Another fabulous recipe from my days at L'Academie! Unlike fruit pies dough, which are made with sugar, egg and vanilla, Pat Brisee is a simple, light and flaky, 'not sweet' dough that's perfect for making quiche or other savory pies and tarts. If rolled thin, it will be tender and delicate, incredibly delicious, and perfect every time, and comes together with only 4 simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand. If you don't have a food processor, no problem- you can easily prepare this dough using just your hands, but a rolling pin is essential to making a crust!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. All Purpose Flour about 1-¾ C, measured by the spoon and sweet method
• 5 oz. Cold, Unsalted Butter, cut into Cubes, 10 Tablespoons
• 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
• 7-8 T. Ice Cold Water

Instructions:

Step 1: Gather your ingredients, along with a food processor, and have a piece of parchment paper available. Stir the salt into the flour.

Step 2: Gently toss the butter into the flour to coat each piece.

If preparing the dough by hand, use clean hands, work directly in the bowl, massaging the butter with your fingers until you have pea-sized pieces. Drizzle in the water a few tablespoons at a time, working the mixture into a cohesive dough.

Alternatively, if you have a pastry blender, you can cut the butter into the flour and work the ice water in until the dough comes together.

Step 3: If using the food processor, add the flour and butter mixture into the bowl, drizzle in the ice water, starting with only 6 or 7 Tablespoons.

Step 4: Pulse the mixture just until the dough comes together. It should look shaggy, and a little crumbly, but will hold its shape if pressed together. If the dough has absorbed all of the water and appears too dry, add in another tablespoon of the ice water, process again, and add the remaining tablespoon of water, only if needed. You do not want a wet dough.

Step 5: Regardless of your method, move the ball of dough onto a clean work surface and press into a round, disc shape. Place the disc onto the parchment paper, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and stick in your refrigerator to rest for an hour.

Step 6: After allowing your dough to rest and the butter in the dough to firm, place the disc onto your clean work surface, lightly dusted with flour.

You'll want to go ahead and preheat your oven to 350°F while you prepare your pie crust shell.

Using a rolling pin, gently begin tapping down on the dough to loosen it up. This helps to ensure that your dough doesn't crack or break apart. Rotate the dough, and repeat.

Step 7: Roll out the dough as thinly as you can, occasionally lightly dusting the surface of the dough with flour and rotating it so it doesn't stick to your work surface.

Step 8: Once the dough has been rolled to a round larger than your tart pan, ensuring that there is enough to line the bottom and up the sides...

Carefully fold the dough in half, and place over the tart pan. Press down gently to ensure that the dough is securely tucked into every crevice.

Step 9: Using your hands or the rolling pin pressed over the rim of the pan, trim the edges. Use your fingers to lightly press into the crimped sides. The dough will shrink slightly as it bakes, so be sure that the edges are just slightly higher than the rim.

Step 10: Use a fork to pierce small holes over the entire bottom of your pie crust shell. This step will help keep the dough from puffing up, as well as making sure that air gets beneath the bottom layer, ensuring an even bake.

Step 11: Line your shell with parchment paper, and fill the center with baking weights, if using. You can also use any dry beans. Alternatively, if neither of these are an option, you can press a sheet of aluminum foil down over the parchment, just be sure to press lightly into the sides of the tart pan.

Step 12: "Blind Bake" your pie crust shell in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes. Remove the parchment with the filling, return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes, just until the crust is a pale golden brown.

You're now ready to fill and bake!

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We love to grill around here, and this fresh and flavor-packed marinade is my go-to when we're serving grilled steak and chicken fajitas for a dinner party. It's always a crowd pleaser! While getting everything prepped takes just a little extra time, it's well worth the effort. The bold, bright flavors of pineapple and citrus fruit perfectly compliments the smoky, warm spices and fresh, earthy cilantro, tenderizing the meat the longer it marinates. Be sure to give yourself several hours, if not overnight, to allow the meat to absorb the flavors and soak in all of that deliciousness.

