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Pick‑Your‑Own Berries Around Pittsburgh

By
Jordan Snowden
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Two white hands hold locally sourced blueberries in a small metal pail from a pick your own blueberry farm in Pittsburgh.

Article Updated May 26, 2026

‘Tis the season to pick your own blueberries, strawberries, and cherries, one of the sweetest summer pleasures in and around Pittsburgh. Packed with nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, potassium, and fiber, berries provide a prime, portable snack for riverside picnics and festive park gatherings that mark this bright season ahead.

Those in the know suggest prioritizing picking in the morning hours before the heat builds up in the fruit and when they’re at the peak of their sweetness. Making yourself part of the process is one way to beat grocery shopping inflation and links you and your kids to the farmers and growers responsible for your nourishment. In the end, you’ll likely feel a deeper connection to — and reverence for — the food you place on the table for family and friends to savor together.

We’ve rounded up the following ideas on where to gather the season’s freshest berries. Just be sure to check up-to-date details on each farm’s websites or social media pages since crop conditions depend on factors beyond human control.

Pick-Your-Own Strawberries, Cherries, and Blueberries Around Pittsburgh

Blueberries

Duck Run Blueberry Farm

New to Ellwood City, Duck Run Blueberry Farm is gearing up for this first season in this location in June. Family owned and operated you can keep an eye on their Facebook page to see when their crops are ready to pick.

Bowser’s Blueberries

Travel six miles west of Butler for some pick-your-own adventures at this family-owned blueberry farm that launched in the summer of 2011. They now have 5,700 plants, including 10 sweet varieties, each showcasing a distinctive taste. This year’s frost has been particularly bad but there are blossoms showing up in the bushes so the farm has hope for a good season.

A painted sign with a blueberry basket and text that says "We picked our berries at Bower's Blueberries." Two blueberries have spots for faces, and two kids stick their heads through.

Pete’s Berry Farm

Follow them on Facebook to discover seasonal updates from this Sharpsville berry hub. If you’re not feeling the picking-spirit you can purchase pre-collected berries from the farm stand. This year’s blueberry production depends on how these next few weeks look. So far the blossoms have survived the frosts but there are always fluctuations into June.

Strawberries

Soergel Orchards

While the weather sadly hurt Soergel’s strawberry crops, they’ll still have these berries available at their farm stand. But, you can still look forward to blueberry season starting in July. You’ll want to keep an eye on their website and Facebook page for further details. But, in the meantime you can take advantage of their Build Your Own Essentials Kit that includes three meal kits plus a variety of essential ingredients like milk, eggs, and more.

Triple B Farms

Just 15 minutes from downtown, this Monongahela outpost has grown fresh fruits and vegetables and operated a country market since 1985. This year, they are still planning to hold pick-your-own strawberries once their crops are more plentiful. But you can stop in to grab strawberries in store. Plus. be sure to also stop into the shop for fresh produce plus goodies ranging from pickles, local honey, and fruit butters to coffee.

Simmons Farm

May 26 kicks off strawberry season over at Simmons Farm. From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on select dates (May 26 being the first), you can bring the whole family and take turns picking fresh strawberries. While no other dates are planned yet, you can take a look on their Facebook for updates.

Note: Unfortunately, Pittsburgh’s pick-your-own cherry orchard, Norman’s Orchard, lost their entire sweet and tart cherry crop in the year’s frosts. So there will be no cherries this year.

A baby wearing a wide-brim hat and strapped to a woman's back reaches to the left to grab pick your own blueberries from a farm in Pittsburgh.

Recipes for Your Fresh-Picked Strawberries, Cherries, and Blueberries

Story by Corinne Whiting
Photography by Katie Long

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Summer Salad with Blueberries & Blue Cheese

By
Emma Riva
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A fresh summer salad with blueberries and blue cheese.

Blueberries and blue cheese are lead players in this bright summer salad, anything but a rote toss-up. Supporting players cucumber, celery, and candied walnuts add texture and crunch. If possible, avoid the nearly flavorless baby spinach rampant in supermarkets today in favor of leaves with a bit of character, like crinkly savoy spinach. For a little more heft, add slivers of prosciutto. You can also check out some of these other salad recipes for summer.

