Good morning! Today we have for you:
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A wedge salad that took a vacation
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And, an eggplant pasta that doesn’t pull punches (read: anchovy bread crumbs)
This coming week, the last week of August, is the best week for slow-cooker cooking. Some observations and their conclusions:
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It’s still pretty warm outside. It may not be sweltering anymore, but it’s still hot enough that a superhot oven may not be attractive. → A slow cooker doesn’t heat up your kitchen.
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At this point in late summer, you might be salad-ed out, and, after lots of cold soups and dips for dinner, want a hot meal. → Slow cookers notoriously turn out hot dinners.
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September’s busy schedule is up next, to say nothing of the months that follow. → Now’s the time to play around with slow cooker recipes to find the ones you really like, the ones worth saving and memorizing and adjusting to your and your family’s tastes. That way, when the fall calendar is full, you have go-to, fix-and-forget recipes to pull out of your back pocket.
A good place to start is Sarah DiGregorio’s slow cooker creamy tomato lentil soup, which keeps things plenty summery with fresh tomatoes and basil. Come winter, Sarah advises, swap in a 15-ounce can of tomatoes to start, and finish with chopped cherry or grape tomatoes, which tend to be better than other varieties out of season.
I also like the sound of her slow cooker chicken and creamed corn, because, well, corn. And Cybelle Tondu’s slow cooker chicken jook will be on reserve for those busy fall days when I’m out of gas and just need a hot bowl of comfort. You can find these recipes and more in this collection of 25 easy slow cooker recipes that are perfect for right now.
Featured Recipe
Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Lentil Soup
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The post Now’s the Time to Make Friends With Your Slow Cooker appeared first on New York Times.
