Peaches, Corn, Blackberries, Tomatoes, Basil

This is the time of year I start to look forward to fall, both personally and professionally with my recipe development. I’m not a fan of the heat and humidity, but I am grateful for this season and the beautiful produce it provides. So while I’m planning and preparing for my favorite season and dreaming up pumpkin, pear, and apple sourdough recipes, I’m also taking full advantage of the seasonal abundance of fresh fruits, veggies, and herbs and making some of my favorite peak summer dishes.

Peaches are at the top of my list and I already wrote a whole newsletter dedicated to them. I’ll leave that linked at the bottom of this email if you’re a peach fanatic like me.

Fresh sweet corn is abundant and so cheap right now and I love sneaking it into everything. I do a quick side dish of diced zucchini and fresh corn on repeat this time of year - sometimes with a little bacon but not always. Fresh corn is also great in curries and my Thai Coconut Curry with Shrimp and Fresh Corn is one of our absolute favorites this time of year. I like to add it near the end of cooking so it maintains its sweetness and fresh crunch. Corn also stars in my Garlic Butter Steamed Clams with Grilled Corn and Bacon. And of course, you can always toss some fresh kernels into my Sourdough Cornbread (or any cornbread) for some freshness and texture.

We have tons of wild blackberries around here and what we don’t gobble up fresh off the vines, and what I can sneak past my little berry-loving boys, I love to incorporate into recipes like my Blackberry Cheesecake Ice Cream or Blackberry Ginger Scones. You can also use blackberries in any of my other berry recipes such as Mulberry Crumble Muffins, Black Raspberry Ice Cream, or Wineberry Sorbet.

Homegrown tomatoes are one of my ultimate summertime joys along with the boatloads of fresh basil that self-seeds year after year in our kitchen garden. Campanelle Caprese Pasta is the perfect use for both and it’s one of our favorite summertime pasta dishes. It’s light and fresh and comes together in minutes. This one is perfect as a vegetarian dinner all on its own or served alongside any protein. Look at those cute little spoon tomatoes. I love growing them.

And finally, is it even summer if you don’t have zucchini coming out of your ears? Summer squash is one of the easiest crops to grow and the plants just keep on giving. My Lamb Stuffed Summer Squash can be made with any summer squash or zucchini variety. It’s such an elegant and incredibly delicious summertime meal that would be perfect for entertaining. Serve it simply with a side salad and of course a glass of cool, crisp wine. If you aren’t into lamb, use any ground meat you prefer. This dish is very Greek-inspired and reminds me of the Moussaka my dad made occasionally when I was a child.

Surprisingly, in the dead of summer, My How to Make a Sourdough Starter (Easy Beginner’s Guide) is still getting lots of traffic. If you’ve been wanting to get started, jump in! I was so intimidated by sourdough before I started and now it’s second nature to me and such a fun, rewarding, and reliable part of my routine. I’ve learned over the years how to fit it into the rhythms of my life which is something you’ll learn too as you get started. For example, today (Thursday when I’m typing this), I’ve had a busy day of blog work (boring admin stuff) and a teething 8-month-old clinging to me like a koala all day as well as a rambunctious 3-year-old climbing the walls (it’s been raining a LOT) and all the while I’ve been doing stretch and folds here and there when I can on a batch of my Artisan Sourdough Bread knowing that tonight I’ll shape it, tuck it into the fridge, and bake it tomorrow morning.

Sourdough doesn’t have to be fussy or complicated and it will always fit into your schedule. And when you need a break, have travel plans or just a really busy season of life, you can push that jar of starter to the back of your fridge and wake it up whenever you’re ready again. In my starter guide as well as in my other sourdough recipes, I break it all down for you and I’m always available for questions and troubleshooting. Yes, it is a bit of a learning curve, but if I can do it, you can do it. You’ve got this! And once your starter is established, I also have a follow up post for How to Feed and Maintain a Sourdough Starter where I answer tons of sourdough starter faqs that I collected from you, my wonderful readers. If you don’t find the answer you’re looking for there, send me an email. I’m always so happy to help.

How to Make a Sourdough Starter

How to Feed and Maintain a Starter

Take me to Wild Thistle Kitchen

Here’s that peach-filled newsletter from earlier this summer.

Sourdough Peach Cobbler (with video)

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July 11, 2025

We are right in the middle of peach season aka the best part of summer. It’s no secret I’m not a fan of the heat and humidity this time of year and peaches are my favorite coping mechanism. A perfectly ripe, juicy yellow peach is my idea of heaven; Like an oasis in the middle of the desert of summer; A “Calgon, take me away” moment (who remembers those …

As always, thanks so much for being here. - Anita