​In the Chinese kitchen garden, the summer vegetable harvest is in full swing. Part of this harvest is also the picking of daylily buds. Just a handful of these thrown in a stir-fry (like my mom's chicken, celery and daylily version) adds color, texture, and a slightly fragrant sweetness that I love! The large daylily patch has been blooming like gangbusters and what we can't eat now, we'll dry in a food dehydrator for use through the year. To rehydrate, just soak in water for 15 minutes or so. Learn more about daylily buds and other edible flowers in The Chinese Kitchen Garden!

"It doesn't even stink", my mom said disappointingly. We joke about the stink, but what she meant was that it wasn't as pungently fragrant as it normally is. I honestly don't know what it's called, but my kids and I generally refer to this dish as the "really yummy stinky pot of eggplant stuff". It's a Chinese eggplant and chicken dish that's served steaming hot (I'm a sucker for anything that comes in a clay or even metal pot), with lots of delicious sauce that is wonderful and so satisfying mounded with a big serving spoon over rice. The secret ingredient though, is very small chunks of fermented fish. I'm not gonna lie - if you're downwind when the server brings it out (steaming hot fajita-style), you'll have to do your best to maintain polite table manners. You might also need to thicken your skin as the diners at the table next to you WILL whisper. It's one of those dishes that smells awful but tastes amazing.  You know what I mean, right?