Dried apples are easy to make and even easier to find in the grocery. Simmer a batch with spices and sweetener and then use the aromatic results to fill a classic stack cake for a fall celebration.

As summer sees itself out, there's still time to snag a mess of green beans to turn into shuck beans for the holidays. We visited a friend in Frankfort for a hands-on demonstration.

As we devour all manner of tomato sandwiches during the summer, it occurs to us that a loaf of bread has to do a lot of heavy lifting in the Holly Hill universe. And we're reminded (again!) that Midway Bakery bread is the one item that shows up on every menu, no matter which restaurant, so we dropped in to watch longtime baker Michael Barcus show us how the magic happens.

Summer is full on and our local farmers are working harder than ever to put food on our tables. We took a little road trip around Central Kentucky to scout out farm stands and markets, revisiting old favorites and discovering new ones along the way.

We ventured 130 feet underground to meet Linda Griffin and see how Highbridge Springs gets water from the source to you. Spoiler alert: they're so far underground that the spring is actually overhead! And hearing the Highbridge origin story from Linda was a bonus.

When the temperature rises, so does our determination to seek out tasty dishes that don't require turning on the stove or lighting a grill. Cucumbers are coming on strong at the farmers market right now; grab a few and try something new. Because nothing says chill like a cucumber, right?

Like the great Jacques Pépin, Martine and Marc are both natives of France who now make their home in America. Martine Holzman is the owner of Martine's Pastries and Marc Puil owns and manages Le Deauville.

We know the rhubarb in our Holly Hill Inn gardens won't be around for long, so we're always looking for ways to preserve this tart treat. The mostarda comes together quickly but its tangy flavors can be enjoyed for weeks.

We recently toured the gardens at Holly Hill Inn Inn with staff farmer David Wagoner. Then feeling inspired by all that glorious green, we gathered a bundle of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme to create a bouquet garni vinegar, and played around with the gigantic leaves of an aggressive horseradish plant.

When we served a Kentucky Proud lunch for the recent Local Food Systems Summit, Chef David's herby, sweet and crunchy salad was the fastest-disappearing side dish on the buffet. You could blanch the peas first, but you don't have to, making the salad perfect for hot, humid days.

Tobacco barns once populated the agricultural landscape across much of Kentucky. Some are gone forever; others survive in new iterations.

Here’s a batched cocktail perfect for early summer parties. Though it’s usually thought of as a winter cocktail, serving a Boulevardier on the rocks lightens it up enough to be refreshing anytime.

Named for the Paris boulevards so well-trod by American expats, the Boulevardier happens to be delicious made with bourbon and also happens to be the favorite drink of our pal Chef Kristin Smith.

Not all farms grow just food. Some grow flowers too, and we traveled to a flower farm to meet a mother whose daughters are carrying on the family business, each in her own way.

We never run out of ways to use Lisa's remoulade sauce - it's a staple in all our seafood baskets, delicious on crab cakes and hushpuppies, great for dipping potato wedges, etc. etc. We've referenced it many times in our recipes for other dishes; here's how to make it!

Ever wonder about the Merv behind Merv's Ham & Jalapeño? Who Betty Ann and Dr. P are, and how our restaurants got their names? We reveal the who, what and where behind our favorite places and most popular dishes.

Katherine McCutchen’s recipe originally appeared in the Heritage Cookbook, first published in 1998 by the African American Heritage Center of Simpson County, Ky. According to an article at the time of her death, the South Union matriarch was “an influential and driving force behind the creation and preservation of the African American Heritage Center.”

We present Mrs. McCutchen’s recipe almost exactly as she wrote it – in her usual meticulous way, according to her son Keith. It would be perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day, Derby or graduation. Really for any spring celebration.

Culinarily, mushrooms are a rich source of the prized and elusive umami. Like the old saying about porn, umami is hard to describe but you know it when you taste it. 

To learn more about these umami bombs, we drove out to Narrow Gate Farm to meet our Holly Hill mushroom supplier, Keith Duncan.