If you’ve never eaten a perfectly ripe fresh fig, you’re in for a treat. With their tender skin, jewel-toned flesh, and rich, honeyed sweetness, fresh figs are one of summer’s most anticipated farmers market fruits. Right now, you’ll find beautiful figs at Minazzoli Farms, with Kashiwase Farms and Borba Family Farms bringing more as the...Read More

Fresh mint gives this pesto an unexpectedly bright, cooling flavor, while basil, toasted pistachios, Parmesan, lemon, and gently cooked garlic add richness and depth. It is especially delicious with grilled vegetables, lamb, chicken, or fish, but it is just as good tossed with pasta, spooned over roasted potatoes, or spread on crostini. For an easy...Read More

Peppery arugula gives classic basil pesto a lively twist, while Parmesan, garlic, lemon, and olive oil round out the flavors. Bright, fresh, and wonderfully versatile, this pesto is delicious tossed with pasta, spooned over grilled vegetables, chicken, or fish, spread on sandwiches, or stirred into soups and salad dressings. INGREDIENTS: 4 cups loosely packed baby...Read More

For generations, potatoes were one of the great workhorses of the kitchen: inexpensive, filling, easy to store, and endlessly adaptable. Somewhere along the way, though, the humble potato acquired a complicated reputation. It became associated with carbohydrates, blood sugar spikes, weight gain, and—perhaps most unfairly—with the nutritional baggage of French fries, chips, loaded baked potatoes,...Read More

Bright, spicy, and intensely herbaceous, zhoug is a fresh green chile and herb sauce with roots in Yemen that has become popular throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean. Made with cilantro, parsley, fresh chiles, garlic, warm spices, and olive oil, it has a lively flavor that falls somewhere between a pesto, salsa verde, and hot...Read More

It’s one of those kitchen instructions many of us follow without thinking: scrub the potato, grab a fork, and prick it all over before baking. We’ve been told the holes allow steam to escape—and, more dramatically, keep the potato from exploding in the oven. But is poking a baked potato really necessary? Not necessarily. While...Read More

Compound butter is one of the easiest ways to turn a simple summer meal into something memorable. Softened butter is blended with fresh herbs, garlic, citrus, spices, or other flavorful ingredients, then shaped into a log and chilled until firm. Slice off a round whenever you need it, and let the butter melt slowly over...Read More

Tender, flaky cod is paired with a bright, summery sauce of blistered cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, lemon, garlic, and white wine in this simple skillet dinner. The sauce is light yet deeply flavorful, making it an ideal match for mild white fish. Ready in less than 30 minutes, this elegant but uncomplicated recipe works equally...Read More

Every family seems to have a secret when it comes to apple pie. Some swear by a splash of bourbon. Others insist on a pinch of cardamom or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Every baker has a favorite apple, a preferred spice blend, or a treasured crust recipe passed down through generations. But one...Read More

Crisp cucumbers, creamy chickpeas, tangy feta, and plenty of fresh herbs make this simple salad especially refreshing on a warm day. A lively red wine vinaigrette with grainy mustard brings everything together with just the right balance of acidity and richness. Ready in about 20 minutes, this versatile salad is ideal for summer barbecues, picnics,...Read More