Cheeses Galore in This Summer Salad

Maybe you see blue cheese and go “ew,” since it’s one of the cheeses with an odor that can turn some people off. But before you judge, one way to make sure you’re getting the bets quality blue cheese it to buy a block from a local cheesemonger rather than the supermarket and crumble it yourself. Though part of this recipe is that the blue-on-blue is fun, if you’re really a dead-set hater, you can easily substitute blue cheese for any number of cheeses. Generally, you want goat milk cheese or sheep milk cheese (feta) for the subtler flavors than your average American cheese. You can also experiment with thin, flake-like slices of Swiss cheese or provolone. The freshness of the berries contrasts well with the robustness of cheese.

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A fresh summer salad with blueberries and blue cheese.

Summer Salad with Blueberries & Blue Cheese

  • Author: Cheryl Alters Jamison
Print Recipe

Description

The flavors of summer are vibrant and delicious in this salad.

Ingredients

Scale
  • About 1 lb fresh spinach
  • ½ cucumber, halved lengthwise and seeds scooped out, sliced very thinly
  • 1 celery stalk, sliced very thinly
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 4 oz blue cheese crumbles
  • 4 oz candied or caramelized walnuts

For the dressing:

  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup walnut oil
  • 3 tbsp raspberry vinegar or other fruit or fruit-infused vinegar
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp poppyseeds

Instructions

  1. To assemble the salad, toss the spinach with about one-quarter of the dressing and arrange in a bowl or on individual salad plates.
  2. Toss the cucumber and celery with another couple of tablespoons of dressing. Scatter them over the spinach.
  3. Arrange blueberries, blue cheese, and walnuts over the other ingredients. Drizzle the salad with more dressing and serve.

For the dressing:

  1. To make the dressing, combine the oils, vinegar, sugar, mustard, and salt in a jar.
  2. Cover and shake vigorously to combine.
  3. Add poppyseeds and shake again. (Leftover dressing can be refrigerated for a week.)

Notes

Candied or caramelized walnuts can often be found in supermarkets near the cheeses and with other cheese accompaniments.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

Story by Cheryl Alters Jamison
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce

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Easy Summer Strawberry Pinwheel Biscuit Pie

By
Anna Franklin
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0
A plate of strawberry pinwheel biscuit pies from TABLE Magazine's recipe

This Easy Summer Strawberry Pinwheel Biscuit Pie recipe begins as biscuit dough and then morphs into a wondrous cross between a shortcake and a cobbler, cooked with fresh strawberries and jam in a pie dish. It’s pretty, as well as pretty delicious.

Tips for Making Our Easy Summer Strawberry Pinwheel Biscuit Pie

If working with conventional grocery store strawberries, start with a full two pounds of fruit. By the time you rid them of their cottony-white cores, you will have sent a quarter to half a pound to the compost heap. If you can start with truly ripe berries, such as the small frais de bois type often available at farmers’ markets, you can get by with 1½ pounds to end up with your needed four cups.

Though this is a strawberry recipe, you can substitute another kind of berry or combine multiple varieties, if you wish. Imagine a mix of blackberries and raspberries over this homemade biscuit dough. A dollop of softly whipped cream would be a welcome final flourish, as would a little moat of plain cream poured around each portion.

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A plate of strawberry pinwheel biscuit pies from TABLE Magazine's recipe

Easy Summer Strawberry Pinwheel Biscuit Pie

  • Author: Cheryl Alters Jamison
Print Recipe

Description

Your new go-to summer dessert.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups strawberries, sliced and white cottony centers discarded
  • About ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp instant or granulated tapioca
  • 1 cup strawberry jam or preserves
  • 2 tbsp melted unsalted butter
  • Sanding sugar, or other large crystal sugar, optional

For the biscuit dough:

  • 2 cups low-gluten biscuit or pastry flour, or 1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour + ¼ cup
  • Cake flour or, less desirably, 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 3 tbsp lard, well-chilled
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, well-chilled
  • ¾ cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

For the biscuits:

  1. Butter a 9- or 10-inch deep-dish pie pan. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a large shallow bowl. Cut the lard and butter into small chunks and add them to the dry ingredients. Combine with a pastry blender just until a coarse meal forms.
  2. Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk. With your fingers and a few swift strokes, combine the dough just until it’s a sticky mess. Turn out onto a lightly floured board or, better, a pastry cloth.
  3. Clean, dry, and flour your hands. Gently pat out the dough and fold it back over itself about a half-dozen times, just to smooth. (A dough scraper helps greatly with this.) Pat out again into a rectangle about ½ inch thick. Cover the dough lightly and refrigerate it for about 20 minutes.