Ingredients

• 8 Stems Fresh Cilantro Leaves
• ½ C. Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
• 1 Orange
• 1 Lemon
• 1 Lime
• ¼ C. Finely Chopped Fresh Pineapple, plus juice
• 3 Cloves Garlic, finely grated
• ½ tsp. Cumin
• ½ tsp. Chili Powder
• ½ tsp. Paprika
• 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
• ½ tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

Step 1: Gather all of your ingredients, along with a cutting board, knife, microplane or zester, medium-sized mixing bowl and a whisk.

Step 2: Remove the leaves from the cilantro stems, run the knife over to give a fairly rough chop.

Step 3: Add olive oil and chopped cilantro to the mixing bowl. Using a microplane (or zester), carefully grate the zest of a lemon, lime and orange into the bowl. Be careful to only grate the colorful outer layer of the fruit and not the white pith, which is bitter.

Step 4: After the fruits have been zested, slice the fruits in half, then use a citrus reamer to squeeze the juice into the bowl. If you don't have a reamer, you can easily just squeeze the fruit using your hand but be mindful to pick out any seeds.

Step 5: Next, prepare the pineapple. Cut the top and bottom of the pineapple using your Chef knife. Set the pineapple upright and begin trimming the outer rind. You'll want to stay as close to the edge as possible to minimize wasting the fruit. Discard the trimmings.

Next, slice the pineapple in half through the core, and in half again, so that you have four quarters. With the pineapple quarter laying on its side, remove the core by cutting away the center (where the fruit comes to a point), leaving only the edible fruit to be chopped. Be sure to discard the core. Add about a ¼ cup of the chopped pineapple into the marinade. (Save the rest for another recipe or eat it as a snack).

Step 6: Measure your spices and add those to the marinade, along with the minced garlic, salt and pepper. Give everything a good whisk before use.

Be sure to allow your meat to marinate in the refrigerator for several hours, or overnight if you have the time, allowing the flavors to meld and tenderize the steak and chicken!

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Have you tried making quick pizza doughs at home that yield less than desirable results? The trick behind making true, artisan pizza dough isn't simply just using better ingredients (although that makes a difference!) but also investing time to the craft through a process known as cold fermentation. Allowing the prepared dough several days to rest under refrigeration will create an easier dough to work with, yielding a crispier, perfectly browned crust (with foldability!) and a more developed flavor. Start the process of making artisan pizza dough several days ahead of pizza night, with a dedicated 2-½ hours the first day, and just 30 minutes of intermittent, hands-on time. Your refrigerator will do the majority of the work on those non-active days.

I'm a huge fan of King Arthur brand flours, and using their high gluten artisan bread flour, which has a higher protein ratio of 14%, as compared to, say, a typical All-Purpose Flour (which has anywhere from 10-12%) really makes a difference in the structure of the crust. Another key ingredient you may not be familiar with is non- (or low) diastatic malt powder, which is commonly used in making bread products to help support a taller rise, a crispier, more browned exterior (think soft pretzels!) and an overall, more delicious flavor.

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INGREDIENTS

• 600 g High Gluten, Artisan Bread Flour (Appx. 5 Cups*), plus a little extra for dusting
• 6 g Non (or Low) Diastatic Malt Powder (Appx. 1-½ tsp.)
• 100 g Warm Water (105-110℉) (Appx. just shy of ½ C.)
• 3 g Active Dry Yeast (about 1 tsp.)
• 12 g Pizza Dough Flavor optional
• 308 g Ice Water, divided 88 g (6 Tbsp.) separated
• 12 g Fine Sea Salt (Scant 2 tsp.)
• 12 g Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Appx. 1 Tbsp)

INSTRUCTIONS

Before you begin, take a look at the following chart as a reference for timing out your dough-making process. This is just a guideline. Regardless of whether you start with a 24-hour (A) or a 36-hour (B) refrigeration on Day 2 (or anywhere in between, but no longer), you can determine when your pizza dough will be ready for baking, based on whether you choose a 12, 24, 36 or 48-hour second refrigerated rise. Just follow the (A) or (B) under that window.

