Lamb Stew for Two

So every time I open my freezer lately, this one frozen slab of lamb meat keeps sliding out of and threatening to land on my big toe. I'd been saving (read: forgetting about) this remnant of the bygone summer glory days of farmer's markets for just the right meal. It's not every day you eat lamb, right? Maybe it's been jumping out at me for a reason.

Enter the propitious loan of a certain cookbook with a mighty tasty-looking lamb stew contained therein. A lamb stew that called for three specific vegetables which were, at that moment, decaying in my fridge.

I must confess that, for someone who really prizes the power of simple foods, I was a bit skeptical about the lack of seasoning in the recipe. I mean, it calls for water for goodness sake. Egads, was I wrong. Apparently lamb is so delicious that it needs very little help--don't substitute. You only need a little!

Lamb Stew for Two

ready in 1 1/2 hours; adapted from Olives and Oranges, by Sara Jenkins and Mindy Fox

1/2 -2/3 lb. boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large carrot, halved and sliced

2 medium turnips, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 small celery root, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 small leek, sliced into 3/4-inch rounds and rinsed well

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp anchovy paste (optional)

1 1/2 cup water

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

olive oil aplenty

1. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Season lamb cubes generously with salt and pepper and place in a single layer in the pot. Don't touch them for 6 minutes. Flip and cook 6 minutes more. Scoop out (leaving any fat behind) and store in a dish conveniently placed next to your burner.
2. Throw the carrot, celery root, and leek into the hot oil and add a healthy pinch of salt (and more oil, if needed). Saute, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove to conveniently placed storage dish.
3. Last, brown the leeks and garlic in whatever's left in the pan, adding more oil as needed. After about 3 minutes, toss meat, vegetables, and any accumulated juices back into the pan. Add anchovy paste (if using), water, and vinegar. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 40 minutes. Remove lid and simmer 20 minutes more, until spoon tender. Stir in parsley and serve hot!

Root Vegetable Gratin

I know I've bored you elsewhere with the secrets of a good gratin, so you're spared the lesson this week--linguistic or otherwise. What you get instead (!!) is a delicious baked dish with the earthy flavors of winter. Plus it's pretty, no?

Ok, start with a couple of roots. Peel and julienne them. [Hold up--what? This just means cut them in tiny matchsticks: slice as thin as your trembling knife hand will allow you one way, then stack the slender slices atop one another, and slice cross ways, again, as thin as humanly possible. See exhibit A:]

Saute an onion. Throw it all in a cream sauce you made yourself. Then stir and bake. Really, that easy. You can follow the sauce recipe here, for a cheesy version, or you can go with the straight sauce below. Your call.

Root Vegetable Gratin

serves 2-3, but leftovers are quite good

the veggies:

1 small potato (red, yukon gold, etc. NOT a baking potato), julienned

1 small carrot, julienned

1 medium-sized turnip, julienned

1/2 small onion, sliced thin and lightly sauteed in olive oil

[optional, some blanched, chopped greens of your choice, 1/2 cup or so]

the sauce:

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup broth [or just a full cup milk, if you like]

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp flour

1/2 small onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper

the rest:

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs, tossed in olive oil or melted butter

1. First, julienne the potato, carrot, and turnip. Because the Internet is omniscient, you can consult it on how precisely to do this. But don't feel like you need to chop as fast as this guy. Toss them in a big bowl with the sauteed onions, greens (if using) and a healthy dose of salt and pepper.
2. Next, make your cream sauce. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and saute with a pinch of salt until translucent, 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Sprinkle flour over top and stir that around, cooking the flour, for about 2 minutes. Add the milk in 3 additions, whisking really well after each time to get at any clumps of flour. Remove from heat as soon as it boils from the third addition and gets nice and thick. Season with plenty of salt and pepper and pour over vegetables. Stir.
3. Grease a nice gratin-friendly dish, pour the mixture in and flatten with the back of your spatula. Sprinkle with bread crumbs you've tossed in olive oil or melted butter and mixed with parmesan cheese. [Oh, and if you want to, that slice of bacon you fried and crumbled.] Bake for 35-40 minutes at 375º.

Roast an Onion

So sometimes when you roast something meaty, you toss in a few other vegetables with it: carrots, potatoes, maybe some onions. Nothing tastes quite like an earthy veg that has been slow braised in delicious meat juices.

Well, this is not that. BUT, it's a way to get a tender, delicious onion without having to roast a whole chicken. Also, it's idiot proof. If you have a small oven dish, a piece of foil, and a little patience, you've got a couple of roasted onions.

