From the Fyr 3.19.2026

Market Highlight: Custard is Back (and So Is Our Friday Ritual)

Spring is starting to tease us a little. The days are getting longer, the farm is waking up, and then… March does its thing and reminds us who’s in charge. Cold, windy, a little chaotic. In like a lion, always. Which honestly makes it the perfect time to lean into something warm, cozy, and a little indulgent.

Our custard is back. Okay, that was a little confusing. Custard is cold as heck! But omg does it bridge the gap between winter to spring for us! Plus, if you like it warm just ask for an affogato!

Made with eggs from the farm and thoughtfully developed by our resident custard king, Chef Erik, this is not your average ice cream situation. This is true custard. Rich, creamy, deeply satisfying, and made the way it’s supposed to be made. We’re using farm eggs, with yolks separated by hand (which is honestly kind of a fun process to watch), Ronnybrook Farm milk, and organic cane sugar. No preservatives, no fillers, nothing extra. Just real ingredients coming together the way they should.

Because custard is made with egg yolks, it naturally contains more fat and protein than traditional ice cream, which helps slow down how quickly sugar hits your bloodstream. It’s more balanced, more satisfying, and one of those desserts where a little actually goes a long way. It’s still a treat, but it’s a thoughtful one.

We’ve also fully committed to something new in our house, and I don’t see us going back anytime soon. Frosty Fridays. This is the night where we don't need an excuse, no guilt, no stress - just indulegence and joy in the kitchen, and right now around the fire. Last Friday, we pulled a tray of NoFo Baker (Jess Shearman)’s brown butter chocolate chip cookies from the freezer, bake them fresh, sprinkle them with flaky salt (because obviously), and top them with a scoop of custard. There’s something about knowing you have twelve cookies ready to go that changes everything. You bake a few at a time, no prep, no cleanup, and suddenly you have warm, fresh cookies whenever the mood hits.

It’s become one of those simple, end-of-week rituals that everyone looks forward to. And honestly, I think we need more of that.

There’s so much noise around sugar and indulgence, and yes, if it becomes an everyday replacement for real food, that’s a different story. But gathering once a week, slowing down, sharing something warm and delicious together? That’s not something to feel guilty about. That’s something to hold onto.

There’s real evidence that family meals and shared rituals support emotional health, improve connection, and even shape better long-term habits for kids. Sitting around the table together, even for something as simple as cookies and custard, does more for us than we often give it credit for.

So while we’re still in this in-between season, not quite winter, not quite spring, we’re leaning into it. Warm cookies. Cold custard. Everyone at the table. That feels like health to me.

Kitchen Spark: Stretching It Again

If you didn’t catch last week’s Thai carrot soup situation, go back. Truly. It knocked my socks off. And I may or may not have gone a little aggressive with the HCO chili crisp, but I have zero regrets. The crunch, the heat, the depth… I’ve tried a lot of chili crisps and I’ve never had one like this. I’m fully obsessed.

I’m in my usual March rut. On the brink of Spring, but still fully in winter and totally over it. And frankly, I just don't feel like thinking about what to make for dinner. So this week, we’re doing it again. Taking a few of our market meals and turning them into full, flexible, feed-everyone-without-thinking-too-hard kind of dinners at home.

Because this is really the goal. Not cooking from scratch every single night, but knowing how to take something good and make it go further.

Pork Fried Rice = Build-It-Out Dinner Bowls 

Our pork fried rice is already such a badass solid base. Farm pork, organic vegetables, that cozy takeout vibe without the takeout hangover.

At home, I like to treat it less like a finished dish and more like a starting point. Warm it up in a big pan and then start adding extra scrambled eggs for protein, a handful of greens like spinach or cabbage, whatever leftover vegetables are hanging out in the fridge, and maybe a splash of soy sauce or chili crisp.

Serve it in big bowls with sliced avocado, scallions, maybe a quick cucumber salad on the side. It turns into one of those dinners that feels abundant without actually needing much more.

Lamb Ragu = A Fancy Family Pasta Night 

The lamb ragu on its own is incredible, but this is one of the easiest places to stretch things into a full meal.

Cook a pot of pasta and toss the ragu through it, then bulk it up a little. Add sautéed mushrooms or zucchini, maybe some spinach or kale, even a can of white beans if you want to bring in extra fiber and make it more filling.

Top with parmesan, a drizzle of EVOO, and serve with a big salad and sourdough. Same sauce, completely different scale.

Curry Chicken Over Turmeric Rice = Full Spread Situation 

This is hands down one of my favorite things we make. The curry chicken, the turmeric rice, the sweet little pops of currants… it just works.

At home, I turn this into a full table moment. I’ll grab a container of our hummus, make a quick herby yogurt with lemon zest, lemon juice, EVOO, and whatever herbs I have, and then start building around the curry.

Lentils are one of my favorite additions here. They blend right in, add protein and fiber, and stretch the meal without changing the flavor too much, or breaking the bank. Pro-tip: On Sunday morning, soak a cup or two of lentils. Sunday evening, prepare the lentils with basic seasonings (use broth if you’d like!).  Then you’ve got a quick, fiber and protein forward pick-me-up ready to go all week. Eat it alone, toss it on a salad, mix with with one of these market dishes. Anything goes!

You can also add extra roasted vegetables, chopped cucumber or a simple salad, or warm bread if you have it. Suddenly it’s not just dinner, it’s a spread. Everyone builds their own plate, and it feeds more people than you thought it would.

Thai Carrot Soup = Keep It Going 

We talked about this last week, but it’s worth repeating. This soup is basically begging to be turned into something bigger. Noodles, rice, greens, protein, chili crisp… it handles all of it.

If you’ve got leftovers, don’t overthink it. Just build on it again.

Squash Mac & Cheese = Cozy + Clever 

This one might not even need stretching, but it’s worth mentioning. The squash brings in that natural sweetness and extra nutrients, so you’re already getting more than just pasta and cheese.

If you do want to stretch it, you can fold in sautéed greens, roasted broccoli, shredded chicken, or even white beans for a little extra staying power. But honestly, sometimes this one is perfect exactly as it is.

This is the kind of cooking that makes life easier. Start with something thoughtfully made, then layer in what you have.

A little extra protein here, some vegetables there, maybe a grain or a legume to round it out.

Nothing wasted. Everything working a little harder for you.

And somehow, dinner still feels really good.