We grow exceptional carrots. Our spring carrots are super sweet, thanks to a combination of the Nantes variety, our rich soil, and the cool Capay Valley spring nights. During harvest, some carrots inevitably break or are cosmetically imperfect. These are perfect for transforming into this delightful spring soup. Jenna
I love crisping rice in a skillet: Simply cook it with butter until it turns deeply golden. It’s an easy technique that creates the most incredible crunchy bits to complement the fluffy softness of steamed rice. I’ve experimented with many different crispy rice bowls, but this version with sautéed mushrooms is hands down my favorite.
The mushrooms have a subtle Asian flavor from the soy sauce and are finished with a splash of vinegar for a bright tang. The real magic happens when you break the runny egg yolk and mix it into the rice, adding a lush richness to every bite. It’s the kind of vegetarian dish that even a meat lover will devour.
An Italian contorno that combines two of our favorite things: perfectly prepared beans and cooked greens. A cima puree, essentially more blanched greens blended with olive oil until silky, holds everything together while staying on brand. The combination tastes creamy, vital, and very Italian.
It’s important to use home-cooked chickpeas and heavily blanched cavolo so the cooking liquor from both can be added as needed when you bring everything together.
I have this when the fridge is empty and I’m in a rush, as it’s super-easy to put together and packs a punch. High-quality olive oil is a must for this dish. If you fancy zhuzhing it up, add some crushed red pepper flakes and/or anchovies…
These noodle bowls are ready in 15 minutes – perfect for school holidays and weekends when the meal train seems never-ending. I also make this – sometimes minus the gyozas – when working from home for a quick lunch. I use shop-bought gyozas which I always keep in my freezer. As always, play around with the veg you add.
If you like alla vodka, you’ll love alla mezcal. In the classic vodka version, the ethanol in the alcohol is used as an emulsifier in the sauce but doesn’t really add any flavor. Since more flavor is more better, I decided to try swapping out my favorite adult beverage, and the result was a smoky take on the Italian American classic.
This creamy marinara sauce is great tossed with any dried pasta for a quick and easy weeknight dinner that will leave you thinking, “Why didn’t anyone try this sooner?”
This cauliflower is dressed up with luscious flavors—anchovy, raisins, garlic, orange, and breadcrumbs—a typical combination in Sicily. I pair it with burrata, which, I admit, is everywhere these days, but I will never get sick of it.
Chef Jiho Kim, of Joomak in New York City, makes highly technical, Korean-inspired fine dining at work. But at home in the summer, he loves to relax with a casual chilled “salad” of daikon radish shaved into “noodles” with a spiralizer, topped with raw marinated fish, kimchi, and a broth made from steeping buckwheat in dashi, a quick broth that’s key in Japanese cuisine.
Make as many or as few of the components below; as long as you have the broth and the radish noodles and a savory topping, you’ll have a light, refreshing, deeply flavored dish.
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. I made it one night with no time and no plan. I opened the fridge and grabbed everything that seemed at least vaguely to go together. I took some sausage from the freezer, some peppers on their last legs, some broccoli rabe, and a couple odds and ends of onions. Add to that the remnants of a few open cans of tomatoes and . . . voilà, classic sausage and peppers. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.
The longer this sits in the fridge, the more delicious it gets. Reheat it and then throw it on a hoagie or on a mound of mashed potatoes or with polenta.
When you’re in a time pinch, this pizza is possibly the best way to use puff pastry. Just add cheese. Add tomatoes. More cheese. Olive oil. Herbs. Bake until golden and puffed and cheesy and it smells like you’ve lit a pizza margherita candle in your kitchen. You win at dinner.