Let me warn you, a roasted onion does not a meal make. It is delicious but not terribly filling, so make it a side dish: pair it with a big salad or some other veggies. It also holds in the fridge and reheats well. And do not, I repeat, DO NOT try to eat this thing without salt. A sprinkle of salt opens up worlds of flavor; no salt = kinda lame. Also, try it with the vinaigrette I suggest at the end. Impress your friends. Or yourself.

Easy Roasted Onion

ready in 45 min; serves 1 per however many onions you roast

Grab an onion or two. Set it/them (peel and all) in an oven-safe dish. Add enough water to reach 1/2-inch depth. Cover in foil and set in a 350º oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake 10 minutes more.

Meanwhile, whisk together the following:

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp spicy or dijon mustard

2 Tbsp olive oil

sprinkle of salt and pepper

Now, place the onion on a plate and carefully cut off one end of the onion paper. Now, cut the whole thing down the middle, and open it out. Top with salt, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and serve. P.S. Don't eat the onion skin.

Lentil Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables

You know, people's opinions on lentils really run the gamut. Some people hate them. Some people really hate them. Some only dislike them. Some throw up a little when they think about them. Others are narcotized with boredom.

Wherever you fall on this scale, have I got a recipe for you! First, let's talk a little about the lentil, shall we?

What is it? Well, Harold says that the lentil is probably the oldest cultivated legume, that is, the family of plants that have seed-bearing pods (more or less, think beans and peas). Its Latin origin is the word lens, presumably for its shape, like two contact lenses back-to-back. Alan helpfully adds that the seeds themselves "come in various sizes, from tiny to small," thank you, and a variety of colors. They can basically be grouped into two categories: those which are large and light colored (greenish and yellowish), and the others which are much smaller and either brown, pink, or grey.

Also, lentils have the highest protein content of all its competitors, excluding soy beans, at more than 30% of your RDA per serving. I'm not sure why lentils have earned such a bad rap: they have a really mild flavor and readily absorb the essence of whatever you join them with. Wait, maybe it's all that fiber. Maybe you've all eaten lentils and embarrassed yourself after dinner. Well, even if you have, you've been simultaneously fighting high cholesterol and heart disease, regulating your digestive tract, stabilizing your blood sugar levels, and pumping iron (into your bloodstream, which is good). So give the lentil another chance, will you? Try this.

Boil some lentils until they're soft, but not mushy (about 15-20 minutes). Meanwhile, dice up some root vegetables--sweeter ones like beets and carrots--and roast them in the oven. Make a quick vinaigrette and toss it all together. Even add some cheese if you want. It's great warm or cold, so keep it in the fridge and fork it for the next few days.

Lentil Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables

can serve 2-3, but also makes a great lunch-for-work or snack-when-you're-bored-at-home for one; ready in 45 minutes

1 medium carrot

1 very small (or 1/2 medium) celery root

2 medium golden beets, (with greens optional)

1/2 cup green lentils

4 scallions

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp walnut, grape seed, or olive oil

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp honey

salt and pepper

Optional: 2 Tbsp grated parmesan or crumbled feta

1. First, preheat your oven to 375º and dice up the carrot, celery root (peeled) and beets (peeled) into 1/2-inch dice. Toss with oil, salt and pepper and throw in the oven until they're pretty soft, 25-35 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to boil. Dump in the lentils and cook for 17-20 minutes, until the lentils are chewable but still have a little bite. (If you go to far, you'll have mush instead of salad.) Lift out with a strainer, leaving the hot water in the pot. Stem and chop up the beet greens and drop them in the boiling water for about 5 minutes, until softened. Drain.
3. In a large bowl, combine vinegar, oil, mustard, honey, salt and pepper to taste. Whisk vigorously until well combined. Then stir in lentils, roasted vegetables, greens, scallions, and cheese (if using). Season with salt and pepper. Yum!

Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad

If the number of butternut squash(es? what's the plural on that one) sitting on my counter is any indication, the season of winter vegetables is upon us. At least, its upon us here in balmy Boston, where it hovers above freezing for the majority of the year. But I'm not even tired of blueberries yet! Or pears! Or zucchini (really)!

At any rate, those farmers keep shoving squash at me, so I have no choice but to eat it. Somehow, in the intervening months since I have last feasted on this particular squash, I forgot how naturally sweet it is. Which means it lends itself perfectly to that cuisine of my favor: Middle Eastern. The combination of sweet, hot, salty and tangy is a favorite of those Bedouins, and found its way into my kitchen tonight thanks to Orangette.

