Recipe for July:

Ah, summer! Everyone would undoubtedly love the opportunity of spending less time in the kitchen and taking more time to enjoy their delicious food. Well, I think this marinated white bean and tomato salad will appeal to your taste buds perfectly! So, what are we waiting for? My stomach is already growling!

Makes 4~6 servings

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Two 15.5-ounce cans white beans, such as butter beans or cannellini, drained and rinsed
Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
2 sprigs of oregano, leaves removed (about 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, or 2 tablespoons dried oregano)
Kosher salt
2 pints of cherry tomatoes or a couple large heirloom tomatoes, or a mix of shapes and sizes

Instructions:

Step 1: In a small pot or skillet, place the oil and garlic and heat over medium-low until the garlic is just barely starting to turn golden brown and smells fragrant, for about 5 minutes.

Step 2: In a large bowl or resealable container, place the drained beans, pour the hot garlic oil over and toss to combine. Add the lemon zest and oregano and season to taste with salt. Let it sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature, or seal and transfer to the fridge to bring up to room temperature so that the oil isn't cold and congealed.

Step 3: At 30 minutes or 1 hour before serving, halve the cherry tomatoes (or cut the heirlooms into big bite-size pieces or wedges) and season liberally with salt. This helps intensify the tomato flavour - please DO NOT skip this step. Let them sit in a separate bowl from the beans until just before it's time to serve, then lift the tomatoes out (leaving the juices behind) and toss them into the beans. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If you want it to taste brighter, add a splash of sherry or red wine vinegar, and maybe add a few fresh oregano leaves. If you want a bit of spice, sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes. Transfer to a serving platter.

Step 4: After all this hard work... who wouldn't wanna taste their own cooking a bit? Enjoy! : )

Recipe of June:

June marks the arrival of summer - and OMG it's already blisteringly hot! Need something to cool down? The Tomato Gazpacho will be the perfect epitome of refreshment, with juicy tomatoes, garlic, onions, peppers, cucumbers, and bread for a kick. This 10-minute cold soup for lunch or a light dinner will surely make June more colourful!

6 Servings

Ingredients:
4 to 5 slices of stale artisan bread, crust removed
Water
5 large ripe tomatoes, about 2 pounds
1/2 English cucumber, peeled, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 green pepper, cored, seeded, roughly chopped
2 green onions, trimmed, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled, roughly chopped
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Pinch sugar
Small handful of fresh mint leaves, torn or chopped

Instructions:

STEP 1: Place the bread slices in a bowl with 1/2 cup of water. Let the bread soak, while you work on the tomatoes. Squeeze the water out of the bread.

STEP 2: Place the tomatoes in a large pot of boiling water for 40 seconds or so. With a slotted spoon, remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and let them cool down for about a minute or so. When they're cool enough to be held, carefully peel off the skins.

STEP 3: In a large food processor or blender, place the tomatoes with the cucumbers, celery, green onions, garlic and peppers. Top it off with the soaked bread. Pour 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil and the sherry vinegar. Run the processes for a few seconds then add the salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper (optional) and a pinch of sugar - blend.

STEP 4: Test the gazpacho and if it's too thick, add a little water, blend well, until it is your desired form.

STEP 5: Transfer to a glass container or large canning jars. Cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator.

STEP 6: When ready to serve, give the gazpacho a quick stir then transfer to serving bowls or small glasses. Top with olive oil and a garnish of fresh mint, cilantro and chopped green onions, if you like.

STEP 7: Finally - the most important step! I won't forgive you ever again if you ignore this! Just kidding - enjoy, that's all! : )

Written by: Lily
Edited by: Autumn Aschinger
Proofread by: Hazel Antler