Mother’s day celebration.

I love serving fresh tomatoes this time of year instead of a salad. Since Summer Fest 2010 features tomatoes for its last week, I thought this was a perfect healthy and easy side dish or salad while tomatoes are at their peak. Add some thinly sliced mozzarella if you wish, or leave as is. This basil drizzle is also wonderful served over grilled chicken, steak, shrimp or pork. See Margaret and Away to Garden for more information on Summer Fest.

One big job of a recipe developer and blogger is to consistently read as many food blogs as I can. I found out about a wonderful summer blog event that started last week from one of my favorites, White On Rice Couple’s blog. They are part of Summer Fest Community which is in it’s 3rd year celebrating the peak harvest season of produce. This idea was created by Margaret Roach and Deb Puchalla. For the next several weeks, talented bloggers are sharing their recipes or growing tips for ingredients and produce. Margaret Roach from A Way to Garden has chosen to feature corn this week. I love this Corn-Tomato and Basil side dish using fresh corn, cherry tomatoes, basil and Parmesan. Feel free to cook your corn on the grill or however you like. I roasted mine in the oven while I was reading some of my favorite food blogs. For more information on Summer Fest, visit http://awaytogarden.com/3d-annual-summer-fest-starts-wednesday

]]> http://www.ingredientsinc.net/2010/08/summer-fest-2010-fresh-corn-cherry-tomatoes-and-basil/feed/ 6 http://www.ingredientsinc.net/2010/07/taste-of-summer-savory-tomato-basil-pie/ http://www.ingredientsinc.net/2010/07/taste-of-summer-savory-tomato-basil-pie/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:15:59 +0000 Alison Lewis http://www.ingredientsinc.net/?p=11819

When I worked at Southern Living Magazine, we tested a lot of Tomato Pie recipes. I have been searching for one without mayonnaise that was lighter, healthier and still tasted great. My assistant, Alatia, told me about one that she made recently. This Tomato-Basil Pie is super easy, and it makes great use of summery fresh tomatoes and basil. My kids said it tasted similar to a pizza, and they loved it. This is a great recipe idea for a party appetizer, light main-dish dinner or lunch. Serve with a drizzle of balsamic if you like. It’s a true taste of summer.

My friend, Kiel, just recently moved to Jacksonville, Florida, and she sent me some recipes from her “Girls Night Out” dinner. She and 10 of her friends get together every Tuesday night and alternate at their different houses trying new, fun and creative recipes. One night, they made Panini sandwiches and homemade tomato soup. Recently, they had an abundance of healthy, fresh salads. She sent me some of the recipes from her latest dinner. This Tomato-Avocado Appetizer with Boursin is such a breeze and tastes delish! It is so perfect for a crowd, especially during the summertime (such as this weekend for July 4th) celebrations. Thanks Kiel and your wonderful friends for sharing your recipes with me.

I recently saw a pizza grill pan last week in the window at The Cook Store, a wonderful neighborhood cooking store where I live. I thought to myself, “I want that!”. I received one for a present shortly thereafter, and I was very excited (thanks @jon_lewis -twitter handle). I used it the other night when I was in a pinch as I was testing recipes for my upcoming book (Chipotle Pork Wraps with Slaw).  My kids didn’t want that for dinner so I threw this Grilled Pizza with Basil, Mushrooms and Mini Turkey Pepperoni together for them. I ended up eating both (of course) because it turned out so great!

Edamame have become increasingly popular, and my kids honestly love them. Edamame is an excellent source of low-calorie protein, fiber and even iron. This recipe for Edamame-Corn Salad is so light and wonderful using fresh ingredients such as corn, tomatoes, fresh basil and chives. It’s so easy to prepare, but you might want to double it. It goes really fast!

By the way, the incredible pottery in this photo is my absolute favorite from Earthborn Pottery. If you live in Alabama, it can be purchased at The Cook Store in Mountain Brook.

Roasted Vegetable Wraps are as good at they look. You can’t go wrong when you combine fresh Farmer’s Market produce such as squash, zucchini and bell peppers with fresh basil and goat cheese (Belle Chevre is my favorite). This is a light vegetarian lunch or dinner idea, and it’s so easy to prepare. As summer nears, feel free to grill the vegetables over medium heat on a lightly greased grill rack 3 to 5 minutes on a side. You can also warm the tortillas slightly 1 minute on each side.

We have tuna salad just about every weekend at my house. I’m fortunate because my kids love it. I’m always trying to come up with new ways to give it a twist. I had some leftover fresh basil and red bell peppers and didn’t want to use any mayonnaise. I threw these ingredients together, and it came out great. You may want double the recipe because it goes fast.