I think it's a good time for another edition of "Dinspiration." The home stretch of summer probably isn't the most innovative time of the year when it comes to cooking. It's hot, we're not trying to expend too much energy in the kitchen, and, given the amount of insanely great produce at our disposal, there's not that much incentive to turn off auto-pilot: Tomato, mozz and basil; gazpacho; grilled vegetables; something with pesto; a fresh peach with nothing; rinse and repeat.

There's nothing wrong with this routine, and if that's all you're eating for the next month you're in pretty great shape. But it can be nice to shake things up ever so slightly, to take the ingredients we've been inhaling all summer and put them to work in moderately different ways. If that sounds appealing, here are 10 mini-recipes to get your juices flowing a little. Nothing crazy, but just some ideas that might offer a subtle change of pace this week and beyond. (Don't worry, there are still lots of tomatoes).

And if at the end of the day you still want to smother every single one of these dishes in pesto, I'd be the last one to stop you.

—Mark

Yes, you could probably eat fresh tomatoes dipped in pesto all summer and be perfectly happy, but if you feel like switching up your August cooking routine a little bit, here are some ideas.

10 RECIPES TO SHAKE UP YOUR SUMMER

Talk To Me, Goose!

Questions, comments, brilliant suggestions? Just want to share the recipe for your grandma's potato salad, or your mom's meatloaf, or your uncle Drew's three-day 100-percent rye loaf (yes, please)? Don't hesitate to reach out anytime.