The kitchen was heady with the aroma of salty sea air and fresh snipped basil.  The halibut was fresh from the seaport, seasoned with salt and pepper and olive oil, skewered and grilled, and served alongside an heirloom watermelon. Grilled halibut skewers with watermelon and peppery basil oil is one of my favorite halibut recipes.  It takes a standard fish kebab up a notch or two. I make this halibut recipe quite frequently during watermelon season.  Fresh halibut from our local fishmonger (who brings these beauties in from the New York seaport each day while we sleep), sweet watermelon from our local farm, and a good handful of basil from…

Just in from the summer fields, and nestled in their rustic farm bins, were tiny purple and white eggplants, harvested just before they fully ripen – because that’s when they taste the best.  Cherry tomatoes in golden yellow and burnt orange, tight bulbs of fresh garlic, and onions still dusty with earth.  With these goodies in tow, White Wine Pasta with Caramelized Onions, Roasted Eggplant and Blistered Tomatoes will hold a welcomed place on tonight’s table. An incredibly simple meal to prepare and a nice variation when considering a pasta an eggplant recipe.  The eggplant and tomatoes take care of themselves while roasting to perfection, the onions need only a…

Homemade ice cream flavored with farm fresh cherries and local cherry-smoked bourbon.  Aromatic with vanilla bean.  Subtly smoky, subtly sweet. Smoked Bourbon Cherry Ice Cream is the perfect way to end a grown-up dinner on a summer’s evening.   With only three ingredients, you’ll have everything you need to make homemade ice cream.  Add in simmered cherries, smoked bourbon, and vanilla bean – and you’ll have the perfect combination for smoldering aromatics.

Nothing says comfort food like a hot, melted, grilled cheese sandwich.  I enjoy grilled cheese throughout the year, but love to change it up based on what the seasons have to offer.  Today, I am pairing local blueberries and honey with soft brie and freshly snipped basil; for a Blueberry & Brie Grilled Cheese.