We've partnered with California Grown to celebrate all the ways you can cook with fresh, high-quality produce and ingredients (we're talking fruits, vegetables, nuts, and more) from The Golden State.
Seasonal produce doesn't get much better than in the perpetually sunny, Mediterranean climate that is California. Culinary greats like Alice Waters, Thomas Keller, and Dominique Crenn have long championed the local farmers responsible for said produce at their respective restaurants (Chez Panisse, The French Laundry, and Atelier Crenn), highlighting the natural beauty of each food through simple yet impactful cooking techniques. Despite growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, hundreds of miles from any of these establishments, I was lucky enough to have a mom who also valued sustainable, locally sourced food—and who loved hauling me and my sister across the country in search of incredible meals. This is how I found myself in the Chez Panisse dining room at the tender age of 13 with a plate of strikingly green veggies and beautifully coral Pacific king salmon in front of me.