Beat the Heat (on the News!!)

This morning I was invited to appear on my local CBS affiliate KOTV - The News on 6 for their morning show - Six in the Morning. Click here to view the clip. We are currently in the midst of the hottest summer on record, so in an effort to beat the heat, they asked me to share some "no-cook" recipes featuring local ingredients. As you can imagine - that was right up my alley and here is what I made:

Peaches & Crème Smoothie

Simple and delicious, this recipe is at its best when

fresh local peaches are in season. If using fresh

peaches, simply add crushed ice to your blender.

1 small bag frozen organic peaches

1 young Thai coconut, meat & water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons raw honey

Put all ingredients into a blender and

combine until smooth and creamy.

Fresh Corn & Tomato Salad

3 ears fresh corn, kernels cut from the cob

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup diced red onion

1–2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 lime, juiced

1/2 lemon, juiced

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Butter lettuce leaves

Combine all ingredients and serve on butter lettuce leaves.

Raw Zucchini Pasta with Fresh Marinara

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 small Vidalia onion

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked; reserve liquid

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic (or more if desired)

3 dates, soaked and pitted

1 sprig fresh basil

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

2 zucchini or yellow squash

Pitted black olives

Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender, except zucchini

and olives. Blend until marinara mixture reaches the

desired consistency. Add the reserved liquid from the sun dried

tomatoes as needed to blend.

Use a spiral slicer, julienne peeler or vegetable

peeler to create zucchini noodles. Combine noodles

with marinara sauce and top with olives for a tasty

Italian dinner.