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The ROSÉ & ROSES fundraiser for the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center was a huge success the other week! I couldn’t believe how far some people traveled to be there (all the way from Canada!). We drank Rosé and Herbal Iced Tea, had an incredible cheese and charcuterie spread from Cavaniolas in Sag Harbor, walked around the garden, and raised serious money for the center.
If you support childhood development programs, Whitmore Kids is the most joyful place for kids to learn and play. For more information about the nonprofit and its work to keep high-quality early education accessible on the East End of Long Island, visit ewecc.org. ❤️❤️
Ask Ina:
“I’m about to have a million ripe tomatoes in my garden. What do I do with all of them??”
There’s really nothing like the flavor of fresh summer tomatoes, whether they come from the market or your garden. I love waiting for my plants to ripen, but then I’m suddenly overwhelmed with fruit! It’s why you can find so many salad recipes with tomatoes in my cookbooks.
As soon as August comes, I feel like making a gorgeous Panzanella, which is a classic Italian tomato, cucumber, and bread salad. The Panzanella recipe in my book Parties! is great because it uses vegetables and herbs that are in season at the same time. I also have a Grilled Panzanella that turns up the volume by using heirloom tomatoes and thick slices of grilled bread instead of croutons. It’s really good.
Making a chilled soup like Gazpacho is a great way to enjoy tomatoes at their freshest. When I have too many, I make my Roasted Tomato Basil Soup and freeze it in quart containers so I can have it when there’s a chill in the air. It’s easy to reheat and hot-rod with Grilled Cheese Croutons.
“Hot-rod” usually refers to an old car that’s been souped-up with a new engine or parts to make it go faster. In my upcoming cookbook, Simply Ina, I talk about how you can hot-rod leftovers or store-bought prepared foods the same way!
I also just love to keep a bowl of cherry tomatoes on the counter for anyone to snack on as they ripen. And overflowing bowls of ripe tomatoes are a beautiful centerpiece at a summer dinner party!
This Week’s Favorites:
Prosciutto di Parma wrapped around slices of Pike Farms melons - there isn’t a better appetizer!
I watched a great limited series on Amazon called All Her Fault. It’s a mystery about a missing child and who gets blamed.
Last week we began taping my new podcast, Happy Hour with Ina, which will begin to air mid-September. I hope watching or listening to it makes you as happy as taping it made us!
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