I loved my salad but it may have been a bit heavy on the dressing. Follow her lead and add the dressing to your tossed ingredients a little at time, to taste.

Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini

serves 2, or 1 with leftovers; takes about 40 minutes, with canned beans

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1 cup cooked chickpeas (canned, drained, will do OK)

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

dressing:

1 small clove garlic, grated

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp tahini, well stirred

up to 1 Tbsp olive oil

water, to thin, as desired

1. Toss squash chunks with garlic, allspice, and a healthy douse of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Roast in a 425º oven for about 20 minutes, or until soft.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the dressing by whisking together garlic, lemon juice, and tahini. If it is too bitter or acerbic, add olive oil. If it is too thick for your liking, add water.
3. When squash is done, toss in a bowl with chickpeas, onion and cilantro. Add 2 Tbsp or so of dressing, toss, and taste. Add more as desired.

Veggie Night: Sweet Potato & Kale Sandwich

Contrary to popular opinion and prevalent menu impositions, a sandwich does not have to have meat in order to be a satisfying, fist-fitting meal. I'm learning from my work that as long as you're working with quality ingredients, you have a really good shot at getting a delicious finished product. Good bread is a big first step; starting with fresh produce is another.

Often, though, you need a little foresight to make certain items--like potatoes, say--edible. This is where the stack-o-cold-cuts wins out: efficiency. But try experimenting with sticking new things between two slices of bread and see what you come out with. May just be your new favorite.

Sweet Potato & Kale Sandwich

serves two; takes about 30 minutes

4 slices good sandwich bread; we used sourdough

1 small sweet potato

1 small bunch kale

1 small onion (or 1/2 medium), sliced thick

1 small pear (or 1/2 medium), sliced thin

goat cheese, room temperature

Dijon mustard

Bacon mayonnaise (optional)

1. Start by roasting your sweet potato. Preheat oven to 400º. Peel potato and, depending on the size, cut it into planks (long ways) or medallions (cross-wise) about 1/2 inch thick--whatever you think will fit better on your bread. Spray foil-lined baking sheet with baking spray or brush with oil. Lay potato pieces out and spray or brush tops; sprinkle with salt. Roast 15-20 minutes, or until you poke it and it just feels soft. Don't cook it all the way to mush.
2. Meanwhile, heat a skillet with a bit of oil and saute your onions with a little salt until translucent, 3-5 minutes. Wash and stem the kale and slice it into very thin strips. Toss in skillet, add salt and pepper, and reduce heat. Stir until kale is cooked through, 6-8 minutes. Add more water (or some lemon juice) if the skillet gets dry. Lift cooked kale out of skillet and drain in a sieve or colander over sink.
3. Lastly, pull out a healthy chunk of goat cheese (about 2 Tbsp?) and mix with a little milk or cream until it's spreadable.
4. To assemble: spread mustard on one piece of bread and mayo (optional) on the other. Follow with goat cheese on one piece, then sweet potatoes, then kale/onion mixture, then slices of pear to cover. Top with other slice of bread and do some jaw stretches before attacking.

M. Y. O. P. C. (Make Your Own Potato Chips)

Craving the salty crunch of potato chips but don't want a fingertip trail across your shirt mid-workday? Well, here I come with your solution: potato chips that aren't fried. That you made yourself. From a potato you bought from a local farmer or grew in your back yard (OK, that last one was mostly wishful thinking). Turns out you can toss lots of thinly sliced produce into the microwave and come out with "chips" on the other end. (Yet another way to use all your zucchini and squash!)

There are only three important items you'll need, aside from the potato of course: 1) a microwave, 2) a big knife, and 3) the patience, ability, or some sort of gadget to cut exceedingly thin slices of raw spud. It is doable. Just go slow and don't slice a fingertip.

Here's the way it works:

• Scrub and dry your potato real good. Take your large, sharp knife and cut the thinnest slices you possibly can. It may help to take a thin slice off the long side of your tater, giving you a flat surface to rest on -- for stability purposes.
• Spray a microwave-safe plate with a little Pam and lay the slices out then sprinkle with salt. May take a couple of batches; I did one small potato and it took two. Nuke plate for 3 minutes, then take out (with a hotpad!) and flip potato slices. Cook for 3 more minutes, adding on a minute at a time if potatoes need longer. Let cool a bit, then crunch on.

