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The Martha Collective: July Issue

Our team of experts shares beautiful and delicious ways to make the most of this month.

Each month, our experts—familiar faces to long-standing Martha fans—share their most inspirational entertaining, food, decorating, and gardening ideas.

Martha Collective: Thomas Joseph

Corinne Mucha

Thomas Joseph is the resident test kitchen expert for the Martha Stewart brand, with a passion for the science and story behind food. He was awarded the 2017 James Beard Award for his digital video series, Kitchen Conundrums.

I say this a lot and I really mean it: The foods that taste best are the ones that are fresh and in season.

Leafy tomato salad

Christopher Testani

How to Build a Better Summer Salad That Makes the Most of Fresh, Seasonal Produce

With so much gorgeous, fresh produce at the market, summer is the ultimate salad season. It’s also the perfect time to think beyond your typical leafy greens and experiment with a variety of ingredients—both sweet and savory—to create a delicious salad that serves as a side for grilled foods or as a satisfying meal on its own. Read on for my favorite ways to savor summer salads—and perhaps spend a little less time at the stove this season.

Sarah Carey, Martha Collective banner

Sarah Carey is the food content director for Martha Stewart Living and a freelance food editor, recipe developer, and food stylist working in NYC. Previously, she was the food director for Martha Stewart Living Magazine, and the editor-in-chief of Everyday Food. You can see her thousands of fun and informative cooking videos on the Everyday Food YouTube channel.

The best peaches for desserts are not necessarily the ones you want to eat. I consider donut peaches, for example, more for eating than baking.

Poached peaches

Marcus Nilsson

5 Peach Desserts That Prove It’s the Best Fruit of Summer

I’m never happier than when I’m wandering the aisles of a farmers’ market or pulling up at a farmstand to purchase a box of fresh summer peaches. Once I get home, I line the peaches up on baking sheets to finish ripening, and start planning which desserts I want to make. Then I get baking. From easy crisps and a two-ingredient sherbet to a showstopping pavlova, I'm sharing the peach desserts I turn to year after year.

Martha Collective: Ryan McCallister

Corinne Mucha

Ryan McCallister has been the head gardener at Martha Stewart’s 150-acre Bedford estate since 2011. He has appeared alongside Martha in numerous television segments, including Martha Gardens and Martha Knows Best, and in the pages of Martha Stewart Living magazine.

Summer tends to bring on plants that are taller and more substantial in size and growth ability, adding a new level of visual interest to the garden. 

Ryan McCallister in garden

The Martha Blog

How to Stake and Cage Tomato Plants, According to Martha’s Head Gardener

On the farm, I grow more than 100 tomato plants during summer, many of which were grown from seed right in Martha’s greenhouse. One of the most important things to do as you care for your own tomato plants throughout the season is to stake them. Staking helps to control and direct the growth of the plant and keep it to a manageable size, which in turn leads to a better harvest. Here are some of my best tips to keep in mind when it comes to staking and caging your tomatoes so you can ensure a delicious harvest. 

Gabrielle Santiago The Martha Collective

Gabrielle Santiago

Gabrielle Santiago is the owner of the Los Angeles interior design studio Gabrielle Santiago Design. As an interior design expert, she brings a transformative dimension to her work, blending psychology with design principles to evoke specific emotions and behaviors within spaces.

Color is one of the most important components when it comes to a remodeling project, and has the ability to control and dictate our emotional and behavioral response to a room. Seriously, how cool is that?

Gabrielle Santiago's kitchen

Gabrielle Santiago

5 Designer-Approved Kitchen Paint Colors to Help Create an Organized, Productive, and Warm Space

Choosing to repaint is the easiest and most affordable way to transform and supercharge a space. I call this painting on purpose, and I’m excited to share my tips with you. I'm sharing the importance of selecting the right colors for the heart of the home: the kitchen. The design intention of this space is to encourage productivity and organization, while ensuring the kitchen remains inviting and cozy. 

Martha Collective: Darcy Miller

The leading expert in all things celebration, Darcy Miller is the bestselling author of Celebrate Everything and Our Wedding Scrapbook, and the founding editor of Martha Stewart Weddings.

Any one of these gowns would offer up that magical “I’m a bride!” feeling.

Wedding dress trends

Darcy Miller

Darcy Miller Shares the Most Stunning Wedding Gown Trends for 2025

My favorite part of bridal week is noticing the trends that I know real brides are going to love wearing down the aisle in the year to come. I hate to call them trends, though, because the word implies a fleeting fad, and the best wedding styles are as timeless as they are fashion-forward. Let’s think of them as styles. Whether you are planning a wedding, have a friend getting married, or just like to look at beautiful dresses, here is a peek at some of the most gorgeous, enduring styles from 2025 bridal market.

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