Heirloom Tomato & Grilled Bread Panzanella

The beauty of this summery salad is in its simplicity: Be sure to use good-quality olive oil and season generously!

Ingredients:
4 cups Pain au Levain bread, cut into large cubes
2-3 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
½ cup good-quality olive oil
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
¼ cup freshly-crumbled feta or goat cheese
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Method:
1. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Toss the bread cubes with about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Grill the bread cubes until lightly charred, turning frequently with tongs. (A grill basket works well for this if you have it; otherwise watch that you don’t lose the croutons down the grate!) Remove from the grill and reserve.

2. On a large platter, arrange the heirloom tomato slices and drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Garnish with the chopped basil, cheese and grilled bread croutons and drizzle with another swirl of olive oil and, if desired, balsamic vinegar as well.

Variation: If you can find it, this salad is amazing topped with burrata cheese instead of the crumbled soft cheese!

Grilled Lacinato Kale Spread

This creamy spread from the new cookbook, Any Night Grilling, is delicious slathered on slices of grilled bread.

Ingredients:
1 bunch Lacinato kale
1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grilling
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Pinch red pepper flakes
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
½ cup crumbled sheep’s milk feta
Rustic bread, such as this week’s Italian Rustica, sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
Flaky sea salt

Method:
1. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium high, then carefully wipe the preheated grates with a lightly-oiled paper towel.

2. In a large bowl, combine the Greek yogurt with the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then fold in the sheep’s milk cheese.

3. Working in batches, grill the kale leaves until lightly charred, 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and cool slightly. Use a knife to trim the thick ribs from each leaf, then finely chop the kale leaves. Fold into the yogurt mixture.

4. Grill the bread slices over direct heat until charred, about 1 minute per side. While still war, rub 1 side of each toast with the cut side of the garlic. Top each toast with a slather of creamy kale, drizzle with olive oil and top with flaky sea salt, then serve.

Sun Ripened Recipes

No matter how you pronounce it, the word ‘tomato’ practically sings of summer, as well it should as the vine-ripened beauties are now at their best. This week’s box pays homage to the ripe, juicy summer favorite with a selection of heirloom tomatoes, plus focaccia bread, our housemade Cara Cara orange vinaigrette and everything you need for a hearty baked orzo main, plus Rainier cherries, raspberries, fennel and crisp gardens greens. Also included: Ingredients for a luscious apricot cake topped with apricot-almond crumble to finish off this bright and beautiful lineup.

Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:

Heirloom Tomato & Grilled Focaccia Bread Salad
The beauty of this summery salad is in its simplicity: Be sure to use good-quality olive oil and season generously!

Baked Orzo
This hearty baked orzo recipe is both satisfying and summery when topped with fresh heirloom tomatoes!

Roasted Beet Salad with Raspberries & Hazelnuts
Tossed with our Cara Cara orange vinaigrette, this showpiece salad boasts beautiful color.

Grilled Fennel with Radicchio
Also tossed with this week’s vinaigrette, this salad features a wonderfully-smoky flavor from the grill.

Grilled Glazed Carrots
Brushed with a sweet-tart glaze, these grilled carrots are sure to impress.

Rainbow Swiss Chard with Lemon Citronette
A light, lemony dressing adds bright appeal to tender Swiss chard.

F&L Apricot Cake with Apricot-Almond Crumble Topping
Moist and incredibly flavorful, this cake comes together in just minutes!

Summer All-Star Recipes

Peppers! Peaches! Tomatoes! These late summer staples are arriving in abundance here in August and this week’s box celebrates them in all their sun-ripened glory, as well as other favorites such as artichokes, squash blossoms and Santa Claus melon. Also joining these summer all-stars: Fresh, handcrafted red pepper linguine from Bellingham Pasta Co., plus Pain au Levain bread, Grana-style cheese and a smooth Washington Syrah. Long live summer!

Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:

Fragrant Fried Herbs
Crisp-fried herbs are an unexpected (and delicious!) garnish for the likes of pastas, salads, soups and more.

Ricotta-Stuffed Fried Squash Blossoms
The ultimate summer starter, incredibly beautiful and flavorful.

Grilled Bread with Basil Pesto
A wonderful appetizer to serve with this week’s pasta supper!

Italian-Stuffed Artichokes
Our Nonna Pat’s favorite way to serve artichokes!

Grilled Artichokes
Cracked pepper and a subtle lemon flavor perfectly accent these beautiful grilled artichokes.

Melon & Cucumber Salad with Basil
Juicy and incredibly crisp, this salad always receives rave reviews.

Grilled Peaches with Mascarpone, Pistachios & Balsamic Glaze
Peaches off the grill are a true summer delight—we particularly love this salty, sticky-sweet topping.

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