In August, the summer fruits and vegetables abound and two of my favorites are tomatoes and peaches! Technically a fruit, but considered a vegetable - tomatoes are available to us in the U.S. year round, but they are at their peak in the hot Summer months. Big and juicy, they’re known to be a good source of vitamin C and lycopene. And despite all the great things you can say about a tomato, they are kind of divisive. Tomatoes (like eggplant) are one of those foods that draw a lot of love… and hate.

As for myself, I do eat tomatoes year round, but in fall and winter they are usually in cooked form. And although I will from time to time throw some cherry tomatoes into a salad (they tend to be the most forgiving out of season tomato), I save eating raw tomatoes mostly to the summer months.

Shockingly, I find that peaches kinda fall into the same camp as tomatoes…people love em’ or hate em’. I remember being completely blown away when a coworker shared his total and utter disdain for the fruit. “You hate peaches??? Who hates peaches???” I asked incredulously. My coworker replied, “I do. They’re terrible….mmmmewww.” I suppose I can kinda understand it. Like tomatoes (and the aforementioned eggplant ), some people just can’t deal with the texture.

Being on “team peach” and “team tomato”, I love eating them both throughout the Summer (and do so often), so I decided to share a couple of recipes featuring the versatile fruits-

Peach Crumble Cinnamon Rolls are a new take on the beloved cinnamon roll with juicy peaches and and a crumble top, while the Peach + Tomato Bruschetta is a simple twist on a delicious classic. Last but not least, the Mini Tomato + Feta Hand Pies are a 5 ingredient delight that are quick, easy, and delicious.

The time to get these beautiful fruits at their best is short, so don’t miss out this year- hit the store (or even better) your local farmer’s market and pick up some top-tier summertime fruits today. <3

august bounty

Along with tomatoes and peaches, August is a great time for melons, blackberries, figs, nectarines, plums, grapes, corn, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, eggplant, green beans and peas!