☕️ Bite-Sized Sundays: Summer's last call (don't miss these 5-star recipes)

Happy Sunday, Friends.

This week: Peak summer produce and the 5-star recipes that make the most of these fleeting flavors.

"And all at once, summer collapsed into fall." - Oscar Wilde

We're in that bittersweet moment when summer produce is at its absolute peak but you can feel the season shifting. Watermelons are at their juiciest, corn is impossibly sweet, blackberries are bursting with flavor, and heirloom tomatoes are irresistible.

The recipes I've hand picked for you are the ones to make right now, while these ingredients are still at their best. Simple preparations that let peak flavors shine.

🌟 Recipe of the Week: Watermelon Arugula Salad with Feta Sweet watermelon, peppery arugula, and creamy feta jazzed up with a mild jalapeño lime dressing for a salad that tastes like summer in a bowl.

Difficulty level: Easy
Active time: 15 minutes
Perfect for: When you want something refreshing that feels substantial

🎯 Quick Hits

Pro-Tip: For the best corn salad, cut kernels off the cob right before serving.
Back to Basics: No-cook Blackberry Syrup is just blackberries, agave nectar, and water blended smooth and strained. Ready in 5 minutes and keeps for a week in the fridge. Make margaritas, drizzle it over your yogurt or pancakes, or just eat it by the spoonful.
Did You Know? Checca sauce is a no-cook Italian pasta sauce that basically sauces itself with peak tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, olives, basil, garlic, and olive oil. If you've never had this before, I hope you'll try it this summer.

Summer's Finest:

Watermelon Arugula Salad with Feta (mild jalapeño lime dressing)
Checca Sauce (the no-cook pasta sauce that makes the most of perfect tomatoes)
Heirloom Tomato Salad (when tomatoes are this good, keep it simple)
Blackberry Margaritas (with no-cook blackberry syrup)
Easy Corn Salad (sweet corn, buttery avocado, juicy tomato, peppery arugula)
Mexican Street Corn (charred, creamy, and irresistible)
Mexican Street Corn Salad (all those flavors + crunchy slaw in an easier-to-eat format)

📣 Pinch and Swirl in the News

8 Backyard Barbecue Etiquette Rules You Might Be Breaking

I enjoyed the chance to weigh in on one thing you should never ask of a host in this article for Martha Stewart.

Read article

👩‍🍳 What's Cooking Next Week Coming Wednesday: Blueberry Crepes - delicate, beautiful, and easier than you think. (Just wait until you see this video! 🤤)

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All my best,

Watermelon Arugula Salad with Feta

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Checca Sauce

"Fresh, easy, delicious, and beautiful — the caprese version of spaghetti! Marissa, this is my absolute favorite way to use our garden heirlooms at their peak of summer ripeness. I’m only sorry it took me a few years to leave you a comment telling you how much we love your recipe for checca sauce." ~Kim Kautzer

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