For the pie:

  1. Mix together in a medium bowl the strawberries, sugar, and tapioca. Spoon the mixture evenly into the pie pan.
  2. Remove the biscuit dough from the refrigerator. Roll it into a rectangle about 10 x 18 inches.
  3. Spread the jam over the dough, within about ½ inch of the dough’s edges. Then, if it’s too thick to spread without tearing the dough, add just a touch of water to get a looser consistency, but don’t make it runny. Starting from one of the long sides, roll up snugly. Slice into a dozen equal-sized pinwheel biscuits.
  4. Arrange the biscuits evenly with a cut side-up, on top of the fresh strawberry mixture. There will be some gaps between the biscuits but they will fill in as they bake.
  5. Bake covered for 10 minutes, then uncover and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown. After, brush with melted butter while still hot. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if you wish.
  6. Let stand for a few minutes before serving warm or at room temperature. To serve, scoop out servings around each biscuit, making sure to get a good portion of the berries and juices from the bottom layer.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

Story by Cheryl Alters Jamison
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce

Subscribe to TABLE Magazine‘s print edition.

Best Shopping in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn

By
Kylie Thomas
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0
The inside of Assembly Line Design Shop in Boerum Hill featuring a white chair on a black display table and wood shelves with wood products in the background.
Photo courtesy of Assembly Line

If you’re planning a trip to New York this summer, an attractive enclave near downtown is an extremely pleasant—and aesthetically enthralling—place to visit. Boerum Hill in Brooklyn is home to a surprising number of design and fashion shops where you can find tableware, small furniture, lighting, and more—most of it concentrated in a two-block area on Atlantic Avenue.

The area is named for a farm owned in colonial times by the Boerum Family. Today, much of the area consists of tree-lined, landmarked blocks, home to rows of brownstones. Zoning prevents tall buildings, especially in the blocks directly below Atlantic Avenue, the area’s main drag.

Boerum Hill is a short taxi/Uber/Lift ride from lower Manhattan; it can also be reached by nearly every subway, including the A, F, 2, 3, 4, 5, N, R, and Q lines.

Housewares and Design Stores in Boerum Hill

An inside of Mud design shop in Boerum Hill with shelves of colored plates and a table set up in the center of the room.
Photo courtesy of Mud

Mud

402 Atlantic Avenue

The brainchild of potter Shelly Simpson, this Sydney-based business features unique and colorful porcelain tableware, lighting, and more. The large and light-filled corner shop is definitely eye candy—but you’ll also want to take everything home.

The inside of Michele Varian design shop in Boerum Hill featuring a small black table in the center and box shelves against the back wall.
Photo courtesy of Michele Varian

Michele Varian

400 Atlantic Avenue

Relocated to Boerum Hill a couple of years ago from Soho, this light-filled emporium features textiles, pillows, wallpaper, lighting, and furniture by Varian herself, as well as product by more than 100 other designers—and dozens of local jewelry designers to boot.

The inside of Assembly Line Design Shop in Boerum Hill featuring a white chair on a black display table and wood shelves with wood products in the background.
Photo courtesy of Assembly Line

Assembly Line

373 Atlantic Avenue

From architecture and design studio General Assembly comes a highly elevated general store is a one-stop shop for everything interior design: furniture, lighting, cabinet hardware—even a line of limewash in collaboration with Ressource, a French wallpaper and paint company.

The inside of Primary Essentials design shop in Boerum Hill showcasing a long table filled with objects, two shelves built into the walls in the background, and two round lamps over the table.
Photo courtesy of The Primary Essentials

The Primary Essentials

372 Atlantic

A wonderful collection of homeware and gifts, much of which is on a long, low table that stretches the length of the front of the shop. You’ll find handmade ceramics by local potters, candles, personal care items, textiles, and a lot more.

