I’ve always loved creating vibrant, healthy recipes that highlight what’s in season—simple, nourishing meals that look just as good as they taste.

Before I ever open a cookbook or think about what I should make, I usually just look around and ask: what colors are in front of me?

That might sound kind of weird, but it’s how I’ve always cooked—color first, recipe second. If I can get at least five different colors on the plate, I know I’m doing alright. Not just because it looks pretty (though it definitely helps), but because it usually means the meal is balanced, seasonal, and made with care.

Why I Cook With Color First

Some people meal prep by counting grams or following charts—I go by instinct. I think about what’s in season, what I have on hand, and what colors I haven’t used yet this week.

If everything I’ve eaten lately has been beige or green, I’ll try to work in something orange or purple. Maybe that means carrots, plums, squash, radicchio—whatever fits.

I don’t overthink it. If I can get a little rainbow on the table, I call it a win. Cooking that way feels less stressful, more playful. And honestly? It’s just more fun.

From Farm to Fork: Seasonal Ingredients I Love

Seasonal food tastes better. Period. And I know that gets said a lot, but it’s true, when you’re eating things at their peak, they don’t need much help.

Cooking seasonally isn’t just more sustainable, it makes every meal feel more alive, especially when you’re using fresh ingredients straight from the farm.

In spring, I’m reaching for peas, radishes, baby lettuces. Summer is tomatoes (all day), stone fruit, herbs, squash. Fall is when I get obsessed with roasting carrots, turnips, apples, everything with cinnamon or thyme. And winter? Citrus. Citrus saves me.

One of my favorite things to do is build a whole meal around what just came out of the ground. 

You can almost taste the sunshine in it.

Recipes That Are Beautiful, Nourishing, and Simple

I’m not a chef. I don’t measure much. But here are a few meals I come back to again and again:

• Citrus + Beet Salad
  Slice up golden beets and blood oranges, toss with mint and olive oil. Maybe some pistachios if they’re around.
  
  

• Everything Bowl
  Cook some farro or brown rice, then just pile on whatever’s colorful in your fridge: roasted sweet potato, sautéed greens, pickled onions, avocado, a fried egg.
  
  

• Zucchini Blossom Frittata
  This one’s seasonal and fleeting, but so worth it. Add fresh herbs and goat cheese if you’ve got ‘em.
  
  

• Roasted Root Veg Tray
  Just chop whatever root veggies you have, toss with olive oil and salt, and roast until they’re golden and a little crispy at the edges.
  
  

• Stone Fruit Galette
  Not perfect, but always delicious. I don’t fuss with it—just roll out dough, pile on peaches and plums, fold the edges, and bake.
  
  

None of these are complicated (that’s the point!). They let the ingredients shine, and they leave room for you to breathe.

At the end of the day, cooking this way isn’t about being impressive. It’s about being connected to the food, to the season, and to the people you’re feeding (including yourself).

Colorful meals aren’t just pretty on the plate—they’re an easy way to add variety, nutrition, and joy to your everyday cooking.

Five colors. Every plate. It’s simple. It works. And it makes me happy.