Rick was appointed by the State Department to be a culinary ambassador for the American Chef Corp. Supported by the James Beard Foundation, ambassadors will mostly be called upon in support of official functions associated with the State Department. Check it out.

Rick and Deann Bayless, in partnership with Kendall College, selected the third recipient of the Frontera Scholarship. Mareli Castellanos is the first female student and the first to focus on pastry. We're excited to welcome Mareli to our family!

He came, he cooked, he conquered—Rick Bayless was Jimmy Kimmel's guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, to promote the new cookbook. Check it out. It was the best tuna they ever had....

The iconic Frontera dish, grilled catch of the day with a daily-changing salsa pulled from ingredients grown on our rooftop, means one thing to me—late summer. With changing varieties of heirloom tomatoes, chiles and herbs, combined with melons and stone fruit from Seedling Farm, you literally cannot go wrong.

The Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez, is the body of water that separates mainland Mexico from the Baja Peninsula. With over 5,000 macroinvertebrate species, it is considered to be the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet, and also a noted UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On the other side of the peninsula, the bay of the port city of Ensenada, B.C. boasts similar conditions and biodiversity.

With more and more wild species of fish and shellfish disappearing from the ocean every year, developing sustainable aquaculture practices has become a priority for responsible stewards of the ocean.

Enter Acuacultura Integral de Baja, a model aquaculture farming operation just outside the bay of Ensenada. On our recent trip, our group was invited along to observe the harvesting and re-seeding of mussels, scallops and oysters in the long "chorizo" rope system maintained by the fishing fleet.

With a growing time of over a year, the management of the vast ocean "field" is the key to financial and environmental success. With an elaborate system of GPS coordinates and dedicated divers, the Acuacultura is able to precisely and delicately manage the ecosystem while creating jobs with an international fishing trade.

My personal favorite was the Garra de Leon scallop. With a touch of salt and fresh lime, it needed nothing more.

Minced ceviches are also very popular on the Baja Peninsula. Here is my recipe based on the unexpected flavor profiles you sometimes find on Baja.

Another highlight of our trip to northern Baja were the delicious "chilied" shrimp tacos at Masateno in Tijuana, B.C. Here I've adapted a recipe that utilizes the delicious tomatoes available in late summer and early fall.

The catch bucket for the "chorizo" ropes to harvest mussels, scallops and oysters in the bay of Ensenada.

Combining the sweet and the savory, especially in wine country, is signature "Baja." I've taken height-of-season blackberries and put them in a simple freeform tart with tangy goat cheese, and finished the dessert with a touch of fresh thyme and fruity olive oil. Perfect for entertaining.

For the recipe, click here.

We love Nichols Farm. A midsized, family-operated farm in Murango, Ill, father Lloyd Nichols, his son Nick and their entire staff work hard to supply our large restaurant community with produce at competitive prices—from staples such as onions, garlic, potatoes and tomatoes, to an ever-growing crop of more exotic items like shishito peppers, delicata and pumpkin squash, wild-foraged "chicken of the woods" mushrooms and huitlacoche, and dozens of varieties of heirloom tomatoes.

Last weekend, a few sous chefs and line cooks were invited to come out for a barbecue and tour of the farm. Even with the rainy, Pacific Northwest-esque weather, we were still able to run around on the tractors and check out a fraction of the over 1,000 different varieties in the fields. Our menus currently utilize their onions, potatoes, tomatoes, shishito peppers, tomatillos (over 1,500 pounds per week!), squash blossoms, melons, just to name a few.

Founded in 1978 by Lloyd Nichols, Nichols Farm has grown to be one of the most successful and relied upon mid-sized farms in the central Illinois region. With a presence at all of the major farmer's markets and many large restaurant accounts, Nichols Farms sells over a million pounds of produce a year. Say hi to Nick next time you're at the Green City Market!