When I go out on hot summer days, I often trade my bottle of water for a cool cucumber—or two, or three. The clean flavor and crunch make cucumbers much more satisfying and thirst quenching, not to mention more nutritious, than plain old water—or even newfangled vitamin water. A TALL, COLD…CUCUMBER? Because cucumbers are mostly […]

What looks like a yellow cherry tomato hidden inside a little paper lantern, and tastes sweetly tropical with pineapple, mango, and vanilla notes? No, this isn’t a bad joke. It’s a delicious vegetable in the tomato family known as the ground cherry—presumably because they fall to the ground when ripe, and are about the size […]

Chard will always be there for you. Like a reliable friend, it is one of the greatest, and often least appreciated, of all the gifts from your local farmer. Chard’s long, thick stalks have wide, glossy green leaves that may be smooth or curly, depending on the variety. The stalk comes in many colors, from […]

Thanksgiving is the easiest and best time of year to “eat local,” for the simple reason that the Native Americans and the Pilgrims were “locavores” back when “fresh and local” were not marketing terms, but just the way it was. This means that most of what you find on a traditional Thanksgiving menu has its […]

This beautiful green bunch of stalks was once used as a bouquet of flowers! Nowadays celery is more often eaten as a versatile crunchy snack–with peanut butter, a sprinkle of salt, or as an addition to your crudite platter. The subtle flavor is also an essential in Thanksgiving dishes, and I personally love to make […]