Tami Noyes ~ In Ohio, we live just a walk from Lake Erie. One of the benefits of being where we are, besides the lake, of course, is that glaciers formed nutrient-rich ridges of land that give us some of the best peaches, corn, apples and other produce. Sadly, few of the farmers there are organic, but every once in a while we find a smaller farmer who is.

Make this delicious French toast to celebrate the best fruits of the season, whatever they are where you are. Or top it with maple syrup and vegan butter. Either way, your day will be off to a sweet start ...

Last month, I shared a pre-review of The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen: Recipes for Noodles, Dumplings, Sauces, and More, but the cookbook has now arrived! Available on Amazon, this is one dairy-free AND gluten-free gem that Asian food lovers should not miss.

If you are like me, you might want a little sample from the book to chew on. So with the permission of the author and publisher, I have an incredible 3-in-1 recipe to share with you from The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen by Laura B. Russell.

Laura walks us through making salad rolls with rice paper and offers not one, but two very flavorful dipping sauce recipes. Rice paper salad rolls are a fantastic, light summer meal, but they also wrap up and store nicely to pack along for a healthy, low calorie back-to-school or office lunch. Simply include a container with your dipping sauce of choice (or both!).

Alisa Fleming ~ Enjoy Life Foods has added a new product to their arsenal of dairy-free, soy-free chocolate, and I tell you, I am in love. Their mini chocolate chips are beyond fabulous, but sometimes I long for something a little more substantial. Well, Enjoy Life opted to skip right on over “normal-sized” chocolate chips, leaping straight from mini chocolate chips to giant Chocolate Mega Chunks! Seriously, these things are like little gold bars of chocolate.

Like all other Enjoy Life products, the chocolate chunks are made in their dedicated facility, and are gluten-free, vegan, and free of the top eight allergens (dairy, egg, wheat, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, and fish). And unlike allergen-free foods of years past, they are insanely good too; a perfect semi-sweet chocolate.

Of course, I wasted no time at all in getting to the kitchen for some baking experiments. My first goal was to create some Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies for my next book. It took three batches to get the recipe just right, but wow, talk about perfection …

Alisa Fleming ~ I love rich and creamy as much as the next person, but sometimes light and refreshing is in order, especially during the summer months. Most vinaigrettes sound like they will fit the bill, but they are heavy with oils. So years ago I came up with my own oil-free vinaigrette recipes, and the one below has become a family favorite. Unlike most low-fat or no-fat dressings, my curry vinaigrette isn't overly sweet and it doesn't have that weird low-fat texture (what do they use to thicken those things?). What it does have is a powerful flavor. In fact, this vinaigrette is so bold, that it can easily overtake any green salad. I recommend using a light hand at first to make sure you can taste every component of your salad.

For serving, this Curry Vinaigrette goes beautifully with most green salads, and I love it with any of the following added ingredients: fresh bell peppers (all colors), olives, chicken, tuna, chopped cucumbers, shredded carrots, roasted beets, green peas (fresh if you've got them!), and avocado. But feel free to try out your own mix with this fat-free dressing ...

Alisa Fleming ~ “Granola” is a term that is often associated with health nuts and hippies, but modern day granola is usually anything but healthy. Loaded with sugars and vegetable oils, most brands will leave you with that dreaded sugar cereal after-crash.

In recent years, I’ve seen valiant attempts at healthier granolas, but Hail Merry is one of the first I’ve seen to really get it right. I had the opportunity to trial their Cherry Almond Hemp Grawnola, and was amazed at its nutritional profile. The 3.5-ouce bags contain 2 hefty servings (forget the, “but who can stop at half a cup” problem with sugary granolas), and each serving is packed with 7 grams of protein, 12 grams of (no oil!) fats, and 3 grams of fiber. Per serving, you will get only 10 grams of sugar, and that includes the sugars from the organic dried cherries, organic dried apples and pomegranate juice. In other words, this granola isn’t packed with loads of added sugars.

Here is a peek at the whole ingredient list: almonds, organic buckwheat groats, shelled hemp seeds, organic dried cherries (evaporated cane juice), organic maple syrup, organic dried apples, pomegranate juice, organic sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans, Madagascar bourbon vanilla, organic flax seeds, brown rice protein powder (brown rice protein, natural vanilla flavor, guar gum), hemp meal, sea salt.

Alisa Fleming ~ It’s been a little while since I’ve reviewed a vegan cookbook, but I’ve noticed that things are changing. Vegan cookbooks used to be compilations of mock “everything that is naturally non-vegan.” You’d find strange concoctions labeled as Eggplant “Parmesan” or “Beef” Wellington, even though the ingredients (and usually end result) in no way resembled the traditional.  But, vegan authors are broadening their horizons and most readers have accepted the fact that vegan food can be delicious in its own right.

Betsy DiJulio is one recipe creator who has done a fantastic job in moving beyond these vegan stereotypes with her new cookbook, The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes. She doesn’t pretend that tofu and seitan are meat, and her recipe titles entice by focusing on the wonderful ingredients used.

Seasonal cookbooks seem to be a theme in recent years, particularly with the farm to table movement. However, Betsy’s format is the most appealing I’ve seen. While laying a book out by season can seem fun, I’m usually looking for a specific type of recipe (appetizer, soup, dessert, etc.) before I consider the season. The Blooming Platter is organized first by recipe type, and THEN by season. I find this so incredibly convenient while still maintaining the fun “cooking in season” inspiration ...