Chilled Corn And Zucchini Salad With A Sweet Vinaigrette

August 7, 2026 by Leave a Comment

corn side salad

This is my take on a side dish I recently ordered at a restaurant. It was a chilled corn salad with a zesty, sweet vinaigrette. I instantly loved it and thought what a great salad to make when summer produce is at it’s peak.

I changed up a few things and added in zucchini along with the corn in my version and I must say this salad has really been a summer hit.

corn pile

Get your hands on some good corn, the sweeter the better because it’s the star ingredient in this salad.

corn and zucchini side

The corn when added in with all the other fresh ingredients makes for a truly delicious combination of flavors.

summer corn salad

This is in now my top three favorite summer salads which I’ll be making on repeat until summer zucchini and corn go out of season which will be a sad day, but until then, enjoy!

Chilled Corn And Zucchini Salad With A Sweet Vinaigrette
 
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When corn and zucchini are at it's peak you need this salad on repeat.
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Recipe type: Summer salad
Ingredients
  • 2 fresh corn on the cobs steamed for 4 minutes, cooled and cut into planks and kernels
  • 1 or 2 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then sliced thin into half moons
  • red and yellow mini peppers sliced thin
  • radishes cut in quarters
  • cherry tomatoes, halved
  • red onion, diced
  • green onion, diced
  • feta, queso fresco, or fresh mozzarella, diced
  • basil and fresh parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • FOR THE VINAIGRETTE.
  • ¼ cup, olive oil
  • 2 Tbl. white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbl. lime juice
  • 1 Tbl. honey
  • pinch of granulated garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • whisk til emulsified
Instructions
  1. All the ingredients besides the corn and zucchini I added as much to my liking, so do the same, no exact measures there. You can also double the vinaigrette as well.
  2. Place all the ingredients into a pretty serving bowl then pour the vinaigrette over the top and toss gently to coat.
  3. ENJOY!

 

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Fresh Peach and Ricotta Cake

July 14, 2026 by Leave a Comment

peach cake

Fresh peach and ricotta cake is the perfect summer dessert, especially when peaches are at their peak. The addition of ricotta pairs beautifully with fresh, ripe peaches.

fresh peaches

A fresh juicy, unblemished peach is a thing of beauty and I was lucky enough to find some from North Carolina at my local Costco the other day.

oven ready peach cake

After we enjoyed eating some I couldn’t wait to make this fresh peach and ricotta cake. In the past I’ve paired fruit with ricotta quite a bit, like in this ricotta berry tart and this roasted apricot ricotta tart.

peach ricotta cake

The peaches get nestled right into the batter and as they bake the juices seep into the surrounding crumb. The top caramelizes slightly adding crisp golden edges which adds to the texture and flavor.

You can embellish it anyway you want,  you can add a bit of almond extract along with the vanilla, also topping it off with a sprinkling of sliced almonds before it gets baked into the oven, it’s all good.

slice of peach cake

Enjoy this summer dessert dusted with some powdered sugar if you like, some fresh whipped cream or a spoonful of mascarpone cheese on the side.

Happy Summer!

Fresh Peach and Ricotta Cake
 
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When peaches are in season, this is the summer dessert you'll want to make.
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Ingredients
  • 3 or 4 large, fresh peaches, skin on. 1 cut in small cubes and the others cut in slices
  • 1 cup or 2 sticks room temperature butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta ( if deli bought, drain liquid very well)
  • 1½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup almond flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • brown sugar to sprinkle over top
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
  2. Spray or butter a 9 inch spring form pan.
  3. With a hand mixer or stand mixer cream the butter with the sugar.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time.
  5. Add the ricotta and vanilla and mix til all blended.
  6. In a separate bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder, soda and salt.
  7. Add the dry to the wet then fold in the cubed peaches, batter will be really thick.
  8. Place the batter into your spring form pan and smooth it out with an offset spatula, then place the pan on a lined baking sheet to bake.
  9. Arrange your sliced peaches in a pretty design on top, then sprinkle with brown sugar.
  10. I baked mine for an hour and fifteen minutes, but ovens do vary so check that it's not jiggling and make sure the batter is cooked through. Sometimes if the ricotta is too wet you'll have problems with the cook time. I would say after an hour start checking those things.
  11. NOTE; As I stated in the post you can add a little almond extract and a sprinkling of sliced almonds along with the brown sugar if you like.
  12. Enjoy!

 

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Lemon Blueberry Summer Tart

May 27, 2026 by Leave a Comment

summer berry tart

When I think of summer I think of all the different berries that are in abundance right now and this lemon blueberry dessert is the perfect  dessert to make this time a year. This summer tart is light, fruity, refreshing and quite simple to make.

Picture a crisp tart crust filled with the berries of your choice, for this tart I used primarily blueberries but I also added in some blackberries that I had.  You can also use raspberries or strawberries as well to create your tart.

berry tart

What I love about this tart is how it’s cooked and comes together, there’s a layer of berries that gets cooked right on top of the tart crust until it gets nice and bubbly, then when it’s done you shut the oven off and scatter fresh berries all over the top, it’s the best of both worlds!

You can serve this for all your summer affairs, summer cookouts, graduations, birthdays, bridal and baby showers or just for a delicious dessert to enjoy relaxing on your patio, you get the idea.

Enjoy!

Lemon Blueberry Summer Tart
 
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This recipe is adapted from an old issue of Woman's Day magazine from the early 2000's. Replacing the almond flavor with lemon gives it a bright summery twist.
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 Tbl. flour
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tbl. granulated sugar
  • ½ t. salt
  • 1 stick, unsalted butter
  • 1 Tbl. white vinegar
  • 5 cups of blueberries
  • heaping tablespoon of lemon zest
  • ½ t. lemon extract
  • confectioner's sugar
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 375F. Coat a 9-in. round or square tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick spray.
  2. Pulse 1 cup flour, 2 TBL sugar and the salt in a food processor until blended. Add butter and pulse til crumbs form. Sprinkle with vinegar, pulse til blended. Turn out dough and bring together with fingers.
  3. Press dough into bottom of tart pan. Top with 3 cups of the berries.
  4. NOTE: Feel free to make it with a good quality store-bought pie dough, I've done it and it turns out just as delicious.
  5. Mix remaining 2 Tbl. flour, ⅔ cup sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl and evenly sprinkle over berries and drizzle the lemon extract right over the berries.
  6. bake tart 50 - 60 minutes until bubbly.
  7. Remove tart from oven and top with remaining 2 cups of blueberries.
  8. Cool on a wire rack, when cooled sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve at room temperature.

 

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