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In Season: Butternut Squash
This pale yellow squash becomes increasingly orange the riper (and sweeter, and richer) it gets. It's especially fresh and plentiful as the temperature drops in these upcoming months. Often roasted, it can also be grilled and seasoned with spices or stuffed with other veggies and various cheeses. In its pureed form, it becomes the key ingredient for numerous soups, casseroles, breads, and muffins.In Season: Figs
Certainly an international fruit, figs are cultivated in many parts of the world, from Iran and India, to some of the warmer areas over here in the United States. And as diverse as their growing areas are the ways to eat them. They can be prepared in a ton of different ways: cut them up and eat them fresh, or dried for a healthy snack; you can't go wrong with turning them into a jam or jelly, either. Besides being gorged on by humans, figs were also used to fatten geese back in Roman days, for the production of a precursor to foie gras. However, at this point they're probably sitting in your kitchen—waiting to be used in one of these figgy recipes.In Season: Bell Peppers
After a most unfortunate cooking accident involving a ton of jalapenos and me not properly washing my hands after slicing them (you do the math), I came to love the less traumatizing bell pepper, which can be had at its freshest in these later months of the year. The veggie is native to Mexico, Central America, and northern parts of South America, but you'll of course have no trouble picking up a few at your local grocery store or produce market. Perfect for everything from stir-fries to tacos (learn how to chop them here), it's always a good idea to have a few in the fridge, just in case.In Season: Eggplant
While we eat many vegetables for a bright flavor or fresh crunch, eggplant is a heartier, meatier specimen. It's a versatile guy, strong but mellow, able to soak up whatever it's cooked with—spicy, savory, or sweet. The large, purple variety will do you fine, but we're also fans of the Fairy Tale eggplant—small, less bitter, and needing no initial salting. Whatever your eggplant of choice, they're great roasted or grilled, chunked or pureed.In Season: Tomatoes
Ah, tomato season. Most of us end up eating tomatoes all throughout the year—sliced on sandwiches, quartered in salads, chopped in salsa—even when they're pink and mealy. That's why tomato season is such a blessing... and a curse. You realize the glory of a blazing-red, indecently sweet, eat-it-out-of-hand tomato. And then you realize that you're only eating a pale imitation during all the other months of the year.In Season: Swiss Chard
While they're a close cousin of magenta-hued beets, the vibrant green leaves of Swiss chard get all the glory above ground. Known as chard, swiss chard, and spinach beet, they're great in salads when young and sauteed when more mature and bitter.In Season: Arugula
Move over, iceberg. Beat it, Boston bibb. Arugula, with its artistically-shaped leaves and peppery flavor, packs quite a flavor punch into each bite. You might also recognize it under the name rocket, a derivation of the French roquette. Originally grown in the Mediterranean region, these days its popularity has grown. While frequently grown in parts of Italy, it can be found all over the world, and used in a variety of international cuisines, including as a digestive alcohol.In Season: Black-Eyed Peas
When you hear the name of this legume, you might think of its strong presence in soul food, or perhaps the musical group headed by Fergie. The love of black-eyed peas, however, knows no cultural bounds. A wide array of cultural dishes—from Portuguese salads to Vietnamese desserts to Indian daals—love these black-spotted beans.In Season: Green Beans
Green beans, when prepared correctly, can be unspeakably delicious. One of my favorite ways of eating them is Chinese dry frying, where the skins become slightly wrinkly and golden and infused with plenty of garlic, salt, and oil, perhaps with some heat and a smattering of pork for flavor. Unfortunately, the grayish canned variety—served as an excuse for a vegetable in elementary school cafeterias—are worlds away from the sweetness and crunch of a freshly-picked green bean.Hot Topics: Technique of the Week | The Food Lab
Today's Specials
8 Delicious Chocolate Cakes and Pies for Valentine's Day
Some might say that chocolate on Valentine's Day is about as unoriginal as you can get. We all remember the first heart-shaped box of overly sweet chocolate bonbons from grade school Valentines. But chocolate gift-giving needn't be a cliché. This year, let's bake our sweethearts chocolate cakes and pies instead! Here are 8 delicious recipes perfect for celebrating your love (of chocolate.)
Continue reading »
BraveTart: Make Your Own Butterfingers »
Sandwiched: Crisp Grilled Cheese »
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