Fresh corn, herb, and tomato relish is a mix that comes together naturally as the summer harvest peaks. When sweet corn kernels can be cut from the ears and popped in your mouth as a garden snack—well, that is the same time you are going to find meaty tomatoes ripe on the vine. For this […] More
You can prepare, sauté or deep fry, and serve squash blossoms in 10 minutes or less. Squash blossoms—yellow-orange and delightfully bright–are a summer delicacy; they must be picked, cooked, and served on the same day. If you have more zucchini or other summer squash than you can eat, store, or give away, pick and serve […] More
Cucumbers are sweet except when they are a tad bitter. Choose cucumbers for their sweetness and refreshing cleanness or for their green grassy astringency and crispness. Sometimes you don’t know which cucumber you will get until you bring it in from the garden and taste it. Always cucumbers are cooling and refreshing—they are, after all, […] More
Tomatoes fresh from the garden—medium or large ones—sliced or cherry tomatoes halved and arranged on a plate and served with flavor matches take little time. Serve sliced tomatoes every day with a different flavor match—you will not run out of flavor combinations from the first picked tomato to the last. Choose one or two medium […] More
Fresh pasta is easily made at home—with no recipe. All you need is all-purpose flour, eggs, salt, and a few drops of water. It is delicate and rich flavored and excellent with light sauces–butter and Parmesan cheese, or olive oil, garlic and parsley, or cream and bacon bits, or tomato sauce with an herb or […] More
Pesto is a creamy green herb sauce you can make by hand in about ten minutes. Classic pesto is a combination of fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nut kernels, grated parmesan cheese, salt, and olive oil. But pesto is not a specific dish, but the name for a style of sauce; so substitutions for the […] More
Risotto—the creamy Italian rice dish—is simply made from rice, butter or oil, onion, stock, Parmesan cheese, and technique. Serve risotto as a first course, part of a larger meal, or make it its own main course by adding meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables and serving it with a salad. Limitless ingredients can be added to […] More
Cooked asparagus has a subtle sweet grassy flavor. It is a perfect match to salty dairy ingredients such as butter, Parmesan cheese, and hollandaise sauce. Asparagus also is well matched to slightly sulfurous-tasting foods: eggs, shellfish, and garlic. There are three types of asparagus: green asparagus which can be both sweet and slightly tart flavored, […] More
New potatoes make for sweet, moist eating. You can serve them steamed, sautéed, boiled, baked, roasted, or grilled. They can be served tossed in butter or olive oil or as a dip with butter or sour cream or horseradish or served as a side dish with chicken, lamb, steaks or burgers, or grilled fish. New […] More
Chard leaves have a hearty, yet mild spinach flavor. Chard stalks have a delicate, celery-like taste and crunch. To get a bit of both flavors and texture sauté chard for 2 to 3 minutes after slicing leaves and stalks together crosswise. Here’s how we sautéed our just picked from the garden chard to match with […] More
Just cooked English peas, sautéd spring onions and roasted, salted almonds are a delicious combination of tender sweet, sweet pungent, and crunchy just salty. You can set this side dish next to grilled fish or chicken or mashed potatoes and a roast. It’s not too filling yet will holds its own. English peas and spring […] More
Kale is usually cooked and rarely eaten raw because of its strong pungent flavor. Small amounts of raw, young kale can be added to salads to bring a spicy note. Steam kale and serve with butter, lemon juice, and chopped bacon. Kale has large cabbage-like curled leaves, usually soft green but also shades of blue-green […] More
Stephen Albert