Chef's Blog

Summer in a Jar—Savoring Every Last Bite

Every August, we try to avoid it, but it is inevitable: summer’s long days grow shorter as the season draws to a close. On the bright side, in its waning weeks, our gardens and farm stands explode with cucumbers, tomatoes, summer squash, and eggplant. If only there was a way […]

Chef's Notes Plus, Family Fun

Sweet and Savory Grilled Cheese

You know what sweet means, most likely, right? Cookies are sweet, candy is sweet, pineapple is sweet. But do you know what savory means? Savory is harder to describe, but we often associate it with foods that are deep in flavor, like mushrooms or cooked beef stew. In more general […]

Salads, Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments, Side Dishes

Tabbouleh

Makes 6 servings This Middle Eastern herb salad is fresh and bright, with a chewy bite from soaked bulgur wheat. Enjoy it over lettuce, stuffed into a pita, or served alongside hummus and warm flatbreads. Ingredients 1/2 cup fine bulgur wheat 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 2 […]

Chef's Blog, Family Fun

Take it With You! Make-ahead Recipes for Camping

Summer is the time for getaways, and we especially love road trips that end with camping! Everyone has a different idea of what camping means. You might be a no-frills camper who hikes through the woods with just the essential gear, sleeping in the grass under the stars. Or maybe […]

Chef's Blog

Tarragon, the Forgotten Herb

There is a hierarchy of ingredients in French cuisine, and it’s pretty easy to identify some of the favorites: butter, oysters, chocolate. These are all part of our universal food consciousness, and for good reason (because, yum!). One French favorite that may not get the attention it deserves on our […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

The Basics of Hot Water Canning

Our world sometimes feels much larger than it once did, and at a time when we can buy produce from half a world away whenever we want it, some traditional methods of food preservation, like canning, may seem like old news. But for many of us, there is a sort […]

Chef's Blog

There Is No Wrong Way to Enjoy a Peach

“I am thinking, of course, of the peach before I ate it.” Peach, D.H. Lawrence (1923). Romanticizing fruit is a task best left to the poets, who have better language for conveying what is inherently perfect about a ripe summer peach. That leaves the rest of us with the more […]

Chef's Blog

Three Sisters: If It Grows Together, It Goes Together

“If it grows together, it goes together.” This is the wisdom passed to me by my grandfather when we were harvesting squash, green beans, and tomatoes from his garden over 20 years ago (probably even 30 years ago, actually, but who’s counting!). He was referring to the idea that produce […]

Chef's Blog

Tips for the Perfect Fruit Pie Without a Recipe

In a moment of introspection, it has occurred to us that “pie season” is sort of a disingenuous concept. We are currently in the thick of summer pie season, but also, we are on the tail end of late spring pie season. And before we know it, it will be […]

Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments

Tomato Confit

Makes 10 servings A traditional confit is made with duck legs that are salted, cured, and then simmered in their own fat. What we call tomato “confit” takes license with the name and simply refers to tomatoes that are slow-cooked in a similar way in good- quality olive oil with […]

Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments

Tomato Jam

Makes 2 pints Ingredients 3 pounds tomatoes, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice Pinch ground cloves Pinch freshly ground black pepper Directions  In a large pot, combine the […]