Sarah Blackburn

Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty Simple, flavorful and easy to make ahead, this platter of silky, smoky red peppers can serve as a side for a big steak, some grilled fish or as an appetizer with chunks of crusty bread and a gooey burrata cheese. If you want to make this dish outside of the local pepper season, you can easily re-create it using three jars of store-bought roasted red peppers. Any leftovers would be a nice addition to the Flattened Chicken Sandwiches in this story.

Photos by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty Last November, following our loss at the IACP Awards to the GOAT herself, famed culinary historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris, I ate the best salad of my life. I’d traveled to New York with longtime Edible contributor Claudia Catalano, whose wonderful story on homemade ricotta was recognized as one of three finalists in the Best Column category; we hadn’t expected to win, but it was such an honor to have been included in such extraordinary company.

Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty Pounding out the chicken as thin as you can means these sandwiches can be cooked quickly on a hot grill or grill pan and be ready to be wrapped for the beach, the park, an outdoor concert—or even just your backyard. Use the nicest, ripest local tomato you can find and lots of spicy arugula; bring a crisp bottle of white wine, a piece or two of juicy fruit and you’ll have the tastiest picnic of the year.