By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

My gardening experience started with my great-grandmother.

She would take me out to her garden and tell me the stories associated with each plant.

A certain flower that came in shades of violet was from Virginia.

A certain rosebush was given to her on her 50th birthday and the Johnny Jump-Ups started growing in her yard from her planters on the porch.

Through the history of Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

Corn and tomatoes are as natural a pairing as I can imagine at this time of the year.

Corn salads and salsas–it seems like the terms can be used interchangeably–are extremely versatile and appealing to nearly everyone, going with any kind of protein and satisfying vegetarians and vegans.

Charring the tomatoes give the dressing a little bit of a bitter edge, which contrasts nicely against the sweetness of the corn.

Makes about 4 cups of salad, enough for 4-6 people

10 ears of corn
2 large tomatoes
2 bunches of scallions, whites sliced into thin rounds Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

Fresh pastas can be a little intimidating to the home cook, and perhaps the laborious process of making the dough and rolling it out isn’t for those with little patience.

But the results are well worth it, and luckily most fillings are relatively easy to make and hard not to do well.

This recipe is no different, though it takes a little inspiration from Thomas Keller of The French Laundry.

I was reading his eponymous cookbook and came across his recipe for corn and truffle agnolotti and decided to make a variation with tomato and corn. Again, this is not a very difficult recipe, though it does take time. And the results are well worth it.

Makes enough filling for 36-48 ravioli

4 ears of corn
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 shallot, diced Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

Bloody Marys seem to lend themselves best to seafood pairings, but here I’ve taken the assertive flavors of the famous cocktail and partnered them with a sort of chicken Caesar salad.

The smoky flavors of the grilled chicken and the slight bitterness of the romaine lend themselves well to the spicy and sweet flavors of the vinaigrette, which is little more than a virgin bloody mary blended with a little vinegar and olive oil.

Serves 2

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 heads of romaine, roughly chopped
• 1 ripe red tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced1 stalk of celery
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated horseradish, or ½ tablespoon prepared
• zest of ½ lemon Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

Celery is an unsung hero of the kitchen.

It rarely finds its way into a starring role on menus, which is a shame considering its abundance and versatility.

Most home cooks don’t consider it a versatile vegetable, since its use seems limited as part of an aromatic base for soups or stews.

Yet it takes well to pickling, braising, and raw preparations in salads. Here, I have paired it with a simple accompaniment of sliced tomatoes and a basic vinaigrette. Granted, the celery is used in three different methods–as a fried leaf garnish, pickled hearts of the stalks, and a traditional celery root remoulade.

The flavors feel less like fall, as the root comes into season, and more like the end of summer, with its characteristic sweetness and depth of flavor as the weather turns colder.

Serves 4

2 large ripe red tomatoes, or any variety of ripe heirloom tomatoes
4 stalks of celery from the heart, medium dice
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

Oysters are such a forgiving ingredient that it’s a wonder it doesn’t appear on more restaurant menus.

The fact of the matter is that they’re difficult to work with–shucking them is no fun, especially in large quantities.

But their built in salinity and meaty texture makes them a perfect pairing for so many accompaniments.

Here, they are partnered with the freshest tomato available and pickled celery root, as well as fresh celery leaf, which is often thrown out rather than used for its delicate and fresh flavor.

Serves 2

• 8 oysters, shucked
• ¼ cup finely diced celery root
• 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar ¼ cup water Read the rest of this entry »