Home gardeners like to complain about their gardens being overrun with zucchini when the fruit starts to kick into high gear in midsummer. But for people who love the prolific, vining summer squash, that’s a blessing and not a curse.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — First, it was the banana-randomberry-wheat grass smoothies. Then the cold brew, triple-shot, something-milk lattes, the German-word craft beers, the small-batch, barrel-aged Prohibition cocktails.

When it comes to humble, ho-hum vegetables, cucumbers often find their way to the top of the list.

When I think of summer, steak and corn on the cob pop into my mind. But with the hot weather I don’t want to spend a lot of time outside by a hot grill.

Ideally, your home should reflect your style, taste and sense of design. The launchpad for such inspiration often begins with color. Creating a color story can help provide inspiration for a successful design. Often a successful story begins with an inspirational piece, which can be anything from a graphic, colorful area rug to a one-of-a-kind art piece or a side chair that has an interesting pattern. Color blocking, also often called color mapping, is a popular design technique in which a color is repeated or mapped throughout a space. The technique allows a color scheme to feel cohesive. Add to your story with complementary fabrics, furniture and even finishes.

Throw pillows are delightful accents that add personality, comfort, and style to any space. But without proper care, they can lose their luster over time.

As the summer season kicked off, I wondered: Has the world has finally reached peak rosé?

July 14 is Bastille Day, the day in 1789 when the Bastille prison in Paris was stormed, and the French Revolution began. With this in mind, I thought about making a French-inspired supper and decided to make a tartine. The word “tartine” means slice of bread with spreadable ingredients in French and can also mean an open-face sandwich.

NEW YORK — The only way to fully appreciate the Summer Fancy Food Show, the massive gourmet trade expo held annually at the Jacob Javits Center in New York, is to put on your walking shoes and shelve pre-existing opinions you might have about cinnamon churro-flavored pork rinds.

PHILADELPHIA — If you’re under the impression that meat and booze don’t mix, bartenders have been proving otherwise for years. The trend’s been booming in Philly lately: There was the chicken martini at Martha, the Lambhattan at Andra Hem, a duck vieux carre at Fork, the Duck L’Orange at Townsend, a wagyu old-fashioned at ITV.

MCKINNEY, Texas — The heart of harvest season is here, and one Collin County farm offers not just fruits and vegetables but an agricultural experience.

CHICAGO — Every other weekend or so, if you head up seven floors to The Walnut Room, in the store once known as Marshall Field’s on State Street in Chicago, you’ll feel the music before you see the spotlights beaming from the show.