So I haven't tried but I have heard tell that this practice does, indeed, work on other vegetables. If I were to try it, I'd be sure to scrape out any seeds if a veggie has them, like zucchini or squash. Otherwise, I don't see why any root vegetable (carrots, parsnips, turnips, rutabegas, beets, etc.) couldn't undergo a similar transformation. Also, if you are concerned about my donut-shaped chips, pictured here, it's because I had a little fungus problem in the middle of my potato. Nothing to worry about; just scraped it out and went along my merry way.

Squash "Pizza"

What to do with all that summer squash lying around? What to do, what to do...

This is the point in the summer when gardens and refrigerators nationwide are overflowing with zucchini and squash. No matter how many times this happens, each ensuing year we magically forget and plant just as many seeds--if not more--as last year. And then for a month, it's all we can do to come up with ways to down it: squash pancakes, zucchini ice cream, gratins, frittatas--the resulting creativity is directly proportional to the amount of produce rotting in your vegetable drawer.

This summer squash "pizza crust" strategy was quite good in theory, but was not (for me) so good in execution. I can think of a number of reasons for this, but I prefer to blame it on the recipe. Except I kind of didn't follow the recipe.

The concept is all over the 'net (see here for the most oft repeated example) and seems to be some sort of diet strategy for replacing bread in one's meal. Phooey is all I have to say to that. It involves shredded squash, some flour and egg for binding, and a flipping strategy that I left out but might just be necessary, I can say in hindsight.

I just pressed the "dough" into a cake pan, baked it, topped it, and baked it some more. It seems if you get sassy an flip the baked "crust" out, then top and double bake, you might achieve something more akin to a congealed mass. Ours was congealed, but still pretty mushy, though the flavors were great. Maybe you can mess with it and give me some suggestions?

Summer Squash "Pizza"

serves 2; start-to-finish, about 1 hour

2 cups shredded squash or zucchini

1/3 cup flour (I used whole wheat)

1/3 cup grated cheese (I used gruyere, yum, but you could use a combination of parmesan and mozzarella if you want, like the original recipe calls for)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 medium clove garlic, grated

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper

1. Sprinkle some salt over the shredded squash and let sit in a colander in your sink for about half an hour. This will get rid of a lot of moisture. Preheat your oven to 350º.
2. Squeeze water from squash and combine with remaining ingredients (reserving 2 Tbsp basil). Press into well-greased baking receptacle: I used 9-inch cake pan which made a great thickness. Maybe you just want to mound it on a cookie sheet, I don't know. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until edges begin to brown and mixture is firm.
3. The step I didn't do: flip crust out onto another cookie sheet or the like, brush with oil and bake 5 minutes more.
4. Up the temperature in your oven to 450º. Top your "pizza crust" with thin slices of (preferably heirloom) tomatoes and parmesan cheese. Bake until cheese starts to brown, 5ish minutes. Sprinkle basil over top.

Zucchini and Bell Pepper Torte

Full disclosure: I'm not sure this dinner tasted as good as it looked, nor am I entirely sure it was worth the effort, but my goodness it's pretty. Right? I saw it in this month's Gourmet and immediately knew it must grace my kitchen table. Plus, I purchased an elephantine zucchini from

the market thinking it was funny; then I got home and realized I had to figure out how to eat it.

The whole enterprise was a bit fussy. It has several steps and you need a springform pan and a pressure strategy and several hours' patience while it occupies significant fridge space. But when you finally pop it out, it's actually a lot of fun to eat. Plus it's pretty. Maybe this is a dinner party-type recipe, especially since it must be made ahead of time. So go ahead and throw it together. Impress your friends. Eat some vegetables.

The more I think about this "torte" the more I realize it is not just a single recipe; it is a brilliant strategy. The gist of it is this: sauteed or roasted vegetables layered with cheese, pressed for several hours in the fridge to get rid of excess moisture, and sliced for serving. Seems to me you could use a number of different vegetable-and-cheese combinations here, especially since roasted red peppers have a very distinct flavor, and one that tends to take over if you're not careful. (For a non-red-pepper-lover, this is a problem.)

And I hate to say it, but the springform pan is kind of necessary here. You want the torte to shed some liquid during the pressing, so you want something with cracks in the bottom. Hate to be high maintenance, but there you have it. My 6-inch springform was the perfect size. And then, when you're done, you can make tiny cheesecake (more on that later)!