The inside of Porta design shop in Boerum Hill with a kitchen counter and shelf above the counter with various household objects on them.
Photo courtesy of Porta

Porta

360 Atlantic Avenue

The tag line “beautiful things for beautiful homes” only tells part of the story. PORTA works with designers and artisans from many countries in Europe to assemble a collection of distinctive items that straddle the traditional and the contemporary.

Fashion Shops in Boerum Hill

A bed designed from products at Layla fashion store in Boerum Hill featuring a pattern blue bed sheet and pillow plus two pink pattern pillows.
Photo courtesy of Layla

Layla

352 Atlantic Avenue

Alayne Patrick’s treasure chest of a store is a mix of bedding, jewelry, clothing and housewares, most of which is created by the owner with craftspersons in India. She also carries vintage rugs, contemporary and antique works on paper, and paintings by Aleishall Girard Maxon.

The inside of M Patmos fashion shop in Boerum Hill with a wood table of purses, a rack of clothes to the left, and an outfit hanging on the back wall.
Photo courtesy of M. Patmos

M. Patmos

358 Atlantic Avenue

Named after its owner, the shop features “modern wardrobe staples and sophisticated, textural knitwear meant to be passed down to future generations.” The focus is on low environmental impact and working with small, family-owned factories and workshops.

The outside of Clare V fashion shop in Boerum Hill with a blue outside and sign sitting in front of the building.
Photo courtesy of Clare V.

Clare V.

57 Bergen Street

Founded in 2008, Clare V. is a hybrid of California cool and European chic, offering handbags, small leather goods, clothing, jewelry, and more. The brand has ongoing relationships with charitable causes, including Every Mother Counts founded by Christy Turlington Burns.

Story by Stephen Treffinger

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The Last Warm Evening: A Curated End of Summer Meal

By
Keith Recker
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0
A man arranging and serving food on a patio table, surrounded by a variety of colorful dishes.

Scott and Leslie Livingston have worked with Taliesin-trained architect Gerald Lee Morosco for more than a decade to reimagine their sprawling red brick manse in Pittsburgh’s South Hills suburb. Every room in the architecturally eclectic house, from the third-floor suite designed for their daughter to the Craftsman-style kitchen featured previously in TABLE, has been transformed, thanks to Morosco’s and the Livingstons’ shared vision. We gathered together to celebrate the last warm evening before the temperatures drop in this beautiful home.

The Last Warm Evening: A Curated End of Summer Meal

A departure from open concept, the house offers multiple spaces for hosting any sort of gathering — dinner for two around the kitchen island or a formal party in the ballroom-sized living room. On the informal evening in question, however, guests moved freely from the house to covered and open areas just off the dining and kitchen areas.

A cozy and inviting sitting area with a large arched window overlooking a lush, green garden.

Scott, a lawyer, and Leslie, a travel blogger, meticulously tend the front and back gardens themselves. With hydrangeas, impatiens, and other annuals and perennials in full bloom, the couple invited a small group of family, old friends, and new acquaintances to meet one another and enjoy dinner catered by Chef Kevin Hermann.

Two women sitting on stone steps, enjoying a meal together while conversing and laughing.

The party was on a weeknight, which resulted in 100-percent attendance, “not so much because of us but because of the food and the beautiful day,” Scott says. Scott favors weeknight entertaining because many people are away on weekends, and with work looming the next morning, drinking and driving isn’t a concern. “People take it easy — they don’t go crazy,” he says.

Two older gentlemen enjoying a meal together on the patio of a home, surrounded by lush greenery and brick architecture.

The Livingstons like to cook, but hiring a caterer was a smart decision, as Leslie was called to Italy on business and couldn’t attend. “I was the bachelor. I didn’t have to cook or clean up,” says Scott. Instead, he mingled with his diverse group of guests, as they transitioned from indoors and out through the French doors that flank the rear of the house, leading to a balcony with a view of the gardens.

A group of people enjoying a meal outdoors on a patio, surrounded by lush greenery.

The Menu

The meal, served family-style on a picnic table under an umbrella, was inventive but not precious, from Scott’s perspective. “I’m not an overly adventurous eater,” he says. “I don’t remember everything we had; I just know it was delicious.” On the menu were Garden Herb-Cured Salmon Salad, Vegan Chorizo Stuffed Napa Cabbage, Curry Squash Soup, Prosciutto and Sourdough, Moroccan-Spiced Lamb Stuffed Sweet Peppers, and Apple Pudding Cake.

