A summer treat, a smoothie made with the fruit of a sweet, perfectly ripe summer tomato (we do remember that tomatoes are technically fruit, yes?) contrasting the tang of cold buttermilk. Ha! So is it true? I have the idea that all it takes are the words "tomato smoothie" and in an instant, everyone who reads them will be hankering one and know exactly how to make one too. Well just in case I'm wrong about that second point, here's the savory smoothie that I've been playing with. And honestly, I started to call this recipe "Chilled Tomato Soup with Buttermilk" but with that name, well, doesn't it sound like it takes some, you know, effort ? In contrast, a smoothie is on-the-spot, on-demand food, needing just the inspiration and a few minutes to toss into the blender and toss it down the throat. So a "smoothie" it is. Serve it in glasses with straws or in bowls with spoons. It's still a smoothie.

Life is fragile, life is precious, life is precarious. We all know this, we all experience it, we all, too often, live this. And yet, and yet. Some times life's fragility strikes close to home -- even when it really isn't. For me, the life lesson hit twice this week, first when my friend Janet buried her granddaughter in a casket just twenty-four -- aiii, twenty-four -- inches long. And then again, with the sudden and unexpected death of a young husband and father, "Mikey" as wife and food blogger Jennifer Perillo of In Jennie's Kitchen called him. Those of you who follow food bloggers will see lots of peanut butter pies appearing today. That's because Jennie invited us to make pies in her husband's memory. You see, she'd been meaning to make him his favorite pie, "Tomorrow", she'd think, "Or on the weekend." But she never got to it and suddenly, it was too late. And so today I invite you too to make a peanut butter pie,

Today's summery recipe: On-hand vegetables stuffed into summer squash, topped with a little cheese, then devoured for breakfast or a side dish or a vegetarian main dish. There's a quick trick to zucchini boats: a few minutes in the microwave! So maybe it's just me but isn't there a dirty little secret about zucchini boats? The stuffings are nearly always delicious (cheese, anyone?) but the boats themselves, the zucchini (or in this case that zucchini summer-squash cousin called the "yellow squash" or the "crookneck squash") is either undercooked and tasteless or overcooked and watery, in either case unappetizing. So here – with just one quick and easy step – the zucchini boats become more than mere vessels , they actually taste good! The trick? So easy, you'll be whacking yourself on the forehead, "I shoulda thoughta that." HERE'S ALL IT TAKES Before stuffing, just cook the zucchini in the microwave for a few minutes. The adde

How to cut corn kernels off an ear of corn using just a knife and a bowl. How to 'milk' an ear of corn to capture the sweet corn liquid. It's easy! FRESH CORN So many recipes call for "fresh corn kernels" but give no hint, not one, about how to easily cut the corn off those unwieldy cobs. (Hmm. Language question: why is it called an 'ear' of corn? Corn, are you listening? I digress.) Just take a knife and hack away? Sure, that works. But here's the elegant way to cut corn off the ears, capturing all the kernels in a bowl and catching all the 'corn milk' too. WHAT YOU'LL NEED Some corn A bowl A sharp knife That's all!

I'm going out on a limb here, just sayin' that wow, quick 'n' easy 'n' simple is the best choice for summer's prettiest zucchini, a "summer" squash. This is one of those recipes that surprises you, the sheer simplicity, the sheer goodness. Real Food, Fresh & Fast. Not just easy, Summer Easy . Budget Friendly. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Scales from Small Plates to Large Platters. Low Carb. Low Fat. Weight Watchers Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real . Naturally Gluten Free. Whole30 Friendly.

Every year, I seem to fall in love with a new vegetable. One year beets, another year corn. Then one year something hit me about green beans – and I haven't looked back since, collecting one new green bean recipe after another. And I'm not alone! Year after year, two of A Veggie Venture's top recipes feature green beans. You definitely don't want to miss Thanksgiving's World's Best Green Bean Casserole and summer's "Best Ever" New Potatoes & Green Beans ! So here are my favorite recipes. Perhaps this is your year to fall in love with green beans too? I'm here to help, proud to present my best and favorite bean recipes, all in one place ... A Dozen+ of My Best Green Bean Recipes, Everyday to Special, Sides to Salads, Soups to Suppers. Recipes Include Nutrition Information & Weight Watchers Points. Many Vegetarian, Vegan & Naturally Gluten Free Recipes.

My mother's recipe for a traditional American-style homemade potato salad – it's the one I make again and again without needing a "recipe". And while not "diet food," Mom's recipe calls for cooked eggs and cottage cheese so the potato salad is loaded with protein too . Fresh herbs really brighten the flavors! I make other potato salads on occasion but this is the one I come back to over and over, the one I make almost without thinking. But the recipe has moved to a new location, please see Old-Fashioned Potato Salad at Kitchen Parade, my food column. Looking for healthy new ways to cook vegetables? A Veggie Venture is home to hundreds of super-organized quick, easy and healthful vegetable recipes and the famous Asparagus-to-Zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables . Join " veggie evangelist " Alanna Kellogg to explore the exciting world of common and not-so-common vegetables where recipes range from seasonal to staples, savory to sweet, sal