Sweet & Succulent

August 2026 Issue

by Lindsay Gifford
Recipes, Photography and Information provided by NatureSweet®

Sweet, succulent and bursting with flavor—summer is the best time to enjoy the wonderful bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Whether you’re trying to keep the kitchen cool with a fresh salad or creating your next masterpiece for a summer gathering, picking the very best produce is of the upmost importance. That’s where the No. 1 best-selling brand in snacking tomatoes, NatureSweet®, comes in!

Just imagine the iconic, colorful, dome-shaped NatureSweet container sitting on the counter, bursting with red-ripe tomatoes so sweet you just grab a couple each time you walk by, popping them in your mouth like candy—nature’s candy.

A leading greenhouse-grower of fruit and vegetables, NatureSweet, provides delicious snacking tomato products that transform meals by taking flavor to new heights. Handpicked off the vine, NatureSweet Cherubs®, Glorys®, and Constellation® are bite-sized snacking tomatoes bursting with tangy flavor, making them the ideal addition to salads, pasta dishes, charcuterie boards, and so much more.

And they don’t stop there, NatureSweet also grows perfectly picked sweet peppers and crisp cucumbers packed with satisfying crunch and great health benefits. Not only are they positively delicious, but their products are also wonderfully versatile, making it easy to provide a fresh, healthy and refreshing boost to your day in a bunch of delicious ways.

NatureSweet prides itself on growing the best tasting and sweetest tomatoes around because they do things right from the ground up. The benefits of greenhouse-grown produce are bountiful, including a consistent, superior quality due to regulated conditions of light, temperature, and humidity, year-round, great-tasting availability, and eight times the production. Their tomatoes, cucumbers, and sweet peppers are carefully grown and handpicked at the peak of freshness to ensure the sweetness, freshness, firmness, and color are just right for you and your family to enjoy.

Log on to www.NatureSweet.com for hundreds of flavor-packed recipes and in the meantime, turn the page for great summer recipes to get you started. It’s time to celebrate nature’s candy and Taste All the Good™ from NatureSweet’s vines to your table.

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Tomato and Broccoli Risotto

1/2 cup Butter
2 Tbsps Shallot
1 Tbsp Sage
11/2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup Chicken stock
1 cup White wine
2 cups Heavy cream
1 pinch Saffron
Salt and pepper
1 cup Constellation® tomatoes
1 1/2 cups Broccoli
2 Tbsps Olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan
Oregano, for garnish

Cut Constellation® in halves and set aside. Melt butter in a pan over low heat, add half of the Constellation tomatoes, and sauté for 3 minutes. Add shallots and cook over low heat, then add sage and cook for 1 minute. Add rice, stir, add chicken stock and heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper and add saffron. Cook the risotto over low heat for 30 minutes. Add white wine and cook for 10 more minutes.

Place the remaining Constellation® tomatoes and broccoli to a tray. Add olive oil and grated parmesan, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Add the roasted vegetables to the risotto and cook for 5 more minutes. Garnish with oregano and serve tomato and broccoli risotto with a glass of white wine.

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D’vines Focaccia

10.1 oz warm Water
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp dry Yeast
3 cups Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
3 Tbsps Fines Herbes
2 Tbsps Garlic powder
3.3 oz Olive oil and extra for taste
9 oz D’vines® tomatoes
Thyme, for garnish
In a bowl, combine water, honey, and dry yeast. Mix thoroughly and let sit for 10 minutes. In a mixer with the C-hook attachment, mix flour, salt, pepper, fines herbes, and garlic powder thoroughly. Add yeast mixture little by little until dough is formed. Add olive oil little by little and knead for 10 minutes or until a smooth and elastic dough is formed. Transfer to a bowl and let sit for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Transfer dough to a greased iron cast skillet. Press and stretch dough to fill the entire bottom of the skillet, then dimple the top all over with your fingertips. Place D’vines® in the dimples, sprinkle with thyme, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F or until golden brown.

