Summer is winding down and I’m savoring the last of the season’s flavors as the amount of summer squash, tomatoes, and stone fruit dwindles down slowly on market stands and garden soil. After lugging home two arms full of zucchini from a friend’s garden on a balmy Monday night, this whole wheat almond zucchini bread was born. It’s made virtuous by honey and whole wheat and almonds and of course a generous amount of grated zucchini, meaning a slice for breakfast with your morning coffee would be right on all accounts. Don’t be fooled; its virtue makes no sacrifice in flavor.

Whole Wheat Almond Zucchini Bread

makes one 9x5” loaf or two small 5 1/2x3” loaves

• Approximately 1 1/2 cup grated zucchini, drained thoroughly of water

• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

• 1/2 cup almond flour

• 1/3 cup olive oil (coconut oil can be substituted)

• 1/2 cup honey

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup almond milk

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

• sliced almonds, for topping (optional

Preheat oven to 350. Grease the baking pan(s) to prevent sticking and set aside.

Whisk together the olive oil, honey, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the almond milk, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, vanilla, and almond extract (optional) and whisk until combined. With a spatula or spoon, fold in the grated zucchini, whole wheat flour and almond flour and stir until well mixed. Pour into the greased baking pan(s) and top with sliced almonds.

Bake for about 55 minutes or so if using smaller pans, about 1 hour or longer if using one 9x5” pan. Test the bread for doneness with a toothpick; if it comes out clean, it’s ready. Allow to cool and serve.

My favorite kind of pizza is the non-traditional sort. Though pepperoni and mozzarella and tomato sauce are a crowd-pleaser, I prefer the experimental and unexpected. This pizza already gets a kickstart on flavor with its slightly tart and wholly delicious sourdough crust, a perfect foundation for juicy figs, salty prosciutto and herbaceous rosemary. The base is cheese and sauce in one, a combination of goat cheese, ricotta and parmesan with a splash of olive oil.

Fig and Prosciutto Sourdough Pizza with Rosemary, Goat Cheese and Ricotta

• Sourdough pizza dough

• 5 or 6 ripe figs, sliced in half

• 3 oz prosciutto

• 3 sprigs of rosemary, stems removed and leaves reserved

• 1/2 cup soft goat cheese

• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese

• 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence (optional)

• Pepper, to taste (salt is reserved here as prosciutto tends to lend enough saltiness; you may add some to taste if needed)

• Cornmeal, for dusting the dough

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a small mixing bowl combine the goat cheese, ricotta cheese, parmesan, and olive oil.

Gently stretch the pizza dough until it’s large and thin enough for your liking, dusting the bottom and edges with cornmeal before placing it on a pizza pan or sheet pan. Smear the cheese mixture over the dough. Top with the figs, prosciutto, and rosemary. Sprinkle with pepper and herbes de Provence and drizzle the pizza with a bit of olive oil before popping it into the oven. Bake the pizza for approximately 25 minutes, or until the edges are browned.

Summer is stone fruit season, which means juicy peaches and plums and nectarines make an appearance on the farmer’s market stands while the day’s heat slowly settles over Saturday shoppers schlepping around totes full of the season’s best. With a few ripening plums in the kitchen and a small victory to celebrate, this cake emerged from my oven on a sunny afternoon. I would call this the sort of casual cake you have when a friend stops by along with a splash of iced coffee or a crisp white wine, depending on the time of day. Not fussy in any way with plum slices strewn across the top, it only needs a dusting of powdered sugar and good company to share it with.

Almond Plum Cake

makes one 8 inch cake

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• 3/4 cup almond flour

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 eggs

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 2 tablespoons almond butter

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 cup almond milk

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

• Pinch of salt

• Pinch of nutmeg and cardamom

• 2 small ripe plums, sliced into wedges

• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 inch springform pan (you may add parchment paper to the bottom as well to ensure easy removal) and set aside.

Whisk together the all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cardamom. In a different bowl, whisk together the olive oil, eggs, honey, almond butter, milk, sugar, and almond extract. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients.

Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Place the plum wedges on top.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top of the cake is golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before removing the cake from the pan. Serve at room temperature and dust with powdered sugar just before serving..

This cake pairs well with generous scoops of vanilla flecked ice cream, a drizzle of melted dark chocolate and a handful of slivered almonds sprinkled over each slice, or by itself with an espresso or chilled glass of bubbly.

A good dose of rain over the past few weeks blessed my little town with lush green hillsides and blooming backyard roses, spurring a craving for meals that warm you from the inside out after a day’s worth of rain boot stomping and umbrella wielding. As we’re now teetering on the edge of springtime and looking towards summer, perhaps a whopping bowl of hot soup may not be a viable option for this week’s dinner due to a sunny locality, but for the unexpected June thunderstorm and the last rainy days of spring, this makes for a comforting meal when the weather turns. Keep this recipe tucked away for when you find yourself craving soup, for now and for six months from now, whether it’s the way the clouds are rolling in or a simple pang of wanting.

Tomato Soup

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 white or yellow onion, chopped

• 1/2 cup red wine

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/4 cup tomato paste

• 2 28 oz cans whole San Marzano tomatoes, with juices

• 8 cups filtered water

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• Pinch of nutmeg

• 2 generous teaspoons herbes de Provence

• 1/2 cup whole milk (optional)

• Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Add the onion, cooking over medium-low heat until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook until the mixture begins to brown on the bottom of the pot. Then, add the wine and the balsamic vinegar, scraping up any bits at the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Allow the wine to simmer for about 5 minutes or until it’s reduced a bit.

Add the San Marzano tomatoes with their juices, 8 cups of filtered water, the sugar, nutmeg, and herbes de Provence. Bring to a gentle boil, then turn the heat down and allow the soup to simmer for 1 hour, uncovered.

After the soup has simmered for 1 hour, it should be reduced by about 1/4th of its volume. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until there are no bits of tomato or onion left and it’s quite smooth. Add the milk (optional, and if you do, be sure not to allow the soup to boil after adding it), and the salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with torn pieces of toasted bread and a sprinkling of cheese on top.