The Chopping Block Cooking & Wine Blog

The Joy of Visiting Farmers Markets: A Chef's Perspective

As a chef, my heart beats faster at the mere thought of visiting a farmers' market. There's something truly magical about wandering through stalls brimming with fresh, vibrant produce, artisan goods, ...

In Favor of Doing the Least

Ask anyone. Literally anyone! And you will hear from them that this is the best season to eat. It’s one of the things my grandma says the most these days, usually as she’s describing the corn she ...

How to Farmers’ Market

Fellow citizens of the Midwest, we have arrived. Summer is upon us, and so is the bounty of the legendary farmers’ markets. If you’re anything like me, you have them on your family Google calendar so ...

Preserve Rhubarb with Mostardo

During the growing season, there are some crops I’m happy to see arrive at local markets. I buy them and serve a nice meal incorporating them or featuring them. Zucchini, for one. Then there are ...

Classic Tomato Soup

The farmers markets will only be around for a few more weeks, so this is the time I stock up on vegetables and freeze them for later use.

Farmers Market Season

I love this time of year. My garden is blooming, and the farmers markets all around Chicagoland are in full swing! It seems no matter where you live, there is a farmers’ market in nearly every ...

Cooking from the Farmers Market

I love farmers markets. Not only do you get access to the best tasting, seasonal produce picked at its peak of flavor, but it has traveled just a short time between the farm and market to get to you. ...

How to Master the Farmers Market

Farmers markets, along with breweries with giant patios, a lakefront that may as well be the ocean, and a skyline like no other make summers in Chicago worth the cold, hard winters we endure. If ...

Box of Plenty: The Many Benefits of a CSA

Often times home cooks will be curious about what makes restaurant food taste different from home cooked food. This is actually a very interesting question, and there is no simple answer, but an ...

Mushrooms and Polenta

One of the things I love most about farmers markets is discovering that something unexpected is in season. I always buy whatever it is, whether it was on my shopping list or not, and rush home to ...

Recipes	Ingredients
Cooking Techniques	Cookbooks & Tools
Food News	Local Spots
Travel	Wine
Vegetarian	Gluten-Free
Kids	Baking & Pastry
Boot Camp	Retail

The Joy of Visiting Farmers Markets: A Chef's Perspective

In Favor of Doing the Least

How to Farmers’ Market

Preserve Rhubarb with Mostardo

Classic Tomato Soup

Farmers Market Season

Cooking from the Farmers Market

How to Master the Farmers Market

Box of Plenty: The Many Benefits of a CSA

Mushrooms and Polenta

Subscribe to Email Updates

Location

Awards

Recommended on

The Chopping Block accepts