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Shrimp Tower

1/2 cup Glorys®
1 cup Sushi rice, cooked
3 Tbsps Soy sauce
1 Tbsp Rice vinegar
2 Tbsps Chives
2 cups Baby shrimp
2 Tbsps Vegetable oil
Pinch of Salt and pepper
1 cup Avocado
Cilantro, for garnish
1/2 cup NatureSweet® Mini Cucumbers
On a chopping board, cut Glorys® tomatoes in half and NatureSweet® Mini Cucumbers® into thin slices. In a bowl, combine sushi rice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chives. Mix thoroughly and set aside. In a skillet over medium heat, heat vegetable oil. Sauté shrimp for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

For assembling the shrimp timbale: Place sushi rice in the bottom of a 4-inch metal ring. Top with an even layer of shrimp, followed by an even layer of avocado cubes. Top with an even layer of halved Glorys®, followed by an even layer of sliced NatureSweet® Mini Cucumbers®. Add a squeeze of fresh lime and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with shrimp and cilantro leaves.

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Be in the Know!

Cherubs®, Glorys®, Constellation®, Golden Cherubs®, Twilights®, D'Vines®, Roma Tomatoes and
Beefsteak Tomatoes are all varieties of tomatoes produced by NatureSweet.

"Fines Herbes" is a pre-mixed jarred spice blend of parsley, chives, tarragon, and chervil.

Rinse & Recycle: Many of the packages have small holes to act as a built in colander for easy rinsing. And, all of their tomato packaging can be recycled.

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Parmesan Tomatoes

2 pkgs Constellation®
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp Garlic
2 Tbsps Oregano
1 Tbsp Basil
Pepper, to taste
2 Tbsps Olive oil
Cheddar cheese sauce, for serving
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix Parmesan cheese, garlic, oregano, basil, pepper, and olive oil until completely incorporated. On a chopping board, cut Constellation® tomatoes in half and transfer to a baking sheet.

Cover Constellation® tomatoes with Parmesan mixture and mix until completely incorporated.

Bake at 350°F for at least 15 minutes or until roasted. Garnish with fresh basil and cheddar cheese sauce on the side.

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Constellation Gazpacho

1/4 Onion
10 oz. Constellation® tomatoes
1 Garlic clove
NatureSweet® Mixed Bell Peppers
1 cup Water
2 slices of Bread, cubed
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp Sherry vinegar
1/2 cup Olive oil
2 NatureSweet® Mini Cucumbers

On a chopping board, cut NatureSweet® Mixed Bell Peppers (red and orange) and NatureSweet® Mini Cucumbers into large cubes. Set aside a few peppers and cucumbers for garnish. Combine the remaining bell peppers and cucumber, onion, garlic, Constellation® tomatoes, bread, water, salt, pepper, sherry vinegar, and olive oil in a large and powerful blender (preferably) and blend for 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth. Serve gazpacho in small bowls and garnish with remaining bell peppers, and a few drops of olive oil.

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Golden Cherubs® & Goat Cheese Quiche

3/4 Onion, sliced
1 Tbsp Butter
11/2 cup Flour
1 cup Butter
1 tsp Salt
6 Eggs
1/2 cup Heavy cream
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 cup Goat cheese
Basil, for garnish
2 cups NatureSweet® Golden Cherubs®

On a chopping board, cut Golden Cherubs® in half and set aside in a bowl. In a skillet over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp of butter, add onion, and cook until translucent stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and let cook for 20 more minutes, stirring occasionally until caramelized. Set aside. In your mixer's bowl, add flour, salt, and 1 cup of butter, and mix using the flat beater until completely incorporated. Add 1 egg and mix until a homogenous dough is formed. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Flour a flat surface and using a rolling pin roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut to the diameter of the pan and remove excess dough. Set aside. Place dough in a tart pan making sure there are no air bubbles between the pan and the dough. Poke the bottom of the tart with a fork to prevent any air bubbles when baking. Cover with parchment paper and seeds. Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove parchment paper and seeds and bake for 15 more minutes. Remove from oven and let cool without unmolding. In a bowl, add 5 eggs, heavy cream, salt, and pepper, and mix until completely incorporated. Once the quiche crust is cold, spread goat cheese, add Golden Cherubs® all over the pan, and top with caramelized onions. Pour egg mixture into the tart pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the mixture sets and the surface is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Garnish with basil leaves and serve.

