Hannah Agran

2 weeks ago | midwestliving.com | Hannah Agran

When I was a kid, my dad often made us open-face bagel sandwiches for dinner, topped with cream cheese, cucumber, avocado, and a pinch of salt and pepper. In small town Kentucky in the '80's, that meant Lenders bagels from the local Kroger. But swap those squishy carbs for some crusty sourdough and add a scattering of fresh chives or quick-pickled onion, and those Dad dinners don't look so different from today's ubiquitous avocado toasts.

3 weeks ago | midwestliving.com | Hannah Agran

Local Midwest strawberries are fragrant, fragile and fleeting—here for a month, then gone for a year. They're petite and eat like candy, but because they're so tender, the clock on their perfection runs down fast. So if you find yourself with a bounty after a trip to the farmers market or U-pick farm, here's what to do: Gather friends for the juiciest, ruby-reddest party of the season.

1 month ago | midwestliving.com | Hannah Agran

FoodAppetizers and CondimentsSet these refreshing, surprisingly addictive cubes out as a snack while sipping chilled wine or spritzes on a summer night. Salted Watermelon with Mint, Honey and Olive Oil. Photo: Carson Downing Total Time:10 minsServings:12 A couple of summers ago, I was hosting a big backyard party and wanted a light, refreshing snack I could put out as a sort of amuse-bouche before the sun went down and the heavier party snacks rolled out.

1 month ago | midwestliving.com | Teresa Woodard |Hannah Agran

On summer mornings, you'll find Bethany Bey outside her house, clipping zinnias and cosmos or harvesting raspberries for breakfast. But if you’re picturing her roaming a large lawn, think again. Bey gardens entirely on a rooftop in the heart of Chicago. Bethany Bey, who gardens on the rooftop of her Chicago home, readily admits that pink is her favorite flower color. Courtesy of Bethany Bey Bey was raised in rural Indiana and inherited her green thumb from her grandfather.

1 month ago | midwestliving.com | Teresa Woodard |Hannah Agran

In 2005, Dale Sievert, a retired economics professor living in Waukesha, Wisconsin, visited a little-known garden about 200 miles from his home. While there, a small Japanese moss installation caught his eye—and he was hooked. In the two decades since, Sievert has transformed his property into a woodland paradise. Dale Sievert perches on a wall in his Waukesha, Wisconsin, garden, alongside moss-filled planters.