A colorful and appetizing spread of food, including grilled bruschetta topped with prosciutto, and a glass of red wine, set against a backdrop of vibrant yellow and green floral arrangements.

Chef Hermann’s philosophy mirrors Scott’s experience. Using seasonal local ingredients, he creates dishes that put a spin on comfort food, often with hints of Southern fare. “What is a way I can make [stuffed cabbage or peppers] a little bit more exciting, more unique?” he asks. The presentation is as important as the taste, he adds, “It’s like making art. I kind of paint a picture in my mind about what the dish might look and taste like. Something fun, new and unique.”

A group of friends and family gathered for an informal outdoor gathering.

Morosco, who attended the party with his husband, Paul, also keeps an eye on the visuals. He approved of the use of blossoms and leaves clipped from the garden and made into artfully arranged informal table decorations.

A man arranging and serving food on a patio table, surrounded by a variety of colorful dishes.

Crafting a Perfect Party

Hermann is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park and has worked at restaurants and clubs around the country. In Pittsburgh he helped conceptualize Eat‘n Park’s Six Penn Kitchen and Hello Bistro, and opened the Porches at Schenley and Siena. He considers himself a teacher. “Part of the passion of being a culinarian is getting people to step out of the box, their comfort zones,” he says. “The joy I have is sharing these recipes so people can try something new.”

But for Leslie’s absence, the party was perfect, says Scott. “Everybody was in a happy state of mind, so it was not hard for conversation to begin. People mingled wonderfully. It was a smashing success. If you bring people together in a beautiful setting with delicious food, there is no way you can lose!”

Story by Susan Fleming Morgans
Styling by Keith Recker
Photography by Dave Bryce
Food by Chef Kevin Hermann

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8 Vacation Essentials to Cook Your Best Meal at Any Rental

By
Emma Riva
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0
A series of culinary objects on a white background

Summer is upon us, and that means it’s time to talk vacation essentials! You may be heading to a relaxing beachside villa, a secluded lake house, or a rustic cabin with breathtaking mountain views. You’ve been dreaming about this vacation ever since you booked it back in March and thinking about that beach-side cocktail has gotten you through many a meeting that should have been an email. Let’s face it, though, sometimes that rustic cabin’s host did a less-than-stellar job at preparing the kitchen for your stay. Here’s what we recommend to bring to make a meal as satisfying as sending that out-of-office email feels.

1 or 2 favorite knives

Knives that spend their days in a short-term rental are not destined for greatness. They don’t have the same feel as your knives from home, and the last time they were sharpened, you were booking your vacations through a travel agency. Do yourself a favor and bring at least one sharp knife with you. If you bring just one, make it a chef’s knife. It can handle any task from cutting the fruit you found at the farmers market to slicing the cured salami you just had to have from the local provisions shop. If you know you’ll be doing a little more cooking, add a paring knife for more precision. When packing your knives, wrap them separately in a dish towel and secure the towel with masking or painter’s tape. Now you have a bonus item; a dish towel that’s good for any cleanup situation.

Corkscrew

Somehow this seems to be one of the things that is always lacking in a “fully stocked kitchen.” Planning to indulge in some of your favorite wines while on vacation? Pack a corkscrew or wine key like Pulltap’s Professional Waiter’s Corkscrew. Trust me, this will save you immense heartache and the unnecessary act of purchasing one you don’t need. Once you’ve finally arrived at your destination, unpacked, and figured out where the towels are, won’t it be nice to settle in with your favorite bottle of Vino Verde without the drama?

Jigger

The number of short-term rentals stocked with a jigger are proportional to the number of times I’ve travelled and not needed a drink by the time I park my suitcase in a bedroom. That’s to say, few. If your vacation dreams include an Aperol spritz by the pool or a Negroni while you watch the sunset, pack a jigger, and keep your mixologist game strong. I prefer the Oxo steel double jigger, which is small and easy to pack. Need help finding a recipe for a perfect vacation cocktail? Peruse some of the ideas we’ve dreamed up here at TABLE Magazine before your trip.