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Sheet Pan Cauliflower Gnocchi & Blistered Tomatoes

1 (12 oz.) bag frozen Cauliflower gnocchi
1 cup NatureSweet® Cherubs® tomatoes, halved
1 Shallot, thinly sliced
2 Tbsps Olive oil
½ tsp Garlic powder
½ tsp Onion powder
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tbsps fresh Parsley, chopped
Shredded Parmesan cheese, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine frozen cauliflower gnocchi, tomatoes, and shallot. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing with a large spatula once or twice, to ensure even cooking. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh parsley and Parmesan. Serve immediately.

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Cantaloupe Cucumber Salad

1 bag NatureSweet® mini cucumbers
1 Cantaloupe deseeded and cubed
3 oz crumbled Feta cheese
3 Tbsps Olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch of salt
12 leaves Basil, coarsely chopped

Cut the NatureSweet® mini cucumbers lengthwise, then slice. Add them to a large mixing bowl. Cut the cantaloupe into bite-sized cubes. Add them to your mixing bowl with the NatureSweet® cucumbers.

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl and whisk (or put in a mason jar and shake) until combined. Add the mixture to your cucumber melon salad and toss to combine. Top with feta and basil leaves and chill or serve immediately.

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Grilled Peach Tomato Salad

10 slices Bacon
1 Tbsp Brown sugar
Salt and pepper
10 Peaches
5 Tbsps Olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsps Dijon mustard
2 cups Red leaf lettuce
3/4 cup Cherubs®
1/3 cup Avocado
1/4 Red onion
2 Tbsps fresh Mint
3 Tbsps Apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup fresh baby Mozzarella cheese balls

Preheat oven to 400°F. On a baking sheet, place bacon. Roast for 10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess fat. Set aside.

Dissolve brown sugar in 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Heat grill to high heat. Meanwhile, cut peaches in quarters and remove pit. Rub peaches with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill peaches, cut side down, for 3 minutes or until they have developed grill marks. Remove from grill. Place grilled peaches on a baking sheet and drizzle with brown sugar mixture. Roast for
5 minutes at 400°F. Stir and roast for 5 additional minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

For the vinaigrette: In a bowl, combine honey, Dijon mustard, 2 Tbsps apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and set aside. In a salad bowl, combine red-leaf lettuce, Cherubs®, roasted peaches, fresh baby Mozzarella cheese balls, thinly sliced red onion, bacon, fresh mint, and sliced avocado. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.

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Baked Feta and Tomato Dip

Olive oil, to taste
1 tsp Garlic, minced
¼ cup Red onion, thinly sliced
1½ cups Cherubs®
1 cup Président® Feta Chunk
Pepper, to taste
1 tsp Fines Herbes
(see note on pg. 28)
Salt
2 tsps chopped Parsley, to garnish
Pita chips

Mix olive oil, garlic, red onion, Cherubs®, Président® Feta Chunk, pepper, Fines Herbes and salt in a baking dish.

Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Mix and garnish with parsley. Serve with pita chips.

 

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Bacon Wrapped Mini Sweet Peppers

1 pkg NatureSweet® Mini Sweet Peppers
1/4 cup Glorys®, cut into quarters,
1/2 cup Cream cheese, cut into cubes
2 Tbsps Heavy cream
1/4 cup Manchego cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup Onion, thinly sliced, caramelized
6 Bacon slices, cut in half, for wrapping

Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut NatureSweet® Mini Sweet Peppers lengthwise without cutting all the way through. Carefully remove core and seeds. Cut Glorys® into quarters and set aside. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, heavy cream, Manchego cheese, Glorys®, parsley, and onion. Mix thoroughly to a creamy consistency.

Stuff NatureSweet® Mini Sweet Peppers with cheese mixture and wrap a bacon slice around each. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange bacon-wrapped NatureSweet Mini Sweet Peppers on baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, flip, and bake for 25 more minutes. Once bacon is crisp and golden brown, remove from oven.