make ahead dessert

Strawberry Thyme Shortcakes

Strawberry Thyme Shortcakes

Strawberry Thyme Shortcakes excerpted from Full Belly: Recipes and Stories from a Family Farm by Jenna Muller and Amon Muller. Photography by Molly DeCoudreaux.

Full Belly: Recipes and Stories from a Family Farm by Jenna Muller and Amon Muller.

100 easy, seasonal recipes from the beloved, third generation organic family farm located in the verdant Capay Valley in California.

Full Belly‘s recipes follow seasonal rhythms, highlighting fresh, organic ingredients. Dishes like Corn and Summer Squash Pizza and Vibrant Little Gem Salad embody the warmth and simplicity of California cooking. Learn to minimize food waste with recipes for Late Season Tomato Jam and Peach Leaf Creme Brûlée. Founded in 1985, Full Belly Farm is one of the oldest sustainable farms in California and supplies to beloved restaurants like Chez Panisse and Zuni Cafe.

  • Seasonal recipes: Cook seasonally with recipes from Full Belly’s farm kitchen
  • Farm life: Learn about life on one of California’s oldest sustainable farms―from animal husbandry to the rhythms of planting, growing, and harvesting four seasons of produce.
  • How-to: Find practical advice on choosing the best produce, the difference between varieties, and how to garden with sustainable farming practices.
  • CSA subscribers: CSA box subscribers will find it easy to cook along with Full Belly’s 100 seasonal recipes.

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Gingerbread Cake, Cranberry and Zabaione Trifle

Gingerbread Cake, Cranberry and Zabaione Trifle

Gingerbread Cake, Cranberry and Zabaione Trifle excerpted from The Christmas Companion: Simple Recipes and Creative Ideas for a Magical Festive Season. Used with the permission of the publisher, Bloomsbury. Text copyright © 2025 by Skye McAlpine, Photography copyright © 2025 by Skye McAlpine.

The Christmas Companion: Simple Recipes and Creative Ideas for a Magical Festive Season by Skye McAlpine

From beloved author Skye McAlpine, an all-things-Christmas cookbook and gifty guide to the perfect holiday, from hosting to roasting-and everything you need to spread cheer with the people you love.

From inimitable author Skye McAlpine, The Christmas Companion is a gorgeous wall-to-wall guide to an unfussy yet elegant Christmas to remember. With recipes both celebratory and deeply comforting that skew Italian, the book includes Christmas canon favorites like Ginger and Apricot Glazed Ham and Panettone Woodland Cake, edible gifts like Marzipan Fruits and Chocolate Salami, and fool­proof menus for every event-from two­-person romantic dinners to blowout cocktail parties or Christmas lunch for twenty. But like any holiday devotee, Skye knows the preparation is half the fun. In The Christmas Companion, she also gives her best tips for creating the perfect holiday space: guides to making Candy Cane Heart Ornaments and “playing Santa,” how to make your own Christmas crackers, and the most beautiful ways to decorate the Christmas table.

A highly giftable holiday treat, The Christmas Companion is sure to perennially spread Christmas cheer.

The Christmas Companion: Simple Recipes and Creative Ideas for a Magical Festive Season by Skye McAlpine is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Indigo.ca.

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