Summer isn’t over yet! There are a few weeks left and there’s an argument the best ones are still ahead of you - ESPECIALLY in terms of the most beautiful food pairings you could enjoy.
Heirloom tomatoes have never been sweeter. Figs are jammy again. Melons are absolutely perfect and the first apples, grapes and persimmons are making their grand introductions! It’s almost the confluence of two seasons, and this means a few interesting pairings of foods / snacks that you can make and enjoy while they taste their absolute best. Oh how lucky we are to live in a world full of nourishment!
If you’ve been feeling like you’re in a bit of a rut and just want something to spice / switch things up I urge you to just pick two ingredients and pair them well. And then enjoy!
Cappuccino + Warm Croissant
This is a pairing that transcends all seasons but is especially comforting once the weather starts gets cooler. Sometimes all you need to turn the worst weeks around is a good frothy morning cappuccino paired with a croissant that was just pulled out of the oven. Absolutely divine experience.
Prosciutto + Cantaloupe
Cantaloupes taste their best right now and having just one ribbon of prosciutto draped over the top is such an easy way to elevate it! Also takes literally no time to prepare. Perfetto.
Persimmons + Whipped Ricotta
Persimmons are only just arriving and they will keep tasting better. A sweet Fuyu persimmon paired with some whipped ricotta and even a little honey is a great snack to welcome Fall and start saying your goodbyes to summer (soon)!!
Sardines + Heirloom Tomatoes
I absolutely loveeee sardines. They’re one of the most nutritious things you can eat and are one of the best seafood options with the least amount of heavy metals (because they’re a tiny fish!). Grill some sardines and enjoy them with ripe heirloom tomatoes which will never taste better for the rest of 2026. You can also take the opportunity to pair it with some great sourdough and niche extra virgin olive oil (use code WARKITCHEN20 for 20% off zimmsorganics.com). Absolutely elite snack!
Raspberries + Chocolate
Raspberries are about to leave us and in my opinion they’re the BEST berry to pair with good dark chocolate. You can have this fresh or even coat your raspberries with dark chocolate and leave them in the fridge so it hardens on the exterior. Impossible to only have one.
Pomegranate + Sparkling
Beautiful pomegranate season is upon us and I always say freshly pressed pomegranate juice is one of the joys of life!! Get a good stainless steel mechanical press and juice them the way you would with citrus. I like serving them with a glass of sparkling water as well - it just goes so well together.
Honeycomb + Roquefort
Good honeycomb is incredible. It’s amazing enough on its own! But if there’s something you wanna pair it try a little chunk of roquefort. This isn’t something you literally combine and eat in one bite but take alternating bites with. Sweet against sharp. Biblical pairing.
Grapes + Ricotta
Hear me out. The next time you get a bunch of cold grapes to snack on just line the bowl with some ricotta right before you plate your grapes on top. Then pluck your grapes off the stem, dip them in a little creamy ricotta and engage in some deep leisure.
Date + Butter
This is an essential early Fall snack. Some might say it’s an overrated combo but imo they just had a bad date! The perfect medjool date split in the middle with a little bit of good butter (perhaps even compound butter) and a tiny pinch of sea salt is divine. Gone in one bite.
What are your favorite end of summer pairings?
Olive oil maxxing
Late summer is for olive oil maxxing. What makes @zimmsorganics special is that they are one of the few brands with a dedicated oil for every occasion. COOK for everyday cooking, HEAL for sipping and finishing, and HEAL+ for your daily shot.
The Forgotten Value of Homemaking
It is a beautiful and obvious thing to me that in the bringing up of children, the care of the home is something that we cannot afford to take lightly. Yet somewhere along the way - along this stream of history that we all play a part in we have lost our sense of the significant value of the homes in which we dwell. I am not speaking of the cost of the home, of course. I mean the value of homemaking - of understanding how precious and even crucial it is for home life to be given proper time and attention.
❋ Bakery-style pumpkin cream cheese muffins (w/ brown butter) by Kiley Heard
“Pumpkin season is officially in full swing and these are a fall staple for a reason. If you loveee the pumpkin cream cheese muffins from Starbucks…then you’re in for a treat! These are a staple in my house this time of year, and I just have a feeling that they might become one for you, too.” — Kiley Heard
❋ Good Taste Can’t Be Taught, Bought or Learned, Sorry AI by Emily Oberg
“When it comes to good taste, you can’t explain what it is or why you have it, you either do or you don’t. It’s a feeling, a sensibility, a discernment that even those with a trained eye can only hope to achieve. Even now when trying to put it into words, I can’t. When you have good taste, you can identify if something inherently looks, feels, tastes or sounds good— and you can surely identify if it doesn’t.
