On a recent foggy morning, something was up at the Saturday farmers’ market. Shoppers were preoccupied and looked like they were on a mission. A little ways from my stand, I saw a farmer struggled to put up his sign, then give up and toss it into his pickup. A crowd had already surrounded his stand. I got closer to investigate and then saw them: beautiful baskets filled with deep red cherries.  “I’ll take four baskets,” a customer said urgently, as if they were the last baskets of fruit on earth. I got in line behind them.

Quick Pickling is a great way to preserve vegetables without all the hassle of boiling the jars. This recipe will enable you to pickle many of your favorite veggies, including onions (red, yellow, sweet, and pearl), cucumbers, garlic, cauliflower, carrots, and green beans! Think about the things you love in your Bloody Mary’s, as a side to your summer BBQs or just a quick snack, and then get pickling!

Lima beans are a summer staple on the ranch. Farmers have been growing these big, meaty beans on the Central Coast for generations, and we enjoy them in a variety of dishes throughout the year.

Grilled tri-tip is the Central Coast’s most famous dish—and for very good reason. The tri-tip (which is a triangle-shaped cut from the bottom sirloin) is a really flavorful piece of meat and a great way...

A galette (really just a free-form pie) is as simple and delicious as it is beautiful. I often make the buttery crust in the morning, let it sit in my refrigerator while I work, and...

One of the quickest, easiest ways I know to add flavor to a piece of meat is to make a fresh herb rub. All I have to do is chop up some thyme, rosemary, or oregano, add some garlic and spices, and bind them together with olive oil. In just a few minutes, I’ve made a flavorful mixture that will add something new and interesting to a steak dinner or a roasted chicken. 

The other day, as I was coming home from checking on cows, I found the sweetest surprise: a neighbor had left a big paper bag of avocados, Meyer lemons, and oranges at our front gate. The sight couldn’t have made me happier. Avocados and citrus are worth their weight in gold to us, because we can’t grow them on our ranch (it’s colder here than on farms and ranches just a little closer to the coast). So the gift was both very thoughtful and also really useful for our family in particular.

This sweet, creamy soup is like a bowl of liquid sunshine. It’s the perfect meal for a cold night—warm and comforting and filling. The whole process is so simple that I can easily make it on a busy day. Each step takes very little effort or attention. I don’t have to hover over the stove or watch the soup as it cooks. I can set a timer and work while the squash roasts, then leave the whole thing on the stove when it’s done and reheat it whenever I want.

Meatloaf is a staple in our house. We always have the ingredients lying around: I keep ground beef in the fridge to make quick dinners like pasta or tacos; there’s a big bowl of onions in our pantry, our chickens lay plenty of eggs, and I grow herbs in my garden. On Sundays, when I’m planning for the week ahead, I’ll often make meatloaf, because I know the kids will be happy to eat it for dinner, and we can use the leftovers for days—Austin especially likes it for sandwiches.