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

When summer tomatoes are abundant, this simple roasted tomato sauce is one of the easiest ways to capture their rich, sun-ripened flavor. Slow roasting concentrates the tomatoes’ natural sweetness while garlic and fresh herbs add savory depth. Use any ripe tomatoes you have on hand—large slicing tomatoes, colorful heirlooms, cherry tomatoes, or a mixture of...Read More

Few herbs capture the flavor of summer quite like fresh basil. Its lush green leaves have a sweet, peppery fragrance that complements tomatoes beautifully—but basil can do far more than finish a caprese salad or flavor a pot of tomato sauce. At the farmers market, you may find several kinds of basil, from familiar Italian...Read More

Basil may be best known as the fragrant green herb tucked into pesto or layered with ripe tomatoes, but “basil” is not a single flavor. Depending on the variety, basil can taste sweet and peppery, spicy and anise-like, bright with citrus, warmly aromatic, or even slightly clove-like. Leaves may be broad and crinkled, tiny and...Read More

Fresh tomatillos bring a bright, citrusy tang to this creamy salsa verde, while ripe avocado gives it a smooth, velvety texture. Roasting the tomatillos and jalapeños adds subtle sweetness and smoky depth, creating a salsa that tastes far more complex than its simple ingredient list suggests. Serve it with tortilla chips, spoon it over fish...Read More

If you garden—or simply shop at the farmers market—you know how zucchini behaves this time of year. One day, it’s a neat, glossy little squash; seemingly overnight, it becomes a hefty green club capable of feeding a family of four. Farmers market tables are piled high, backyard gardens are producing faster than anyone can harvest,...Read More

For decades, eggs—especially their golden yolks—were treated as a shortcut to high cholesterol and heart disease. Newer research tells a more complicated and reassuring story: for most people, the egg itself was never the principal problem. There may be no food that has spent more time in nutritional purgatory than the egg. For generations, eggs...Read More

Few fruits capture the essence of summer quite like a perfectly ripe peach. Fragrant, sun-warmed, and heavy with juice, California peaches have rightfully earned a reputation for exceptional flavor—and now is the time to enjoy them. Yellow or White: Which Peach Is for You? For those who crave the classic peach experience, yellow peaches are...Read More

Fresh sage is one of the most underappreciated herbs in the kitchen. While it’s best known for holiday stuffing and roasted turkey, this fragrant Mediterranean herb deserves a place on the table all year long. Its earthy, savory flavor pairs beautifully with butter, olive oil, cheeses, vegetables, beans, poultry, pork, and even fresh summer fruit....Read More

Sage is a fragrant perennial that is beautiful, easy to grow, delicious in every season—and one of the most fascinating herbs in the kitchen. Its earthy, woodsy aroma instantly brings to mind roast turkey, stuffing, browned butter, and holiday gatherings. But limiting sage to just a few weeks each year is like bringing out your...Read More