Search
Recipes, produce guides, seasonal articles, and Collective briefings — one place.
25 results in Produce for "basil"
-
ProduceBasil
Basil is the signature summer herb — bright, aromatic, and versatile. Growing it at home is the easiest way to have a good herb on hand, but local farm basil at a farm stand beats supermarket plastic-pack herbs by a…
-
ProduceWhat is basil and how to use it
Basil is a tender herb with a strong fresh aroma and a clear place in simple everyday cooking. A little goes a long way, but a bunch is still easy to use once you know where it fits.
-
ProduceFresh Herbs
Fresh herbs are the fastest way to transform a dish. A handful of basil, a few sprigs of thyme, or a tablespoon of chopped parsley changes a plate in a way that dried herbs simply cannot replicate — and local farms grow…
-
ProduceHow to Keep Fresh Herbs From Going Bad Too Fast
Fresh herbs are one of the most wasted items in any kitchen. The right storage method depends on the type of herb — and getting it right means your basil, cilantro, and thyme last days longer than they otherwise would.
-
ProduceWhat do tomatoes taste like? Types explained
Tomatoes can taste sweet, tangy, savory, or deeply rich depending on the type and ripeness. Knowing the basic tomato families makes it easier to buy and cook them well.
-
ProduceWhat is onion and how to use it
Onions are one of the most useful vegetables in the kitchen because they work as both a base ingredient and a finished component. Learning a few onion styles makes everyday cooking much easier.
-
ProduceBeets
Beets are sweet, earthy root vegetables that store well and come with edible greens when freshly harvested. They roast beautifully, pickle easily, and add color to salads, grain bowls, and simple sides.
-
ProduceOnions
Onions are both a base ingredient and a vegetable in their own right. Yellow, red, white, sweet, and storage onions each bring a different balance of sharpness, sweetness, and keeping quality.
-
ProduceBell Peppers
Bell peppers are the same fruit at different stages of ripeness — green is unripe, red is fully ripe, and yellow and orange fall in between. That distinction explains nearly everything about how they taste and how to…
-
ProduceBlueberries
Blueberries are one of the more successful summer fruits — they store well, freeze perfectly, and the local varieties have a depth of flavor supermarket berries rarely match.
-
ProduceCorn
Sweet corn is a time-sensitive crop — the sugars in the kernels begin converting to starch the moment the ear is picked. Local corn eaten the day of harvest is a different vegetable than supermarket corn shipped from…
-
ProduceEggplant
Eggplant is a summer vegetable with tender flesh that becomes silky when cooked well. It loves oil, high heat, garlic, tomatoes, herbs, and smoky flavors.
-
ProduceGreen Beans
A fresh green bean from a summer farm stand — snapping cleanly, bright and grassy — is a completely different experience from the limp, dull beans at the supermarket. Green beans are one of the most improved by local…
-
ProduceHow to Store Farm-Fresh Produce to Reduce Waste
Farm-fresh produce comes with different storage needs than grocery store produce. Knowing what goes in the fridge, what stays on the counter, and how to revive wilted greens can cut your waste in half.
-
ProduceLettuce
Lettuce changes a lot by type: romaine is crisp, butter lettuce is soft, leaf lettuce is tender, and iceberg is all crunch. Knowing the difference makes salads easier and waste less likely.
-
ProduceMixed Seasonal Vegetables
Cooking with whatever is in season locally — rather than building a recipe and then hunting for ingredients — is how home cooks ate for most of human history. It is also how you get the best-tasting food for the least…
-
ProduceMixed Vegetables
Knowing how to cook a mix of vegetables well — whatever you have on hand — is one of the most practical skills in the kitchen. The key is understanding density, heat, and timing, not following a specific recipe.
-
ProducePeaches
Peaches are the most short-windowed fruit of the year — and the one where ripeness matters most. A local peach at peak ripeness is the taste of summer in a way no other fruit quite is.
-
ProduceStrawberries
Strawberries are the first real fruit of summer — and the produce where the gap between local and shipped is widest. A ripe local strawberry tastes of strawberry. A shipped one tastes of pink water.
-
ProduceSummer Squash
Summer squash includes yellow squash, crookneck, straightneck, pattypan, and related tender-skinned squashes. It cooks quickly, spoils faster than winter squash, and is best when picked young.
-
ProduceSweet Corn
Sweet corn loses its sugar to starch conversion the moment it is picked — sometimes measured in hours, not days. Local corn bought the day it is harvested is a different vegetable from supermarket corn. No other produce…
-
ProduceTomatoes
Tomatoes are the defining taste of summer — and the produce where supermarket shortcomings are most obvious. A local tomato in August is a different fruit entirely from a supermarket one.
-
ProduceWatermelon
Watermelon is peak-summer fruit with a short window for the best local flavor. A good melon feels heavy, sounds full, and has a creamy field spot where it rested on the ground.
-
ProduceWhat's the Shelf Life of Farm-Fresh Produce?
Farm-fresh produce and grocery store produce have different shelf lives — sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. Here's what to expect for common crops and how to extend it.
-
ProduceZucchini
Zucchini is the produce that produces so much in peak summer that gardeners get creative finding ways to use it. Understanding when to pick small vs. let grow big — and how to use each — is most of what matters.
