Getting ready to celebrate its second anniversary, the popular Napa restaurant, Cuvée, is planing a special party to coincide with the summer solstice.

In France, where my family is this spring, the cuckoos are singing and the quantities of mud tracked into the house mean that local produce is available at the farmers’ market again, oodles and oodles of tender, crisp greens like spinach that appreciate cooler weather.

The Napa farmers market is open, and despite our late frosts and strong heat waves, there are lots of fresh, local vegetables available. You’ll find broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, strawberries and Swiss chard among the various stands. One farmer has even got pickling cucumbers for you if you want to get an early start.

6 to 8 soft shell crabs, cleaned

6 to 10 heirloom tomatoes, assorted varieties

When word of a new restaurant in the works begins circulating around town, the obvious questions that pop into mind are:

Not only does Congressman Mike Thompson know how to ride unpredictable waves on the Potomac, he can cook, too.

BLT Caesar Salad

Crust

2 pork tenderloins, between 2 and 3 pounds each, brined

When he first immigrated to the U.S. from the Ivory Coast 19 years ago, Morou Outtara used a delicate hand when working the flavors of his homeland into the menus of the restaurants where he cooked.

The culinary duo of Pilar Sanchez and Didier Lenders have packed up and headed south to Santa Barbara, where she has accepted a position with  the Four Seasons in Santa Barbara.

Consider bobotie (pronounced boh-BOH-tee) a sort of South African meatloaf, albeit a heavily seasoned one thanks to the many Southeast Asian spices that long ago made their way to this country.

They say you always remember your first time. Mine was 10 years ago, my very first night in Napa, with Robert Mondavi, and it was amazing.

Fire up — To minimize sticking, be sure the grill is hot before adding your food. Carefully hold your hand just above the grill grate. If you can hold it for one second the heat is high, two seconds equals medium-high, three seconds is medium and five seconds equals low.

Who knew that one of the most flavorful cooking methods is healthy too? Since grilling doesn’t require much added fat, it’s an easy way to economize on calories without sacrificing flavor. The added bonus is the extra layer of smoky flavor it imparts to any food cooked to perfection on a nice hot grill.

This flavorful sauce is a delicious dipper for grilled shrimp or a great condiment for your favorite sandwich. If you can’t find the fire-roasted tomatoes, canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes work well.

This is a fabulous condiment for grilled chicken or fish or to slather on sandwiches

This tasty marinade works well with chicken, fish, vegetables, or tofu. A tablespoon is all that’s needed to flavor one chicken breast or piece of fish.