For example, if you begin making dough on a Tuesday morning at 8:00am, allowing your dough to rise for 36 hours under refrigeration through Day 2, you'll follow timeline (B), starting on Wednesday at 10:30pm. If you allow your dough a second, 36-hour refrigeration, your pizza dough will be ready to go by Friday at 10:30am.

Day One:

Total Time: 2 hours and 30 Minutes (Active Hands-On Time: 30 Minutes)

Step 1: Gather all of your ingredients, along with a kitchen scale (or measuring cups and spoons), as well as a large mixing bowl, and a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.

Step 2: In a mixing bowl set over the kitchen scale set to grams, tare the bowl to zero (so that you are only measuring the weight of the actual ingredients and not the bowl itself). Measure out 600 grams of high gluten, artisan bread flour (my favorite is from King Arthur). If you are using measuring cups, you'll want to use the 'spoon and sweep method' (see notes below) and measure out 5 cups of flour. Directly to the flour, add 6 grams of non-diastatic malt powder (about 1-½ tsp, if not measuring by weight). Lastly, add 12 grams of King Arthur Pizza Dough flavor, which is completely optional, but an absolutely delicious addition to your dough. Set your flour mixture aside.

Step 3: In a glass, liquid measuring cup or small bowl over the scale, weigh 100 grams of very warm water (somewhere between 110-115℉, hot but not scalding), then add in your 3 grams of active dry yeast. If not measuring by weight, the water should come to just below the ½ C mark on the liquid measuring cup, and the yeast will be about 1 tsp. Give the yeast a good mix, and set aside, allowing the yeast to dissolve, about one minute. Small bubbles should begin to form.

Step 4: If you haven't done so already, pour ice and water into a large liquid measuring cup, and set a second liquid measuring cup onto the kitchen scale. Measure 308 grams of the water, not including the ice, which comes just shy of 1 cup. From this, portion out 6 Tablespoons (about 88 grams) into a small, separate bowl, and set aside.

Step 5: Into the bowl of your stand mixer, pour the 220 grams of ice water (308 g less the reserved 88 g) and add the flour mixture. On the lowest speed (setting 1), begin working the dough, just until it barely comes together, about 1 minute. The texture will be crumbly and very sticky.

Step 6: Increase the speed to setting 2 and carefully add in the warm yeast mixture. Mix for a full minute.

Step 7: Drizzle in the reserved cold water, maintaining the speed at setting 2. Continue working the dough for another minute and then turn off the mixer.

Step 8: Measure 12 grams of fine sea salt (a scant 2 tsp) and shake over the dough. Turn the mixer onto an increased speed, setting 3 and then 4, and run for about 2 minutes to ensure that the salt has fully been incorporated.

Step 9: Decrease the speed down to setting 2 and carefully drizzle in 12 grams of extra virgin olive oil (about 1 Tbsp.) while the mixer is running and then increase the speed to high (setting 8). Run the mixer for 3 minutes.

Step 10: Lightly dust a clean work surface with a little extra of the flour. Using a flexible bench scraper, move the dough from the kitchen aid bowl and place onto the prepared surface. The dough will be sticky.

Step 11: Using your hands, pull on the top of the dough to stretch. Fold the top over the length of the ball, pressing to seal, then, stretching from the bottom, pull up and press over the top fold. Rotate and repeat.

Step 12: From here, flip the dough over, folded seam-side down, and scoop the dough into your hands, stretching the surface as you tuck in from the bottom in towards the palms, rotating the ball of dough continuously as you go. This will create a smooth, round shape.

Step 13: Place the ball of dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set at room temperature for one hour, allowing the dough to double in size.

Step 14: After the first hour-long rise, you'll need to repeat the steps of folding and shaping the dough four (4) additional times, with a rest period of 30-minutes at room temperature in between, so plan the next two hours accordingly. Keep a little bit of flour handy to prep your work surface just beforehand each time. (See Step 11 for reference)

Step 15: When your dough has completed its additional 2 hours of resting, you'll want to move the dough to an airtight container (or a medium sized bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap) and place into the refrigerator for a minimum of 24 hours but ideally, up to 36 hours. This will allow the structure and the flavor of the dough to develop.

