It's the week before Christmas, and Ina and Jeffrey are kicking off their holiday season with a trip to visit friends in the snowy Berkshires. While there, they have a cozy fireside kitchen picnic and learn how to make fresh pasta and holiday French toast. One week later, on Christmas Eve, Ina and Jeffrey treat those same friends to a fabulous East Hampton lunch, featuring the freshest Berkshires ingredients and products.

Ina begins this rich soup by caramelizing fennel and onions in a large pot. She then adds in chicken stock and frozen peas, and churns the soup with a stick blender so it can develop a smooth texture. Half a cup of creme fraiche finishes the soup off, giving it a luxurious silkiness. Ina also adds a drizzle of olive oil and, for a bit of crunch, some seasoned and baked sourdough croutons.

Ina likes to use an assortment of soft, hard and blue cheeses to make up her festive board. She also adds a beautiful bunch of grapes, some thick slices of smoked ham and a spread of dark and light English water crackers to provide her guests with additional things to nibble on. For toppings, Ina recommends buying a jar of English honey mustard and a jar of fig jam.

Amanda Perreault, executive pastry chef at The Southfield Store, begins this dish by making its thick apple-cranberry compote. Next comes the French toast, which is soaked in a mixture of heavy cream, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest and vanilla, and fried in clarified butter. Some reduced maple syrup and a spoonful of pecan butter top the toast, infusing it with holiday flavors and aromas.