For instance, I can’t explain why white cars (unless from 1980 or earlier) are inherently tacky, why a certain piece of furniture or tile choice screams “Pinterest”, why some vintage tees have a feeling and some don’t, why a vintage pair of Levi’s is only good if it’s faded in the exact right spots, why a chunky watch is cool on a girl, but cheesy on a dude. When something works and looks good, you just know. You can identify it, probably the way a genius can look at a complicated math equation and know the answer instantaneously. It either makes sense to you, or it doesn’t.” — Emily Oberg
❋ 5 bites & sips that changed my mind on Irish food by Kerry Faber
“Ok I know 50% of you are ready for pumpkin spiced lattes and baked goods, but hi I am the other 50% who is not yet ready to concede summer being over (even though I woke up kinda starting to crave cozy season…we’re not talking about it).
Don’t get me wrong, I love Fall, it’s my favorite month, but it doesn’t officially start for a few weeks. We have a few more weeks of warmth, humidity, and longer days, and so it’s time to soak it up as much as possible. I have created a recipe roundup of summer-centric bevs, smoothies, baked goods, meals, sweets & more to make before we dive head first into fall!!! If you’ve been wanting to make any of these the time is nowww. Tomatoes are perfect. Melons & stone fruit are still abundant. & it’s still hot enough to cool down with an iced bev, smoothie, or maybe some froyo…
Let’s get into it…” — Kerry Faber
❋ Be More Childish by Nadia
“I’ve never forgotten a quote from Audrey Hepburn where she said: “I sleep marvelously well. I need eight or nine hours to make me completely happy; otherwise I long for a nap.” I always thought: how glamorous. Apparently, Hepburn slept every afternoon to manage the demands of long filming days. Each nap was followed by a square of chocolate to improve her mood.
I think part of Audrey’s charm was that she maintained a child-like spirit, and perhaps her dedication to rest has something to do with it. Growing up, I had a strict bedtime that was pretty early, around 8pm. In the summertime it was almost comical, being told to go to bed while the sun was still pretty much blazing. Oh, how I would love to be told to sleep that early every night without the weight of but I still have work to do, or there’s a deadline or I haven’t had enough time to myself today.” — Nadia
❋ A Corn Caramel Sundae by Jillian
“For those of us in Ontario, it’s time to make the most of local corn. If you’re growing tired of eating it off the cob, I suggest making this corn-infused caramel sauce. We are steeping heavy cream with corn kernels and then stirring that into a golden caramel. To me, it tastes like buttered popcorn and is absolutely fabulous as part of a late summer sundae. Leftover caramel is wonderful stirred into hot coffee or swirled on top of your next batch of brownies.” — Jillian
❋ Why I am anti-peptide injections by Valerie Ribon
“what we do know? many peptides (like retatrutide & BPC-157) are causing anhedonia. aka emotional numbness. loss of pleasure.
and it’s not a side effect, it’s how they work. they quiet the pleasure centers in the brain. even the ones that don’t work by quieting the pleasure centers (like BPC-157, melanotan & more) still mysteriously have this effect.
this is your brain, your personality, the essence of you and how you experience life. this is so dark & i find it quite terrifying.” — Valerie Ribon
❋ #118: Alessandra Bocchi by Lily Sperry
“What does health, or being healthy, mean to you?
Being healthy to me, besides leading a healthy lifestyle based on eating organic foods, fitness, and physical wellness, is being in touch with the core of who you are and honoring who you were meant to become. Plato talks about this in his Republic. We are each born with particular dispositions, and I believe we need to be loyal to ourselves. That requires getting in touch with and knowing who we are.
For example, I studied political philosophy, and I loved philosophy. I would also draw in my free time. I became a journalist, which thrust me into a highly political environment, so these passions went into the back seat. Journalism was a great part of my life; it still is. However, during COVID, I had what one might call an existential breakdown. I didn’t feel what I was doing belonged to me anymore, only because the people from above were trying to control what I was allowed to say or not say. It was slowly chipping away at me. I’m not meant to be an employee unless I am provided with significant freedom. Otherwise, I last three months at best before I start feeling allergic to the job and shut down. I prefer to do things my own way. I ask for everyone’s advice and listen to it, but ultimately I do what I think is right.” — Alessandra Bocchi in Health Gossip
Rebuild your IG Algorithm (more fun links):
❋ Being copied is the most honest compliment that you will ever get
❋ Your bed is not a filing cabinet
❋ It’s okay to leave a place because the lighting was florescent
❋ You don’t always have to preheat your oven
❋ Worst person to have coffee with
May you have the most glorious week!
— Rocky
❋ All our digital issues are free to peruse. Explore our latest:
❋ Winter 25/26 Coffee Table Book (Print)
❋ Explore the full WARKITCHEN archive here.
❋ Join WARKITCHEN book club here.
❋ Got an article or recipe in mind? We’d love to hear more! Please send your pitch to rocky@warkitchen.net.
Thank you for featuring my latest essay among other amazing women writers 🩵