Day One-Day Two

Total Time: 24-36 hours inactive time, plus (Active Hands-On Time: 15 minutes, to mix and divide the dough before storing for the second phase of the cold fermentation)

No action is needed during this rest period. Your dough will remain in the refrigerator between 24 and 36 hours, or anytime in between. The longer the dough sits, the better the quality and flavor of the final product, but it is best not to extend this first fermentation stage longer than 36 hours.

Step 1: After your first cold fermentation stage, remove the dough from refrigeration and place directly into the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the dough attachment. Mix the dough on the slowest setting for about 30 seconds, just to gently work the dough and release the air bubbles. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and place onto a clean, lightly floured work surface.

Step 2: Weigh the mixed dough on your kitchen scale (it should be approximately 1045 grams, give or take a few grams). Divide that amount by 4, and this should be the weight, in grams, for each ball of dough you will portion out. If you are not using a kitchen scale, do your best to divide the dough as evenly as possible.

Chef Note: An average 12" pizza, about the size that most home ovens can accommodate, should weigh about 250 grams.

For this recipe, my dough weighed 1042 grams. 1042 g / 4 = 260.5 g, so I portioned each of my dough balls to weigh 260 g. For reference, 15 grams is equivalent to about a tablespoon, so the difference in grams here is insignificant.

Step 3: Place the portioned dough into a lightly oiled container with a tight-fitting lid, or onto a baking sheet covered tightly with plastic wrap. Return to the refrigerator for a minimum of 24 hours but up to 48 hours.

Days Two-Four

So long as you've waited at least 24 hours from when you placed your portioned pizza dough into the refrigerator, you're all set to begin making pizza. Otherwise, feel free to keep it refrigerated up to 48 hours.

Chefs Note: When you're ready to make pizza, you'll want to roll COLD dough out on a clean work surface dusted lightly with flour, using a rolling pin. (More detailed instruction on stretching dough by hand will be found in pizza recipe posts). The cold dough, straight out of the refrigerator, will actually be much more pliable and easier to work with then if you allow the dough to come to room temperature.

If not using all the dough, place any unused portions onto a parchment lined baking sheet dusted lightly with flour and covered the top lightly with plastic wrap. Pop into the freezer for about 30 minutes, just until the dough is firm to the touch, not frozen. Wrap each individual portion of dough tightly in plastic wrap, and place wrapped portions into a Ziploc freezer bag. To use later, allow the dough to thaw in the refrigerator first, and then allow about 30 minutes (or up to an hour) at room temperature before baking.

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This decadent salted caramel sauce is truly divine and will go with everything from our Cereal Crunch Brioche French Toast to ice cream to my Classic Vanilla Cheesecake. You'll want to lick the spoon, I promise! A candy thermometer is a must-have kitchen tool to ensure you heat the ingredients to the correct temperature before finishing the sauce to ensure a glossy, creamy texture that isn't grainy. It stores well in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid and will keep up to a month in the fridge (if it lasts that long!) making it a great homemade gift for any dessert lovers in your life!

INGREDIENTS

• 1-½ C. Light Brown Sugar, packed
• ½ C. Light Corn Syrup
• 4 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
• ½ C. Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
• ½ tsp. Kosher Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Gather and measure your ingredients, and grab a large, heavy-bottomed pot.

Step 2: Over medium heat, add the brown sugar and corn syrup, stirring fairly consistently until the sugar has fully dissolved.

Step 3: Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, increase the temperature slightly, and bring the mixture to a rolling boil, until the thermometer reaches the 'softball stage' (about 240℉). You can stir every now and again using a wooden spoon, but it's best to leave alone.

Step 4: Once the mixture has come to temperature, remove the pot from heat and stir in the butter, heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Continue mixing until smooth and cohesive.

