My cousin Sue’s recipe for peach syrup, thick and caramel-y, sweet with peach juice and fresh peaches. Perfect for drizzling over pancakes on a Sunday morning or over ice cream any night of the week. What would turn your kitchen into your dream kitchen? A total remodel? New appliances? New cupboards and counters?Awhile back, I wrote a piece about dream kitchens for BlogHer. All the fancy new kitchens had built-in ‘recycling centers’ – a designated spot to sort paper, glass, metal, etc.My dream kitchen needs just one thing: a ripening counter. This time of year, this keep-nothing-on-the-counter cook becomes overwhelmed by the need to let tomatoes, peaches and other fruits ripen on the counter in paper bags and for a place to store other fresh produce at room temperature for a day or two.Turns out, restaurants could use a ripening counter too. Last year, two peach desserts were oh-so-disappointing because the peaches were not even close to ripe. Peaches shouldn’t crunch, people! ALANNA…

A slightly fruity gazpacho, sweetened naturally with a ripe melon, but still a 'vegetable' gazpacho. Just fifteen minutes to the table! Let's beat this heat! (Says Alanna, who's so looking forward to today's forecast of 95F in a place without air conditioning! Yikes.) This recipe is so quick and easy
that I'm adding it to a special collection of easy summer recipes.
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Call me surprised about the happy marriage of cantaloupe and tomatoes in this easy, adaptable recipe for gazpacho. Three reasons:COLOR A cantaloupe-only gazpacho looks pale and watery. Combined, cantaloupe and tomato reveal a color akin to our ‘idea’ of the lovely melon-orange of summer-ripe cantaloupe.SWEET & SAVORY The cantaloupe adds a fruity sweetness even while the tomato keeps the gazpacho decidedly savory. Together, the two fruits – yes, a tomato is a fruit – yiel…