Beyond the Recipe | Edible Paradise

Welcome to Beyond the Recipe

Rediscovering the knowledge that helps us eat well, live well, and become more connected to our food.

Great food is about more than what happens in the kitchen. Beyond the Recipe explores the connections between the food we eat, the people who grow it, and the choices that shape our health and communities. From seasonal recipes and nutrition insights to homemade yogurt, sourdough, canning, and other traditional kitchen skills, this is a place to learn, explore, and reconnect with food in a more meaningful way. Our goal is simple: to help preserve the knowledge, skills, and traditions that make healthy eating more accessible, sustainable, and rewarding.

How to Freeze Fresh Tomatoes: Save a Little Summer for Winter

There’s still time to bring home a few extra pounds of ripe tomatoes from the farmers market—and your winter self will thank you. Freezing is one of the easiest ways to preserve tomatoes, whether you have a basket of Romas or a handful of heirlooms that need using. You can put them away now and...

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Baking Season Is Here: A Little Pie Prep for Later

With fresh fruit at the farmers market and time to enjoy the process, now is a lovely moment to put a homemade pie or two in the freezer. There’s something about autumn that brings us back to baking. Perhaps it’s the cooler mornings, the apples piled high at the farmers market, or simply the thought...

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Preparing chestnuts for roasting in oven.

How to Roast Chestnuts: A Cozy Fall Tradition

There’s something wonderfully inviting about the aroma of roasting chestnuts. Gently sweet and earthy, with a tender, almost potato-like texture, they’re a seasonal pleasure worth slowing down for. Serve them warm on a chilly evening, or set some aside for holiday stuffing, creamy soups, and rich winter braises. You don’t need an open fire to...

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Preventing a bundt cake from stick to pan.

When the Bundt Cake Won’t Budge

Kitchen Wisdom for holiday baking—and that anxious moment when it’s time to turn out the cake. Nothing takes the pleasure out of a baking afternoon quite like turning over a Bundt pan and discovering that the cake has decided to stay put. I’ve greased and floured. I’ve greased and sugared. I’ve brushed on homemade baker’s...

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How to Make Hot Honey

Transform your dishes with this simple yet irresistible hot honey recipe! Perfectly balancing sweet and spicy, this versatile condiment enhances everything from appetizers to fried chicken, grilled salmon, roasted vegetables, and cornbread. It even adds a delightful kick to tea or cocktails—and makes a thoughtful holiday gift for food-loving friends and family. Thanks to our...

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Woman checking bowl of apples for signs of spoilage.

Is That Apple Still Good? Five Signs It’s Time to Let It Go

We often share tips for choosing the freshest, most flavorful produce at the farmers market. But caring for that beautiful food once you bring it home is just as important. With apples abundant in fall, a little storage know-how can help preserve their crunch and flavor—and give you more time to enjoy the harvest. Even...

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Fruit, Nut, and Seed “Raincoast” Crisps

Crisp, slightly sweet, savory with rosemary, and packed with fruit, nuts, and seeds, these twice-baked crackers are the kind of thing that instantly makes a cheese board feel special. They’re elegant enough for entertaining, but surprisingly simple to make at home — and far less expensive than the gourmet versions sold in specialty markets. The...

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Better Than Store Bought: How to Make Peanut Butter

There is something especially satisfying about taking a simple ingredient from the farmers’ market and transforming it into a pantry staple you normally reach for at the grocery store. Fresh peanuts from KT Farms give us just that opportunity. Homemade peanut butter is remarkably simple: peanuts, a little salt, and perhaps a touch of honey...

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Cooking with Honey: 10 Sweet and Savory Ways to Use It

Sweet, floral, earthy, sometimes almost spicy—honey is far more interesting than a spoonful stirred into tea. In the kitchen, honey is one of those wonderfully useful ingredients that can move easily from sweet to savory. A little honey can soften the sharp edge of vinegar in a vinaigrette, balance mustard or chile in a sauce,...

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