Sauces and condiments from the garden

This rich, complex Mexican mole sauce is built on a foundation of dried pasilla negro chillies toasted and soaked until pliable, then blended with charred tomatoes, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, spices, and a square of dark chocolate into a deeply layered, velvety sauce. Making a proper mole is an exercise in patience and technique, but the result is something extraordinary — a sauce with dozens of flavor notes that will be the centerpiece of any table. Serve over chicken, enchiladas, or roasted vegetables.

A rich, concentrated tomato paste made by roasting halved paste tomatoes until their water evaporates and their sugars caramelize, then puréeing and slow-cooking the result down to a thick, brick-red paste of extraordinary flavor. The depth in homemade tomato paste is incomparable to any store-bought version — it carries the sweetness of peak-season fruit alongside a roasted, slightly smoky complexity. A batch made during Roma season freezes beautifully in small portions that will upgrade every sauce, stew, and braise for months.

A rich, creamy peanut sauce infused with fresh cilantro, ginger, garlic, lime, and sriracha — the kind of sauce that transforms everything it touches into something craveable. Blended smooth in minutes, it is equally perfect as a dip for spring rolls and chicken satay, a dressing tossed through noodles, or a drizzle over grilled vegetables. The cilantro gives it a freshness that cuts through the richness of the peanut butter.

Argentina's iconic chimichurri is a bright, herb-forward sauce made with masses of fresh parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, and olive oil that is the essential accompaniment to grilled steak. Fresh, punchy, and a little spicy, it also works brilliantly on grilled chicken, roasted potatoes, and fish. This is a recipe you will make on repeat all summer long.