Coffee brewing equipment

If, like many Americans, your morning ritual includes sitting down with the perfect cup, consider packing your favorite brewing apparatus. I commend those brave enough to pack a Chemex (my own mother goes few places without hers). But for a safer option, I recommend the Aeropress. This lightweight, plastic, easy cleanup brew method is perfect for travel. Bring your favorite beans already ground or pick some up from a local coffee shop when you arrive at your destination.

Top 3 spices

If your host cares for your wellbeing at all, there should be salt and pepper already stocked in your rental. But can one survive on salt and pepper alone? If you hope to grill some local fish, prepare a salad from the farmers market, or whip up an easy dinner in, you may want a little more flavor. Pack three of your favorite spices or spice blends and your vacation-self will thank your current-self. Not sure what to take? A steak seasoning like Victoria Taylor’s Cracked Black Pepper Rub is versatile and can be used to flavor eggs in the morning and anything on the grill in the evening. Za’atar is great for sprinkling over sandwiches on the beach or store-bought hummus for a snack. Furikake from Ajishima Foods will liven up any quick rice bowl or fish dish. Pack your spices inside a food storage container to avoid your clothes having a faint waft of za’atar all week.

Food storage containers or reusable bags

Unless you’re a pro at estimating how much people will eat, you will likely have leftovers. One item I have found almost every short-term rental lacks is food storage containers. Bring 2 or 3 so you can enjoy your leftover pasta salad for lunch the next day or repurpose that extra steak into sandwiches.

Sleep mask

I am loath to leave my black-out curtains at home, but sacrifices must be made in the name of relaxation. If precautions have not been made for sun blockage in your rental, chances are you will be waking up at 6am each morning with the sunrise. This sounds perfectly wonderful to some. However, if you’d like the option of sleeping in after an extra vacation cocktail, pack a sleep mask and revel in the fact that you do not need to set an alarm. Brooklinen carries soft silky masks in a variety of designs so you can even match favorite Pjs.

Portable speaker

Your rental may be equipped with the latest sound system or smart tv. Then again it may not. Give yourself the ability to set the mood with your favorite playlist anywhere by packing a portable speaker. I recommend the Bose Soundlink Micro Bluetooth Speaker. Its small and lightweight but gets great volume. It may even come in handy by the beach or sitting down to a picnic after a morning hike.

Story and photography by Kirsten Chervenak

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3 Portable Grills for Your Summer Cooking

By
Kylie Thomas
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0
A small blue portable grill sits on the beach with colorful peppers on top with a picnic basket and blanket sitting behind the grill.

It’s nearly time for barbecue season (or perhaps it always is, depending on where you live—lucky you.) But sometimes you don’t need to involve the behemoth model with multiple burners and collapsible side tables. It’s great for a crowd of 12, but can feel like overkill for dinner à deux. Enter tabletop, portable grills, a no muss/no fuss miniature grill that’s perfect for a few calamari kebabs or a pair of lamb burgers. You can even take these small wonders to the park or the beach!

Portable Grills

A white travel grill with a wood bottom base sits on a white background.

Berghoff Tabletop BBQ from Williams Sonoma

Use charcoal or wood in this sleek steel model that comes with carrying straps and stay-cool silicone handles. Sets up quickly on its cork base and adjustable air flow lets you regulate the temperature.

A blue travel grill with a blue case featuring brown straps sits on a white background.

Mon Oncle Tabletop BBQ from Lumens

So stylish with its briefcase-like design you’ll want to show it off. (It even has fabric and leather straps and handle.) It comes in blue, green, or gray so you can even match it to your outfit. Perforations let things get really hot—but prevent the shell from overheating. 

A red travel grill with a silver handle and top wooden case sit on a white background.

Venture Gas Grill from Cuisinart

A porcelain enameled cooking grate is just like the big boys—and it distributes heat really evenly. Uses propane and has a 9,000 BTU burner. It features a large handle and a wood cover that doubles as a chopping board.  

Story by Stephen Treffinger

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Easy Summer Mocktail: Watermelon-Cucumber NO-jito

By
Jordan Snowden
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0
A white man's hand hold a bottle of ginger beer as it sits on a black table. Next to the soda sits a mojito mocktail orange in color.

