In the interest of self preservation!
Like much of the country we have suffered multiple heat waves this spring and summer. That has moved me to look for recipes that are value added to my growing cornucopia of fresh veggies.
The focus of my search include the air fryer, instant pot (slower cooker and pressure cooker) and even the microwave. All impart only a fraction of the heat into the kitchen as does the stove/oven. Even the wok can be an aid in that since it consumes a lot of heat from the stove, but it is only for a short time.
I am not a great fan of the microwave---but it does have it's staring moments---like corn on the cob and many fresh veggies ie asparagus.![:hatoff:](images/smilies/hatsoff.gif)
I have also set a goal to honor summer's most productive garden plant---the lowly zucchini. I will prepare zucchini at least once a week in a new way. That really is not that difficult, zucchini absorbs flavors from ingredients it is made with.
To help keep things fresh this time of year----I use fresh herbs and spices wherever I can. I get hydroponically grown basil and keep it in water on the window sill above the sink, and cut as needed.
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
"Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis