Meal Prep

A tart huckleberry drinking vinegar (you can try it with different berries) gives club soda some kick.

When you leave lemon peels behind on the cutting board, you're (literally) throwing away free flavor. The peel adds a mild bitterness that we love, plus a bit of texture that instantly makes a salad dressing interesting. This whole-lemon vinaigrette can take on much more than Bibb lettuce: It's substantial enough to go head to head with blistered string or flat beans, smoky grilled meats—you name it.

You wouldn't blanch tender herbs such as basil, but doing so here softens the collards and kale.

I love kimchi. To me, the world is a better place when we all enjoy kimchi. Fiery and fun, it gives a kick to all food.

This spicy condiment is ubiquitous at Tex-Mex restaurants and taco trucks all over Texas. People are shocked when they learn the light green, creamy sauce is made without avocado or dairy. Our version is full of fresh jalapeño heat and bright lime, emulsified using only neutral vegetable oil.

On those mornings when you don't want to do anything but get up, pour coffee, and sit with your face in the sun, homemade granola is a good thing to have around. Ours is meant to be not too sweet. We serve it over very tangy plain yogurt from upstate New York's Ronnybrook Farm dairy and add a swirl of local honey for people who want it a little sweeter.

The longer you cook this nourishing broth, the more savory and concentrated it will become.

This is our go-to gluten-free pie crust; it crisps up beautifully and tastes fantastic. We also use this recipe for hand pies and tarts, and we even roll leftovers into little snake shapes, toss them in cinnamon sugar and bake them into little golden cookies. Before you begin, make sure all of your ingredients are refrigerated (or, in the case of the cream cheese and butter, frozen) to ensure that the crust holds its shape and turns flaky once baked.

You might say I hoard Parmesan rinds. I save them all year long, freezing them in a resealable bag. As soon as that first cold front sweeps in, I transform those long-collected ends into a rich and versatile Parmesan Broth.

Mild rice vinegar and a fair amount of sugar yield a less acidic brine and a bright-tasting pickle.

This sauce goes with pretty much any grilled meat; stir leftovers into yogurt to make a dip.