Saturday, July 25, 2026

Stewy, Herby Tomatoes + Beans | Plus My Favorite Annual Reminder ๐ŸŒฝ

Good Morning, Friends.

Last weekend, when my sister arrived with her children, she emerged from her car holding a small brown paper bag. I squealed at the sight, knowing/hoping what might be inside: dozens of dirt-shrouded heads of her husband Tim's homegrown garlic.

If you grow your own garlic or are lucky enough to be on the receiving end of someone else's, or if you buy it at the farmer's market, you know it is a far cry from what most of us can get for much of the year. It is gold.

Beneath the papery purple skins are crisp, solid, smooth as ivory cloves:

Shortly after receiving the garlic, I spotted some local cherry tomatoes at the store. When I brought them home, I discovered they had not reached snacking-level goodness yet, so I decided to roast them with Tim's garlic, a few sprigs of oregano, olive oil, and salt:

The recipe is inspired by one in Laura Vitale's At My Italian Table, which came out two years ago, and which I made many times that summer to serve alongside this Whipped Ricotta with Honey and Pistachios, also from the book. The two go very well together, but this week, as I found myself cooking mostly for one, I spooned the stewy, herby tomatoes over brothy beans* and shaved parmesan over the top:

The meal was maybe better suited for late fall, but it kind of felt like fall up here this week, and I found the combination so satisfying.

The tomato recipe is not up on the blog yet, but it will be soon. If you'd like to give it a go in the meantime, I've typed it up in this Google Doc. If you make them, I'd love to know how you like them. I might try for a slightly longer roast time next time around.

Friends, below you will find a few more summery meals to make this week as well as my favorite way to cook corn for a crowd ๐ŸŒฝ๐ŸŒฝ๐ŸŒฝ

*I used small white beans (Rancho Gordo Alubia Blanca) in place of the chickpeas — you can use any bean you like, keeping in mind the timing will vary slightly depending on the bean you are using.

PS: The stewy tomatoes are great over olive-oil toasted bread:


Review of the Week

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Zucchini Involtini

"I LOVED this recipe with Swiss chard and zucchini from my garden! I used 8 oz of ricotta (1 cup), and it was perfect. "

— SallyT


How To Cook Corn For a Crowd

At some point this summer, you may find yourself cooking corn for a crowd. Here's a great method: stuff the ears, broken in half, into a large pot, add two cups of water, cover with foil, bring to a boil, then set a timer for 5 minutes.

When the timer dings, turn off the heat, remove the pan from the burner, and let the corn sit until serving time, another 5 minutes or so. The corn will emerge firm and juicy, cooked just enough, which is all it needs.

Is there anything better than the first corn of the season? Here are 3 more favorite corn recipes I'm so looking forward to making:

Deborah Madison's Corn Fritters

Fresh Corn Polenta: It's truly one of my all-time favorite things to eat.

Melissa Clark's Corn Pasta


4 More Recipes to Make This Week

Quick Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce

Pan-Seared Cod with Sauce Niรงoise

Blistered green beans:

Zucchini Tortillas


Farm Share Friends:

... it's here! The season of ALL the greens, herbs, radishes, and more. While I am no longer updating The Farm Share Newsletter, these posts from previous years may be helpful:


Popular Right Now

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Thank You

Thank you to all who have ordered Pizza Night. If you haven't left a review yet, I would be so grateful if you did! ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿ™๐Ÿ•๐Ÿ•๐Ÿฅ—๐Ÿฅ—


5 Free Resources Available to You

PS: All previous editions of this newsletter are available here.

Happy Cooking,


Alexandra Stafford



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