Our main course was prepared by newlyweds Jess and Lander Bravo. On Saturday morning, they rode from their house in Brooklyn to Grand Central, took the train to Poughkeepsie, and then got back on their bikes to ride to New Paltz -- all while hauling a bag of ice and marinating chicken. 

The Mix: Steel-cut oats, blueberry jam, and Greek yogurt

The Story: I wake up about once a week to face an empty larder. No berries. No peaches. No melon. We always seem to have a lonely grapefruit, but on these occasions there’s nothing to sweeten a bowl of oats, yogurt, or cold cereal. Bananas are fine in winter. But in summer, I like something brighter. Enter the small-batch jam.