Allow the sauce to cool before serving or storing in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Salted Caramel Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.

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While tomatoes fresh from the garden undoubtedly make the best homemade tomato sauces, access to San Marzano plum tomatoes in a can are a blessing during months where good quality, fresh and local produce is unavailable. They're sweet and robust, contain considerably less seeds, and tend to be less acidic than other varieties of tomatoes. This means they'll require less sugar to make a healthy, delicious sauce! Carrots, onion, garlic, dry red wine and earthy, dried herbs like oregano and basil round out the sauce, and a slow simmer melds all of the flavors together. While working in catering, we used to make tomato sauces by the gallon, simmering it all day long and then storing it in the freezer for future events. This is a great recipe for making ahead, portioning into smaller amounts using freezer-safe Ziploc bags, taking out only as much as you need so you have homemade sauce anytime!

Ingredients

• 4 (28 oz) Jars San Marzano Whole, Peeled Tomatoes or crushed, if preferred
• 2 Medium Carrots peeled and diced
• 1 Large Onion finely minced
• 4 Whole Garlic Cloves peeled and finely minced
• 2 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 1 C. Dry Red Wine I used Bordeaux, but Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Pinot Noir would be perfect
• 1 tsp. Kosher Salt plus, additional for sautéing vegetables
• ½ tsp. Freshly Cracked Black Pepper plus, additional for sautéing vegetables
• Dried Basil
• Granulated White Sugar to taste
• Olive Oil

Instructions

Step 1: Put on a full kitchen apron, if desired, and gather all of your ingredients. Prep your carrots, onion and garlic. Set aside.

Place a fine-mesh metal strainer over a large mixing bowl, and drain your tomatoes, collecting the liquid in the bowl. Using clean hands, remove the center core of the tomatoes (discard) and gently squash the flesh of the tomatoes (this is where wearing an apron comes in handy to protect your clothing!) You'll probably need to do this in batches, so use a separate mixing bowl for the prepared tomatoes as you work.

Reserve one cup of the tomato liquid from the mixing bowl and pour into a liquid measuring cup. Set aside. The remaining liquid may be discarded or saved for another purpose, as desired.

Step 2: In a large stock pot over medium heat, add a few swirls of olive oil around, add the diced carrots, and season lightly with a little salt and pepper. Sauté for about ten minutes, until the carrots have softened.

Step 3: To the pot, add in the minced onions, another pinch of salt and pepper (culinary tip: season as you go!) and sauté until onions are translucent in color. Add in the garlic and cook 2-3 additional minutes.

Step 4: Add in the drained tomatoes, stir well, until the steam subsides (this is excess moisture leaving the tomatoes).

Step 5: Add in the reserved tomato liquid and the dry red wine. Bring to a full boil, then lower temperature to medium. Season with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and ½ tsp. freshly cracked black pepper, and dried oregano. Gently crush the dried basil and mix into the sauce. Lower to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for a minimum of one hour but up to two hours.

Step 6: After the sauce has simmered, be sure to taste and adjust for additional seasoning, if needed. If the sauce is slightly acidic, gradually add in a little sugar to taste, but don't be heavy handed (You shouldn't need more than a Tablespoon or so).

Step 7: Using an immersion blender, carefully purée the sauce directly in the pot to a smoother consistency while still leaving a little texture. If you are using a regular blender or food processor, allow the sauce to cool beforehand. Both pieces of equipment will require that the lid be closed in order to function, and hot liquids in a closed space create pressure and are likely to explode, which you'll want to avoid at all costs.

Sauce can be served warm over pasta, or other Italian dishes. If making ahead, cool and store tightly in a covered, glass jar or container (to avoid staining your plastic containers), or keep in freezer-safe Ziploc bags, and store in the freezer until ready to use.