Zucchini and Bell Pepper Torte

(serves 2, total time at least 4 hours, preferably more, adapted from Gourmet)

2 red, yellow, orange, or purple peppers (not green!!), stemmed, halved and seeded

olive oil

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 lb (2ish) zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds and sprinkled with salt

1 red onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

2 Tbsp red wine or cider vinegar

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped (or 1 Tbsp dry)

1. Start by roasting your peppers. Slather them with olive oil and place them cut side down on a baking sheet covered with foil. Roast around 425º for 20ish minutes, turning once halfway through. As soon as they're out, take a pair of tongs and toss them into a paper bag and close the top. In 2 minutes, open the bag and pull out the peppers. Their skins should slip right off. Cut into thick slices
2. Now, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil with garlic in a large skillet. When oil is hot, add as many zucchini rounds as you can and cook about 3 minutes. Turn and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and repeat with any additional zucchini slices.
3. In that same pan, add the onions with a pinch of salt. Cook 15 minutes, or until tender. Add vinegar and stir until evaporated, which will happen quickly.
4. Now for assembly. Flip the bottom of the sprinform over so you have the smooth side up. The layers go like this:
Zucchini
Cheese/Basil
Bell Peppers
Onions
Cheese/Basil
Zucchini
Onions
Bell Peppers
Cheese/Basil
Zucchini
5. Cover with plastic and find a plate that is just a little smaller than your springform and will sit down in it. Put some heavy weights on top, place it in a bowl or something to catch the liquid, and let it sit in your fridge, at least 3 hours and up to a day. We ate it cold, which was fine, but the recipe says to let it come to room temp first. Your call.
   

Marinated Eggplant and Goat Cheese Toasts

Found some Asian eggplant at the farmer's market yesterday and remembered, somewhere deep in my mental files, a recipe from Gourmets-long-past that we had liked last summer. First, you disk up the long, thin specimens, broil them briefly, and marinate them for at least 30 minutes or up to a couple of days. Room temperature is their ideal state, so even if that room's temperature is in the 80s--as mine relentlessly is these days--at least you don't have to fire up the oven any longer than 10 minutes on this one.

I think it's designed as an appetizer, but add a thick piece of toast schmeared with goat cheese, and call it lunch (or dinner, like we did last night).

Marinated Eggplant and Goat Cheese Toasts

(serves 1-2; active time, about 15 minutes + 30 min marinating, but can be done well in advance)

1 lb. asian eggplants, sliced into thin rounds

olive oil

2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp capers

1/4 cup chopped mint

bread

goat cheese

1. Place eggplant slices in a single layer on sheet pan and brush with olive oil (or spray with cooking spray), then sprinkle with salt. Broil 5 minutes, then flip, repeat, and broil 5 minutes more.
2. In a bowl, combine vinegar, 2 Tbsp olive oil, capers, and mint. Toss cooked eggplant in mixture and allow to marinate at least half an hour.
3. Spread cheese on your toast and use as a scoop or a plate.

Creamy "green" barley

As the weather maintains its sweltering severity and my days are already full of working and errand running and trying to see my husband and sleeping somewhere in there, I find myself gravitating more and more to one-dish meals. I don't mean Food TV creations designed to cause you the least amount of hassle (and, correspondingly, the least possible interaction with your food). I mean decently-rounded meals that can be stirred together in one bowl and happily, if somewhat lazily, consumed. Spoon to mouth, that's all I'm asking for.

Since ice cream does not a meal make (at least not every night), I'm falling back on my old steadies, whole grains. Tonight I wanted a creamy bowl of pearled barley flecked with nutrient-rich green vegetables. Instead of making a cream sauce, then stirring my grains in at the end, I had a thought: why not just take the elements of the cream sauce and just cook the barley straight in it? Remove a step (and a dirty dish)? Wouldn't you know, it worked!

As always, use the vegetables of your choice, just make sure they're cooked--or sufficiently edible--first. This would certainly be a decent meal on its own, but we added some broiled fish and it was perfect. It's best eaten warm, but can be stored in the fridge and reheated later.

