Stuffed tomatoes with peaches, corn, cucumbers and basil

Summer is just around the corner, so it's time to start prepping your skin for shorts and swimsuit season. For a glow from within, fill your plate with tomatoes and peaches. Tomatoes are the best source of the anti-aging antioxidant lycopene, a skin-repairing element that reduces inflammation and cancer risk. Peaches are a good source of vitamin C, which aids collagen production.

Serves 8

Ingredients:
8 ripe medium beefsteak tomatoes
2 ripe peaches, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
3 Kirby cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 1/3 cups)
Kernels from 2 ears corn (1 1/2 cups)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves, plus sprigs for garnish

Directions:
Slice off tops of tomatoes (about a half-inch). Scoop out the seeds and ribs, and coarsely chop. Stir together chopped tomatoes, peaches, cucumbers, corn, oil, one tablespoon lime juice, salt and pepper. Let stand for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust for acidity, adding up to one tablespoon more lime juice. Stir in basil.

Season inside of tomato shells with salt and pepper. Fill tomatoes with tomato mixture and garnish with basil sprigs. Serve immediately.

Source: Martha Stewart

Tomato lemonade

Did you know you can protect your skin from the sun from the inside out? In one study, participants who ate five tablespoons of tomato paste every day for 12 weeks suffered significantly less sunburn than a control group. To get the benefit, try this tomato lemonade -- it's way tastier than eating your sunscreen.

Serves 10

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 pounds tomatoes, preferably yellow or orange, cored and chopped
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3 cups ice water
Lemon wedges and herb sprigs, for garnish

Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let the simple syrup cool to room temperature.

In a food processor, puree the tomatoes and strain the puree through a sieve into a pitcher; discard the solids. Add the simple syrup, lemon juice and ice water and stir.

Fill 10 tall glasses with ice. Pour in the tomato lemonade, garnish with lemon wedges and herb sprigs and serve.

Source: Food & Wine

Photo via: Love & Olive Oil

Grilled watermelon with blue cheese

Firing up the ol' grill doesn't mean you have to stuff yourself with hamburgers and hot dogs. This summer, try throwing another summer food staple on the grill: watermelon. The sweet, juicy flavor is intensified by heat and smoke, and blue cheese and balsamic glaze make it an unexpected barbecue treat no one would turn down.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 (1/2-inch-thick) watermelon rounds, quartered
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
Fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons bottled balsamic glaze

Directions:
Preheat grill to 350 to 400 degrees (medium-high heat). Brush both sides of each watermelon quarter with olive oil and season with desired amount of salt and pepper.

Grill watermelon quarters, without grill lid, one minute on each side or until grill marks appear.

Transfer watermelon to a serving plate; top with blue cheese and fresh basil. Drizzle watermelon with balsamic glaze. Serve immediately. If you're barbecue doesn't feel complete without a piece of meat, top with a thin slice of prosciutto, as shown above.

Source: Southern Living

Berry and mint popsicles

The berry trifecta (raspberries, blackberries and strawberries) is at its juiciest in August. Take advantage of the season and make your own refreshing, icy treat.

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blackberries
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh mint

Directions:
Combine raspberries, blackberries and sliced strawberries with the lemon juice and mint in a mixing bowl. Mash the berries a bit with the back of a large wooden spoon. Let this mixture sit for about a half hour.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool for about five minutes, then combine with the berry mixture.

Using a glass measuring cup with a spout, carefully pour the berry mixture into your popsicle molds.

Freeze for six hours. If your popsicles stick to the molds, hold them under warm running water to loosen.

Source: The Year in Food

Leek, fennel and apple walnut soup with turmeric

Eat your way to a clearer, less-sluggish mind by trying your hand at this soup, filled with an IQ-enhancing triple-threat: walnuts, apples and turmeric. Walnuts have been called the ultimate brain food because of their high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Apples are a leading source of quercetin, an antioxidant plant chemical that keeps your mental juices flowing by protecting your brain cells. And turmeric has remarkably improved symptoms in Alzheimer's patients, according to a recent study.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
3 leeks, white and light green parts chopped (discard green tops)
4 sprigs of thyme, leaves minced
1 fennel bulb, cored and chopped (reserve fronds for garnish)
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1-2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted
4 cups vegetable stock
Maple syrup, reserved fennel fronds and more toasted walnuts, to serve
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Heat the grapeseed oil in a large soup pot over medium. Add the chopped leeks and thyme. Stir and sauté the leeks until they are a bit soft, about four minutes. Add the chopped fennel and apples. Stir ingredients. Add the turmeric and stir to coat the vegetables evenly. Sauté the vegetables until the fennel starts to soften, another four minutes. Stir in walnuts. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vegetable stock and stir.

Bring the pot to a boil and simmer until all of the vegetables/apples are very soft, about 12 to15 minutes. Remove the soup from heat. Blend the mixture in batches until totally smooth. Check the soup for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Bring the pureed soup to a boil and serve hot with drizzles of maple syrup, fresh black pepper, fennel fronds and more toasted walnuts.

Source: The First Mess