Last year, we took some wild garlic plants from a friend's land and planted them in our garden. They emerged, thrived and grew tall this season, producing those elegant, winding scapes that are the flower stalks of hardneck garlic plants. Instead of actually producing flowers, they eventually form small bulblets that can be planted to grow more garlic—or eaten as is, or used to infuse vinegar. That's what I did today, tossing a generous handful into a jar of organic white vinegar. I'll let it cool its heels in the pantry for a few weeks, then strain out and discard the garlic and use the vinegar for salad dressing. No vampires in this house.

You can do this with herbs, as I mentioned earlier this week, or chive blossoms as I did earlier this spring, or things like pink peppercorns, hot chiles, citrus zest. Flavored vinegars provide added dimension not only to salad dressings but to pan sauces, steamed vegetables, even cocktails. It's easy, it's painless, it's rewarding. What's not to like?

As I prepare for my annual blog hiatus (all of August is a blog-free zone for me), I wanted to be sure to pass along the links I've been saving for you this month. Hope you enjoy them, and that you also remember to check the recipe archive for summer inspiration from years past.

I'm considering a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, and have been looking at interesting travel sites, including this one for the very adventurous.

My friend Jocelyn, a yoga teacher and holistic nutritionist, has a wonderful newsletter and I'm featured in the latest issue!

In case you missed it, here's a pretty friendly recipe for making pizza on the grill.

Using your freezer to preserve summer's herbs, fruits and vegetables, here

Poignant and inspiring piece on the joys of aging by the amazing Oliver Sacks

And a somewhat different POV from women in their 50s

Not your run-of-the-mill cocktail ingredients, these are handcrafted, organic and beautifully nuanced.

Looking to add a little spice to your life? Look no further than this...

I think I may already have shared this, but it's such a helpful primer on seasoning and using your cast iron cookware.

Planning to make this soon, probably using some of my new kimchi.

Amusing memory of the legendary MFK Fisher from the old and beloved Gourmet magazine

An excellent summer read (especially if you like post-apocalyptic adventures)

I stumbled across this magazine recently and found it covers some topics of interest

Watching Season 3 of this and still enjoying it; love Charlotte Rampling in this; and Liev Schrieber in this, but a bit on the fence about the show overall; excited for the return of this; and the final season of this!

Enjoy the rest of your week! I'll be back on Friday with a cocktail for the weekend. xo