Angela Liddon

Gazpacho is a Spanish raw vegetable soup served chilled during the warm summer months. It's often made with a base of tomatoes, as well as other in-season vegetables like cucumber, bell peppers, onions and garlic.

As summer approaches, I find myself craving foods that are light, fresh, and easy to prepare. On those hot and humid days, I refrain from turning on the oven and instead gravitate toward foods like raw salads or meals that can be prepared on the outdoor grill.

I’m a fairly recent beet fan; however, I can’t say I’ve made much time to cook with them. Beets always seem like such a pain in the butt to prepare and cook, don’t they? The peeling, the red stains, the roots, the dirt – I used to pass them by for easier-to-prepare vegetables, even though I have grown to love the taste of cooked beets.

If you’ve ever shied away from making traditional lemonade because you were concerned about all that white sugar, don’t give up hope just yet.

I was in the kitchen trying to make my own onion rings; only these would be baked instead of fried and more of an “everyday” onion ring if you will. I experimented with a few different coatings and batter mixtures until I found a combo that I loved.