During hot summer days, if you’re looking to enjoy the cold, thirst-quenching taste of a mojito, without the dehydrating inclusion of alcohol, Blue Sky‘s Tyler Lewis shares the following refreshing Watermelon-Cucumber NO-jito. Grab your friends and some fresh watermelon and cucumber from your local farmer’s market, and mix up this mojito mocktail. Whether you’re new to mocktails or a pro, this is a refreshing, easy to make summer drink. Though drinking is a lot of fun, sometimes ingesting something that dehydrates you in the summer heat isn’t the move. Or you’ve had a few too many the night before. Or, you just don’t want to drink alcohol. No explanation needed. Mocktails are a fun, creative way to spice up your beverage routine. You can also try our Peach Basil Bellini mocktail or Wildberry Sparkler Mocktail, also by Tyler Lewis, for some other inspiration.

What Makes a Mojito?

Something to think about with any mocktail is how it can match the original drink. The mojito is one of the oldest mixed drinks in the world. It originated in the 1500s in Cuba, but gained popularity from the Bacardi rum company in the 1800s. Author Ernest Hemingway was known to be a big fan, and he probably could have benefited from swapping it out with a mocktail every now and then. Our mocktail version obviously doesn’t have the classic rum, but we’ve emulated the flavor with a combination of Seedlip mixer and ginger beer to get both the kick and the acidity of a classic mojito. If you really want to commit to the mojito bit, you can replace that with a zero-proof rum for the same effect.

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A white man's hand hold a bottle of ginger beer as it sits on a black table. Next to the soda sits a mojito mocktail orange in color.

Easy Summer Mocktail: Watermelon-Cucumber NO-jito

  • Author: Tyler Lewis
Print Recipe

Description

A delicious non-alcoholic spirit collides with ginger beer, watermelon, and lime juice for the perfect summer drink.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ oz fresh watermelon juice
  • ¾ oz lime juice
  • ¾ oz simple syrup
  • 1 ½ oz Seedlip Garden 108 non-alcoholic spirit
  • 4 fresh-cut watermelon chunks
  • 4 fresh-cut cucumber slices
  • Jamaica’s Finest Ginger Beer (or other ginger beer of your choice)
  • Sliced watermelon, cucumber, and lime for garnish

Instructions

  1. Add watermelon juice, lime juice, simple syrup, Seedlip Garden 108, watermelon chunks, and cucumber slices to a shaker with ice and shake vigorously.
  2. Roll into a pint glass and top with ginger beer.
  3. Garnish, serve, and enjoy your mojito mocktail!

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

Recipe by Tyler Lewis / Styling by Star LaLiberte / Photography by Dave Bryce

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A Look Into the Spanish Colonial Arts Society’s Collection Vaults

By
webpubpro
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Three wooden sculptures of Santo Ninos figures sit in a line in different poses, all from the Spanish Colonial Society, against an orange background.

Nearing its centenary, Traditional Spanish Market is the oldest juried Hispanic art show and sale of its kind. Started by Mary Austin and the Spanish Colonial Arts Society to promote traditional, local Hispanic arts in 1926, it paused during and after World War II, reopening in 1965. A Youth Market was introduced in 1981 to celebrate how these artistic traditions are passed down through the generations. Plus, to encourage new artists to help those traditions not only survive, but thrive. 

Chart the history of Spanish Market and you’ll also chart the changing face of bultos, three-dimensional carvings of religious figures. While the same saint might appear over the year––say, San Ysidro, patron saint of farmers––the way he is depicted changes in the hands of expert Santeros. Whether the piece is unpainted, allowing you to trace the wood grain along a drape of fabric, or brightly painted and intricately carved, each work is a testament to the artistry and craftsmanship of the people who create them. The Spanish Colonial Arts Society let us into their collection vaults to see some of their contemporary and historic bultos. Spoiled for choice, we share a few of our favorites.  

A Look Into Collection Vaults at the Spanish Colonial Society

A wooden sculpture of San Fiacre under an arch of flowers from the Spanish Colonial Society sits against a brown background.

San Fiacre y Los Patrones del Jardin, 2017, Arthur Lopez, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Wood, gesso, paint, varnish 2017.012 (Purchased at 2017 Spanish Market).

