(Image credit: Lauren Volo)

Here’s a cake that stopped me in my tracks — and it was very specifically because it contained eggplant. I’m a big believer in eggplant’s chameleon ability — after all, I’ve seen it transformed into jerky, bolognese, bacon, and my favorite, roses — but a cake seemed like a bit of a stretch. In The Vegetable Butcher’s deft hands, though, the garden egg does indeed transform into a rustic cake, woven together with sweet polenta and the warm flavors of honey, vanilla, and nutmeg. And if you’re still not intrigued, there’s an orange mascarpone frosting as well.

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(Image credit: Oleander & Palm)

From Apartment Therapy → Outdoor Upgrades: Totally Clever & Cool Backyard Hacks To Tackle This Summer

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How To Make Eggplant Roses

(Image credit: Christine Han)

A culinary shape shifter, a mighty meat alternative, even an object of desire — have we gotten our point across that eggplant is a nightshade of many incarnations? Although we classically think of origami as the Japanese tradition of paper folding, modern definitions might allow for the folding of any form to invoke the name of that art. In which case, it’s fair to say that eggplant origami is definitely a thing, and it may just be eggplant’s most beloved role yet.

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(Image credit: Christine Han)

This is tender, juicy, delicious, and versatile pulled pork prepared in a slow cooker — not barbecue. If you compare this to hickory-smoked, pit-cooked, whole-hog barbecue, you might be disappointed. But if you harness the ingenious method of braising pork in a slow cooker and add one extra step to ensure comparable flavor, you can come home to pounds of delicious pulled pork that you can sauce (or not) and then pile onto buns, drape over nachos, roll into burritos, spoon over rice, stir into recipes, or simply eat straight-up. You will be overjoyed.

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The Sweet & Spicy Baked Sweet Potato

(Image credit: Kelli Foster)

Roasted marshmallows — with their crisp, toasty outside and soft, gooey inside — are one of summer’s sweetest indulgences. S’mores are usually our reason for preparing them, but perhaps you’re not jumping to grab the graham crackers and chocolate from the pantry. Don’t worry — even if s’mores aren’t your thing, there are plenty sweet ways to eat your fill of roasted marshmallows this summer.

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Black Tea & Orange Juice Ice Pops

(Image credit: Andrea D’Agosto)

There’s just something about midday heat on a sticky summer afternoon that makes you want to snack. But not just any ol’ snack is going to cut it — when it’s too hot to even think, you need a snack that’s going to cool you down fast. Here are 12 that fit the bill.

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(Image credit: Shutterstock: zigzag mountain art)

The term “summer squash” is thrown around quite a lot this time of year. It encompasses both zucchini and yellow squash, so it’s understandable why so many assume that the two are exactly the same except for the shade of their skin. That’s actually not true. Here’s what you need to know about how they differ.

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