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We always have a bottle of classic simple syrup on hand, whether we want it to whip up a fresh batch of classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned or even just sweetening a refreshing glass of iced tea or homemade lemonade. At culinary school, we learned that lightly brushing simple syrup onto cake layers before assembling will keep the cake moist. A classic simple syrup has just 2 ingredients, equal parts granulated sugar and water, so it's an easy recipe to remember, no matter if you're making a little or a lot. The syrup takes a while to cool, so that's why it's ideal to always have a batch at the ready when you want some, stored tightly in the fridge.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
• 2 Cups Water, Preferably Filtered

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Measure out 2 cups of granulated white sugar using a dry measuring cup, and 2 cups of water using a liquid measuring cup.

Step 2: Add both water and sugar to a pot over medium-high heat and stir using a wire whisk.

Step 3: At first, the liquid will be cloudy and viscous (thicker than water) until the sugar that has sunk to the bottom of the pan has dissolved.

Step 4: Continue stirring fairly regularly. When you begin to see little bubbles forming on the bottom of the pan, stir vigorously to ensure that none of the sugar gets stuck to the bottom.

Step 5: The color of the liquid will change visibly through each stage of the cooking process. When the liquid changes from cloudy to clear, you'll know that the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove the syrup from heat.

Step 6: Grab a funnel and a glass bottle or jar (I love this one from Amazon). Carefully pour your syrup back into your liquid measuring cup, if it has a spout, to make it easier to pour directly into the jar. Make sure to keep the top open until the liquid cools.

Step 7: Simple Syrup should be stored in the refrigerator and will easily last several weeks.

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Start by ensuring that you have a sharp chef's knife ready before you begin. This is critical to ensure that as you are slicing through the onions' layers, you are minimizing the release of the enzymes that cause irritation to the eyes, and therefore, avoiding tears.

A simple sharpening knife steel, such as this one from Amazon is much more economical than replacing your knives when they go dull. With a little practice, using a steel to sharpen your knives is easy to do, and will become like second nature. In culinary school, they taught us to hold the steel in our non-dominant hand, and the knife in the other. Bending at the wrist, start by dragging the knife at an angle from the base to the tip on one side, and then repeat on the backside of the steel, sharpening the opposite side of the knife. Continue back and forth for several turns, as though you were playing a violin.

Be sure to rinse your knife thoroughly after cleaning, to ensure there are no remaining shards of steel.

Next, you'll want to grab a damp paper towel, place it on your work surface, and lay your plastic cutting board on top. The paper towel will help hold your cutting board in place and stabilize the motion of your cutting, so that it doesn't move. This also helps to prevent accidents that It is important not to use a wooden cutting board when working with onions, as the wood will absorb the natural enzymes in the onion (the same ones that make you cry!) and are near impossible to remove the smell.

Take a look at your onion. Regardless of the type of onion you are holding (red, yellow, white, or Spanish...even a shallot), you'll find the root end of the bulb on one end, and the stem at the other. This is important to recognize which is which, as it makes a difference as to how you begin cutting your onion.

Carefully holding the onion in place, start by slicing off the bottom portion that severs the 'stem' end, just enough to give you a flat surface from which to work from moving forward.

Next, lay the flat end down on the cutting board so that the root end is now facing directly upwards. Using your knife, slice down through the center of the onion vertically. You now have two equal halves with a portion of the root end intact.

Peel away the thinnest, paper layers of onion skin away. The remaining top layer should be shiny.

Lay the flat side of one half of the onion against the cutting board, with the root end closest to you. Press the palm of your non-dominant hand on top of the onion, with fingers extended. Holding the knife towards you, carefully saw two to three cuts towards the root end, slicing the onion horizontally, but only cutting ⅔ of the way through.

Rotate the onion so that the root end is away from you, facing the center of your palm, and the sliced side is facing you. Place your thumb on one side and your forefingers on the opposite side of the onion and hold firmly. Using your knife, slice lines straight down through towards the cutting board, starting in the center and working your way out towards both sides.

The larger the space between the lines, the larger the dice. If you slice cuts closer together, you'll have a finer dice.

Rotate the onion once again. With the root end closest to you, and the cut end facing away, curl the fingers of your non-dominant hand over the root end, and tuck your nails under so that they are lying flat against the top of the onion. The surface between your mid and lower knuckles will provide a smooth surface to which you can guide the blade of the knife, without fear of cutting your fingers.