Creamy "Green" Barley

(serves 2-3; start to finish about 45 minutes)

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup milk

2/3 cup pearled barley

1/2 cup broccoli florets

2 cloves garlic

4 stems of greens of your choice (I used collards)

1/4 cup peas, freshly shelled or frozen, defrosted

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Salt, pepper, and olive oil

1. To reduce dishes, start by filling a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Stem and slice green leaves into thin strips and blanche in boiling water 5-7 minutes, until tender. Drain.
2. Now, take that same saucepan and over medium high heat, saute onions with a little oil and a sprinkle of salt about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add broth (or water, alternately), milk, barley, and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer then reduce heat and cook until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Take it off heat before the barley has sucked up all liquid--that's where your creaminess will come from.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400º. Toss broccoli and garlic cloves in olive oil and salt. Roast 20 minutes. (Alternately, steam or saute broccoli until firm-tender.)
4. When barley is ready, stir in vegetables and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

**Very important note!! What I forgot: bacon. I had every intention of frying a few slices of bacon and stirring in their tiny crumbles. Try it, and tell me how it went.

Carrot "cous cous"

Determined to do my consumer-ly duty and eat every possible part of every single vegetable that comes in our CSA, I set about figuring how to eat those cascading greens atop my carrots.

There seems to be some ambivalence about whether or not carrot tops are dangerous. Apparently, Oregon Health and Science University considers them mildly toxic. Others feel that the greens are highly nutritious and should be enjoyed. It seems as though some people have allergens that could react with the greens? (Warning! Completely uninformed Google opinion!) I guess I wouldn't eat greens from random, supermarket (even Whole Foods) carrots -- only ones from a stand where I can look the farmer in the eye.

So, turns out, the greens taste just like carrots. Maybe not unexpected, but a little surprising just the same. I found a website where someone said they use the tops just like parsley: for flavor, like an herb. They make a lovely, earthy addition to many savory dishes, but are featured in this cold "cous cous" salad. So if you're feeling brave, read on.

Carrot "Cous Cous" Salad

(serves 2-4; comes together in about 6 minutes)

1 bunch carrots, with greens

1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped

2 Tbsp raisins or dried currants

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Wash carrots really well. Chances are, if you bought them from a farmer's market, they're still rocking some dirt. Scrub well. If you're not working with organic carrots, peel them. Cut into big chunks and throw in the food processor. Buzz until carrots reach the size and shape of cous cous.
2. Likewise, wash tops really well by holding them under running water or submerging in a large bowl full of water and shaking gently. Chop finely like you would any herb.
3. In a large bowl, combine "cous cous" carrots, tops, and remaining ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Eat immediately or let sit at room temp for half an hour. Flavors will intensify.

Greens 101

I recently became aware that I use the term "greens" with some ambiguity. "What exactly are greens?" a friend asked me. Ready to bestow my overflowing knowledge to this greenhorn (pun comPLEtely intended), I opened my mouth and froze.

Uh...

The leaves? There are the basics: mustard, kale, collards, chard, etc. You can also eat the tops of lots of root vegetables like beets and turnips. I am continually surprised by delicious greens turning up at the farmer's markets around here--are they grown in and of themselves, like spinach and bok choi? Or are they a byproduct of something else, like broccoli or kohlrabi?

After snapping my gaping yapper shut (realizing I had no real wisdom to dispense), I did some half-hearted and fruitless research. The conclusion I have reached--and feel quite comfortable with--is that "greens" can encompass any kind of edible leaves that aren't grown into a compact head (like lettuce, cabbage, etc.).

Problem is, most of these greens are quite bitter, especially the kind you'll find in the grocery store, unless prepared well. Because they are in season now, we have been eating a lot (a LOT) of greens lately, and I wanted to you to eat them too. So, allow me to introduce you to a simple, three step, 15-minute way of preparing any green of your choice.

Greens 101

(serves 2; start-to-finish 10ish minutes)

1 bunch greens

olive oil

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

1-2 cloves garlic, minced (depending on your preference; I like 2)

1/4 cup chicken broth

S&P

1. Start by preparing your greens. Rinse them well under running water or submerge them in a big bowl of water, lightly shaking to release dirt. Do not dry. Remove the leaves from the stem, then chop the leaves. I like to slice the leaves crosswise in thin ribbons because they're easier to eat.
2. Film a large pan with olive oil and heat med-hi. Saute onions with a little salt until tender, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add your chopped greens to the skillet and turn to distribute garlic/onions in the pan. Pour in broth and cover. Let steam for 3 or 4 minutes, until greens are tender.
3. Remove lid and stir; season liberally with salt and pepper and taste. If greens are too bitter, add more broth and continue to simmer.
4. To serve, lift out greens, leaving any liquid behind. Eat up.

