Ravishing Radishes

By Katie Barreira

Brightly colored, fresh and crisp, radishes are just right for this vibrant season. I’m particularly enamored of the young heirloom varieties, which are unearthed in early spring. With whimsical names like White Icicle and Easter Egg, these peppery roots are as delightful to behold as they are to eat.

At New York City’s Recette, an “urban American” restaurant with classic French underpinnings, Chef Jesse Schenker is also feeling inspired by the season’s boisterous bulbs. On special this week, a contemporary radish salad – assorted varieties, from fresh slices of pink-fleshed Watermelon to globes of lightly pickled Cherry Belles, all scattered across a creamy smear of goat milk ricotta and finished with a drizzle of basil oil. Sold.

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Feeding the Landfill

By Sandy Hu

Recently, The Wall Street Journal published a story called “Leftovers: Tasty or Trash?” in which the writer shared some eye-opening statistics:

- An average U.S. family of four throws away between $500 to $2,000 worth of food each year
- 25 percent of trash in a home (all avoidable waste) consists of vegetables
- 16 percent is fruits and juices
- 14 percent is grains
- 13 percent is milk and yogurt

Here’s another disturbing fact cited by the paper: After paper and paperboard, food is the next largest solid waste component in U.S. landfills and incinerators. A staggering 33 million tons of food was dumped in 2010 according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Crazy for Quinoa

By Colleen Boyd

Like most people with a tight schedule and long work days, the last thing I want to do when I come home is spend a lot of time in the kitchen making dinner. Recently I’ve rediscovered the versatility of quinoa; a delicious, quick cooking, and easy to prepare grain-like edible seed.

Quinoa is packed with protein, and is a good source of iron and other minerals, making it a great addition to salads, soups, veggie burgers, breads, and all sorts of baked goods. My favorite way to use leftover quinoa is to add it to a whole wheat waffle batter, a special breakfast to enjoy on my days off.

This ancient grain isn’t only a side dish anymore! Here I’ve mixed quinoa with a few simple ingredients and spices to make a quick and satisfying weeknight meal. You can customize this recipe by adding or omitting as many vegetables as you like, or even throw in leftovers from yesterday’s dinner.

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Planting Seeds

By Andrew Hunter

Seeds need to be planted in fertile ground, then loved, nurtured and fed until they grow into hearty plants that bear fruit of their own. In this way, seeds and children are the same. On April 22nd, Earth Day, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of Jackson’s death in the best way we knew how; we went to a co-op farm in Malibu with dear friends to plant seeds in fertile ground.

I know celebration seems like an odd word for a father to use when commemorating the death of his first child. Vivid memories make Jackson’s death seem like yesterday, but ten years’ time dulls the painful edges of grief. So this celebration wasn’t somber but a bittersweet tribute to life and love, family, friends, grief and perseverance, and above all the memory of sweet Jackson. We used to say Jackson sang with perfect pitch because he sang with pure joy, especially when there was a little red box of raisins clenched in his hand.

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All about Chives

By Lori Powell

Just when I feel that it’s safe to plant some things in the garden…a frost warning appears out of nowhere. So far everything is still thriving.

My chive plant returned this year with a flourish and started to flower extremely early this spring, due to the sunny days and high temperatures. Chives are a hardy perennial and a member of the onion family, along with leeks and garlic.

As you can see from my photo, they grow in clumps and can reach a height of about 12 inches. The flowering part of the chive plant is one of my favorites for garnishing salads and other dishes. Chives yield a gorgeous purple blossom that is edible and adds eye appeal to any dish.

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