San Fiacre 

Astride a super-sized praying mantis and clutching his signature spade, San Fiacre––patron saint of gardeners and taxi cab drivers––looks ready to make a house call to a gardener in distress. Arthur Lopez’s work is a joyous riot of garden fecundity. Bees and other pollinators land on flowers that entwine a green bower. Lapis-colored butterflies rest for a moment as if in mid-flight. Even the sun–or is it a sunflower?–speaks to a garden well-loved and tended. Even flowers line San Fiacre’s sky-blue cassock.  

Three wooden sculptures of Santo Ninos figures sit in a line in different poses, all from the Spanish Colonial Society, against an orange background.

From left to right: Santo Niño de Atocha, 1999, Richard Salazar, New Mexico, Wood, leather, cotton, grape vine. Santo Niño de Atocha, late 20th-early 21st c., Gloria Lopez, Cordova, New Mexico, Wood, leather. Holy Child of Atocha, Santo Niño de Atocha, mid-late 19th c., Maker Unknown, Mexico (figure), New Mexico (chair), Wood, gesso, water-based paint, fabric.

Santo Niños 

Three dramatically different depictions of Santo Niño de Atocha (the Sacred Child of Atocha) but bound together by a centuries-old artistic tradition. All three don wide-brimmed hats, capes, and staffs, signs telling us that he is a pilgrim. As the patron saint of those unjustly imprisoned, travelers, people in danger (and yes, pilgrims) Santo Niño de Atocha comes equipped with a gourd of water and a basket filled with either food or flowers, always ready to help those in need.  

Story by Julia Platt Leonard / Photography by Tira Howard

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The Do’s and Don’ts of Summer Wines

By
Emma Riva
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Adam Knoerzer pours a glass of summer wines

The temperatures are finally rising, the sun is shining, and you’re ready to enjoy the summer season. You’ve got your beer and pop chilling in the cooler alongside bottles of water, your cocktails are batched and in pitchers ready for enjoyment. But what about summer wines? Does a bottle need to be chilled – and if so, how chilled should it be for optimal enjoyment? And what about all these red wines, how do you handle those when it’s warm? Look no further: this how-to guide gives you the do’s and don’ts for summer sipping:

The Do’s and Don’t of Summer Wines

DO chill your sparkling, white, and dessert wines

Sparkling wines should be on ice in a chiller to keep them as cold as possible for best results (they can warm up a bit in the glass, and this helps keep the bubbles as brilliant as they can be)

Light whites (e.g. Sauvignon blanc, Riesling, Pinot Grigio) should be almost as cold as the bubbly to keep them refreshing and zesty

Medium- and full-bodied whites (e.g. most Chardonnays, Viognier, most white blends) can be served a little warmer than light-bodied whites to allow them to better express themselves. Once they’re cold, feel free to remove them from the fridge or the chiller 30 minutes before serving. Sweet wines of all shades (ice wine, port, sherry, etc.) should follow the same path as your medium- or full-bodied whites

DON’T put ice directly into your beverage

As the ice melts, it will dilute your wine’s flavors and aromas.  For sparkling wines, ice in the glass will temporarily increase the fizz and cause it to go flat more quickly. If you insist on ice in your wine, consider a red or white sangria recipe

DO chill your red wines

Your lightest red wines (e.g. Beaujolais, Cinsault, Pinot noir, Loire Valley Cabernet Franc) are low in tannin and high in acid. So, you’ll want to keep these feeling fresh and juicy by popping them into the fridge around 45 minutes to an hour before serving

Fuller reds (e.g. Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon) should also spend some time chilling to the tune of around half an hour before you’re ready to serve them so the warm temperatures don’t exacerbate their higher levels of tannin and alcohol

DON’T opt for oak

Wines with pronounced notes of oak (e.g. toast, char, vanilla, baking spices) tend to be less successful when the temperatures rise as that can overwhelm aromas and flavors of fruit

You can look instead for wines fermented and matured in stainless steel or concrete. That will preserve the fruitiness and floral character of your wines

DO look for cool climate regions

Wine regions in cooler climates tend to produce wines that are lighter in character due to higher acidity and lower tannin

Seek out both reds and whites from places like France’s Loire Valley, Austria, Germany, Australia’s Yarra or Eden Valley, South Africa’s Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Chile’s Itata, or even the south of England for British bubbly (yes, it’s good!)

Story by Adam Knoezer
Photography by Laura Petrilla

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