Greens Gratin

I've been going to the farmer's markets for work lately, peddling our baked beauties to all the Boston suburbs. It's exhausting and lately very soggy, but ultimately really fun. I feel like I'm a part of the local economy, participating in the community, getting all hippie dippie.

Now, let me tell you about the best part of the market day: when the clock strikes and you're done, the real shopping begins. Got an extra loaf-or-5 of bread? Maybe trade it for those juicy tomatoes, a pound of sugar snaps, or a glistening quart of strawberries. You're sick of seeing your own bread, and Farmer Joe is sick of lugging around his time-sensitive produce, and if you're lucky, both will want what the other has.

Enter the mysterious but heavenly greens I brought home last week. The guy at the stand said that the seeds for this plant are impossible to get, but he has secured them--from an international source--and grown them very carefully (read: stealthily). I have no idea what plant these leaves came from, but I have never tasted a green like them. Exquisite.

The moral of this story is: go to the farmer's market. See what the farmer is growing. Buy it, even if you've never heard of it. Take it home and eat it. You will thank me.

Ok, so, for dinner we made a gratin out of these babies. What's that? You want to learn about gratin? Well, ok... The term "gratin" (pronounced grah-tan, emphasis on the "tan") comes from an archaic French word (gratte) that referred to the part of a cooked dish that stuck to the pan and had to be scraped off, so as not to waste--see above photo. This description lent itself to cooks who later started baking things with an intentionally crusty top, achieved with bread crumbs or grated cheese. The term "au gratin" to us Americans usually means "with cheese on top, please," though "gratin" can be created in more than just this one way.

The process is easy and fairly quick, though it takes a few steps. I adapted the recipe from one of my new favorite cookbooks, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison. For anyone trying to incorporate more veggies into their diet, this tome is highly recommended.

Greens Gratin

(serves 2, start to finish, about an hour)

1 big bunch of greens (whatever your pleasure), stemmed

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp flour (any flour, I used whole wheat)

1/4 medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup broth (or 1 full cup milk if you have no broth)

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1/4 cup grated gruyere (or other swiss cheese)

dash nutmeg

1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Plunge your greens in and cook 3-5 minutes, until they are bright, bright green and tender. Drain and run under cold water. Squeeze dry and finely chop.
2. Meanwhile, make your bechamel sauce (vocab alert: this is basically just a cheesy cream sauce). Heat oil in a small pot on medium-high heat. Add onions and a pinch of salt and cook until translucent, 3ish minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Throw in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Stir together milk and broth and add to pot in three separate additions, whisking well after each pour. Bring back to a simmer in order to thicken. Taste, adding salt and pepper as needed.
3. Now, butter a small dish and sprinkle about 1 Tbsp of your grated parmesan in it, shaking to coat. In a bowl, combine chopped greens, cream sauce, remaining cheeses, and a dash of nutmeg. Stir to combine and slop it in your prepared dish. Cover with bread crumbs that have been tossed with a little olive oil or melted butter (or just spray the whole thing with cooking spray). As we know, it's not a gratin without that crusty top.
4. Place in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes, or until a little bubbly on the sides and super crusty on top. Take out and let sit 7-10 minutes before serving. Serve with some good bread and a light, green salad.

Crusty Cod with Spring Vegetables

Ok, so I'm spoiled. I live in a city pretty much surrounded by water, with a whole section of town identified by its proximity to the harbor. The tourist merchandise has lobsters on it. You can't walk out the door without tripping over some scrod. I exaggerate, but my point is that it's really easy for us to eat a lot of fish up here. Which, despite your potential distance to a body of water, is becoming easier for you to do too.

In case you haven't heard, fish is particularly good for you. It's a solid, lean protein with oodles of vitamins and Omega-3s lurking underneath those scales. And since you've been waiting approximately forever to be able to evaluate the menu or the fish counter from the comfort of your iPhone, you'll be happy to start using FishPhone -- a texting service that will shoot you nutrition and sustainability information about any fish you query. I am not making this up. (You can also check Fish Watch and the Blue Ocean Institute's Guide to Ocean Friendly Fish.) These guides are designed to help you become more familiar with the way different fish are farmed, fished, or otherwise brought to your plate, so you have a better shot at choosing an ocean friendly dinner.

Tonight, we had cod. Delicious, buttery cod over a bed of sauteed spring vegetables. Gourmet was the inspiration, and 30 minutes was all the time required.

