Hot Tips From Food Network Kitchens’ Katherine Alford:

There are so many good choices in the canned tomato aisle now. We used fire-roasted tomatoes with green chiles to spice up the Greek Meatball Stew in the May issue of Food Network Magazine. Fire-roasted tomatoes also add a great smoky flavor to marinara sauce. Or buy canned cherry tomatoes and crush them in a saucepan for a slightly sweet, chunky pasta sauce.

Tyler's Heirloom Tomato Chow-Chow

We’re teaming up with other food and garden bloggers to host Summer Fest 2010, a season-long garden party. Each week we’ll feature favorite garden-to-table recipes and tips to help you enjoy the bounty, whether you’re harvesting your own goodies or buying them fresh from the market. To join in, check out awaytogarden.com.

Tyler Florence has a knack for creating the “ultimate” stand-by dishes. With tomatoes at their peak, I decided to tap his culinary know-how for farm-stand inspiration.

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The Food Network staff Guac Off ’09 stretched across two states and in the end, two were left standing. Without further fanfare, we want to announce our two winners and share some photos.
Get the results here.

As I walked in this morning, I noticed a sign on the mailroom door announcing the All-Staff Guacamole Cook Off this Friday!  I decided to postpone a few other blog ideas to next week and share some fun facts about the delicious green dip.

Did you know that guacamole dates back to the Aztecs?  The Aztecs were particularly fond of ahuaca-mulli, or avocado-sauce, because of the high fat content of the fruit (apparently, an avocado is a fruit!).  But don’t be alarmed! Read more »