Starting at the cut end, begin making smooth and consistent cuts, rocking the knife blade back and forth in one swipe across the onion, and repeat. You want to lead with the tip of the knife and press down and away as the knife makes its' way through. You want to avoid any type of sawing motion- let your wrist do all the work. Continue until you have gotten as close to the root end as you have made your cuts lengthwise.

That little cushion of space by not cutting all the way through will protect you and your fingers!

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I have the fondest memories of visiting my grandfather's garden and seeing the beautiful vegetables he grew each year. Aside from an abundance of cucumbers and tomatoes, he also grew rhubarb. He'd carry a shaker filled with salt, sprinkle it on a freshly picked stalk and eat it out of hand. Much too sour for me as is, but he loved it. Cooked down with sweet, ripe strawberries to make homemade jam, however, the sourness of the rhubarb is the perfect blend of summer (and family!) memories.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Pint Fresh Strawberries about 2 cups, not including trimmed stems
• 1 Lb. Fresh Rhubarb about 4 stalks
• 2 ½ C. Granulated White Sugar adjusted to personal preference
• 1 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice from about ½ a lemon
• 1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract

DIRECTIONS

Step 1: Gather all of your ingredients. Rinse berries, rhubarb and lemon.

Step 2: Slice rhubarb into small pieces, about 1", then hull and half strawberries.

Step 3: Add strawberries and rhubarb to a large sauté pan, turn heat to low, then squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. The added acidity from the lemon reacts with the natural pectin in the fruit, aiding texture and balancing flavor.

Step 4: Add sugar and vanilla extract, then stir all of the ingredients together until well mixed.

Step 5: Increase the heat to medium, stirring every so often. The mixture will come to a slow simmer but be mindful to avoid a full boil. Adjust your temperature as needed.

Step 6: Continue stirring every so often until the ingredients starts to break down, maintaining a slow simmer. Using a rubber spatula, begin pressing the strawberries and rhubarb into a more cohesive mixture. Once everything is blended well, turn off the heat. Be mindful not to overcook, as you want to keep some integrity of the mixture.

Step 7: You'll begin to notice a difference in the consistency, and the jam will continue to thicken as the mixture cools.

Step 8: Once the jam has cooled enough to handle safely, fill two pint-sized mason jars using a wide-mouthed funnel, and lid. If the jam is still warm, allow to come to room temperature before adding the lid and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Step 9: Serve fresh jam on your favorite bagel or toast, or as a dessert sauce, such as atop ice cream or cheesecake!

Notes: Homemade jam can last up to two months if properly sealed and stored in the refrigerator... if it lasts that long!

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Strawberry season here in Maryland is one of my favorite times. We have several local farms where you can pick-your-own, and this fresh strawberry sauce is the perfect topping for anything from cheesecakes to ice cream, pound cake to strawberry shortcakes... or even pancakes! Depending on the sweetness or tartness of your berries, you can always adjust the amount of sugar. A pinch of salt and a little acidity from the fresh lemon juice balances out the sweetness and brightens up the sauce.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Pint Fresh Strawberries
• 3 Tbsp. Granulated White Sugar
• 1 tsp. Lemon Juice (as needed)
• 1 Scant Pinch of Kosher Salt (as needed)

DIRECTIONS

Step 1: Carefully slice strawberries and add to a medium sauté pan over medium heat.

Step 2: Sprinkle strawberries with sugar and toss with a rubber spatula until fully coated. Add a scant pinch of salt and mix to combine.

Step 3: Once the berries have started to release their juices, squeeze in about a teaspoon of lemon juice. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Step 4: As the sauce cooks down, the sauce will begin to thicken. This can take anywhere from 10-15 minutes, depending on the amount of moisture in the fruit.

Step 5: The sauce is ready when you can run your finger along the back of the spatula, and you can see a clear line. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature. Store in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to serve.

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