Tomato Panzanella a jumble of colors and nutrition

The tomatoes keep rolling in from our garden. The heat keeps pressing down without a break. Keeping the kitchen temps lowered helps make the house bearable on a sweltering day. This recipe meets a lot of needs in all those afore-mentioned regards.

Tomato Panzanella features cooked fresh corn kernels, gorgeous tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and fresh basil. Some French bread (toasted in a countertop toaster, not by firing up the oven) gets tossed in.

Along with some fresh melon on the side, this dish made a welcome meal for Hubby and me on a recent mop-the-brow summer evening. The vibrant color of everything jumbled together added to our enjoyment. Cool and delicious!

Tomato Panzanella

1 cup cooked fresh corn kernels

2 pounds large heirloom tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon white cooking wine

1/2 (16-ounce) French bread loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes and toasted

1 English cucumber, sliced

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1/3 cup torn fresh basil

salt (or salt substitute) and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Toss together all ingredients. Let stand 30 minutes. Add sherry vinegar; toss to combine. Makes 4 to 6 servings. (Source: Southern Living July 2012)

Peaches and chicken atop rice make a simple, light summer entrée

Summer dinners are so a challenge. Keep it light, keep it simple, avoid firing up the oven, give it the flavor of summer, use fresh-from-the-garden if at all possible. No pressure.

This meal suggestion was a good compromise. Part of the cooking time involved the oven but only for 15 minutes. The chicken was sautéed on the stovetop and finished in the oven to avoid drying it out in the skillet preparation. Peaches combined with the chicken broth created natural juices, so the chicken stayed moist.

These were our garden-ripened peaches, of course, but the farmers markets are a good peach source. The unusual addition of peaches gave the chicken a sweet, fruity taste. We served these Basil-Peach Chicken Breasts over rice, but the recipe suggests it atop couscous or quinoa as well.

Basil-Peach Chicken Breasts

4 skinned and boned chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)

1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or salt substitute)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

12 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

1 cup reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth

4 large peaches, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use salt and pepper to season chicken on both sides. In a large ovenproof skillet cook chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat 2 minutes on each side or until chicken is browned. Remove chicken from skillet; reserve drippings in skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add shallot to hot drippings in skillet and sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add ginger and garlic; sauté 45 to 60 seconds or until fragrant. Add basil, chicken broth, and peaches. Return chicken to skillet and turn to coat. Bake 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until chicken is done. Makes 4 servings. (Source: Southern Living June 2012)