Crusty Cod with Spring Vegetables

(serves 2 generously, start-to-finish: 25 minutes)

2 6-oz. fish fillets (cod, hake, haddock, or any other firm white fish will do)

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1 Tbsp dijon mustard

4 green onions, chopped in 1-inch segments

1/2 bunch asparagus, chopped in 1-inch segments

1 medium zucchini, in 1/2-inch slices

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/2 head romaine, sliced thin

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped

• Preheat oven to 450º. Salt and pepper both sides of the fish filets, coat in dijon mustard then smush with bread crumbs. Drizzle with olive oil. [NOTE: you can make your own panko! Simply take some bread, grind it in the food processor until some small chunks remain--not completely fine--and then either let it sit out overnight or cook it in the oven at about 300º for 20ish minutes. Store in a zipper bag in the freezer.] Cook 8-10 minutes.

• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Toss in green onions, asparagus, zucchini and sprinkle in some salt. Cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add peas, romaine, garlic, and water; cover and cook 3 minutes more. Remove lid and take off heat. Stir in mint.
• Serve crispy fish over bed of spring vegetables.

Quinoa Chopped Vegetable Salad

By some blessing of the gods, it is 85 degrees in Boston today. EIGHTY-FIVE. Verging on too hot, yes, but only because we've had no time to prepare. Predictably, David is furious and I am in heaven.

Some of my favorite things to eat when it's hot out (besides ice cream, of course) are cold mixed salads that you can throw together one afternoon and leave in the fridge for several days, forking at will. I was recently bewitched by Janet Fletcher's article, "Ancient Grain for Modern Times," in which she extols the virtue of bulgur--a manifestation of the wheat kernel that is cracked, cooked, then dried, and sold in (usually health food) grocery stores. I decided to throw together a version of the kisir salad she talks about in the article, using what I had on hand.

What I did not have was bulgur. Oops. What I did have was quinoa, a fast-cooking grain from South America that you should be eating more of. It's about the size of cous cous and it's a complete protein, so it makes for a well-rounded vegetarian meal. Buy some.

Lastly, let me say nothing tastes like summer the way mint tastes like summer. It's fresh, it's sharp, don't skip it in this recipe.

Quinoa Chopped Vegetable Salad

(serves 2, unless you're me, then only 1)

1/2 cup quinoa

2 inches of cucumber, sliced then halved

4 radishes, ends cut off, then sliced and halved

1 medium tomato diced or a handful of cherry tomatoes halved***

1/2 inch slice of red onion, chopped

1 cup beans

2 Tbsp chopped mint

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

2 Tbsp grated hard cheese

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp olive oil

S&P

1. Bring a small pot of water with quinoa to boil. Stir grain around and cook until you see little curly parts separating from the grain (you'll know what I mean when you do it), about 5 minutes. Drain in a fine mesh sieve and run cold water over.
2. In a bowl, mix together rinsed quinoa and cucumber through cheese. In another small bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil with lots of salt and pepper. Pour over veggie bowl and toss.
3. Eat all at once or store in the fridge.

Some notes...

You can be creative with the grain, but I like how the small quinoa clings to the other salad bits; also think bulgur (obviously) or cous cous (preferably whole wheat). I had black beans cooked, so I used those, but kidneys, white beans, and many others will do fine. For cheese, I used manchego, which is a Spanish sheep's milk cheese, nice and salty. Parm, asiago, romano, feta, or even farmer's cheese would be good. Just pick something salty. As usual, go with what you've got in the vegetable drawer, just make sure you pick things that are fresh and crunchy, because the beans provide all the mush you need.

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***If you're not up for a food-inspired life lecture, stop reading now. Barry Eastbrook published an article in last month's Gourmet on the virtual slavery in which tomato harvesters in Florida live. These people are deceived into traveling to the farms, then kept in involuntary servitude indefinitely. There are chains. There is physical abuse. Yes, most of these workers are illegal. Does this mean they deserve whatever conditions they can get? I really, really hope your mental answer to that is "no." And let me save you the suspense -- conditions in Mexico are not better. You guessed it, they're worse.

The good news is that a coalition has formed for/by the workers and even the governor of Florida is warming up to them. If you want to figure out how to make sure you don't buy slavery tomatoes or support large-scale efforts to change the purchasing practices of food industry giants, go to the website for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

Listen, I'm not trying to go all Jane Fonda on you, but we vote with our dollars every time we go to the grocery store. While we have access to an incredible diversity of food and food products (I am certainly not complaining there), our food system is full of real problems. There are more reasons than just health to know where your food comes from.