Linda Ly

Pureed swiss chard soup!

http://www.gardenbetty.com/2012/11/pureed-swiss-chard-soup/

I also like them roasted in the oven - add leeks, onions, balsamic, spices, or feta to jazz things up.

Congratulations to both!

Thanks Heather!

And I think it will take a while for the American culture to embrace vegetables like pepper leaves until we start to see more recipes for them and farmers start selling them at farmers' markets. I hope it will eventually catch on! Pepper leaves are delicious.

Hi Lorenzo,

Beyond giving CSA members new recipes with their vegetables, I think the growing trend (in America, at least) of farm-to-table dinners is an excellent way to introduce members to farmers and local chefs, as well as present the food in new and delicious ways. For people who don't often cook, it's sometimes hard to visualize how a meal will turn out if they have to make it themselves. But when someone else cooks for them, they'll be more likely to enjoy an ingredient that they were previously intimidated by.

Oh my, where do I even begin?!

Almost every vegetable you see in the store is edible from top to tail, as are most vegetables you grow in your yard. So, if you have a tendency to toss out the leaves of any of your root vegetables (carrots, beets, radishes), the green ends of your leeks, kale stems, chard stalks, even fava bean pods... you might be surprised to learn they are all edible!

Take a peek at my book on Amazon using the "Look Inside" feature... in the table of contents, you'll find a list of my recipes that give you an idea of all the unconventional parts of plants that can be turned into incredible meals!

Hi D. Logan,

I like to make rhubarb pickles, which I serve with charcuterie and cheese. Cooked cucumber is a common Chinese dish and one that I grew up eating.

My book actually tackles this very subject - how other cultures use vegetables in ways we've never thought of. Our leanings toward food are very much borne out of habit or tradition, and unless you grew up in a multicultural family, traveled a lot, or have a curious palate, I think it's normal to feel a little stumped when you're always seeing, eating, or cooking the same vegetables (or parts of vegetables) every day.

You can mash turnips and/or rutabagas (the same way you mash potatoes - or try an Irish version of this dish called colcannon). I like them roasted with other root vegetables, along with onion and fennel. The greens of both vegetables are edible, by the way. One of my current favorite recipes is a cream of turnip (or rutabaga) soup, with a few handfuls of chopped turnip (or rutabaga) greens tossed in at the end and cooked until wilted. You can also try a turnip (or rutabaga) gratin with cheese, or use them in a beef or chicken stew.

Hi Polly,

If you find the shells to be tough and chewy, they probably need a little more time in the oven. Sometimes if you have seeds that are not consistent in size, they won't bake at the same rate.

That said, I like to use my pumpkin seeds as a garnish in salads and soups to add crunch. They're also a fine substitute for nuts in homemade pesto.

I like adding tapenade to my bread, or I fold in olives or sundried tomatoes.

Hi Joseph,

I'll start by going down your list and suggesting a few simple meals:

June 22 - Bok choy sauteed Asian-style with garlic, ginger, and soy sauce, perhaps with some mushrooms, and a handful of chopped garlic scallions on top. Or, bok choy in a hearty noodle and vegetable soup. Spinach, lettuce, radishes, and radish greens can all go in a spring salad with onion scallions. Or, braise radishes and radish greens in butter (or wine) and serve over pasta, rice, or another grain, drizzled with balsamic. Turnips and their greens can go in a soup or stew with other vegetables. Or, roast turnips and radishes with the garlic scallion bulbs (and onions and other root vegetables for a hearty side dish). Save the turnip greens for a simple saute with bacon, garlic and onion, drizzle with lemon juice or hot sauce in the end.

July 25 - Peaches, peppers, and summer squash are excellent on the grill. Carrots and squash can be roasted or used in a soup. Roast the beets and make a warm beet salad that you can dress with slices of orange, feta, walnuts, and a vinaigrette. Save one beet to use raw; peel and shave it (with a mandoline) and make a salad with thinly sliced beet greens and scallions (a warm dressing, like one made with bacon or pecans, helps wilt the greens a bit before serving). Use the remaining beet greens in a frittata or on a pizza. (By the way, my book has a recipe for beet and beet green pizza, as well as a shaved beet salad!)

August 17 - Roast the green beans and potatoes with balsamic for a nice side dish. Make skewers with the summer squashes, onions, and apricots for the grill. Eat the corn Mexican-style (slathered with mayo, chili powder, lime juice, etc) or grill the corn without the husks, then shave the kernels off and make a charred corn salad with peppers, onions, and a mustardy or tangy dressing. Make a Greek salad with the cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion (just add feta). Or, make quick pickles with the cukes.

September 15 - Throw the eggplant, squash, and tomatoes into a roasted ratatouille (recipe for that is in my book). Leftover summer squash can be used in bread, muffins, cookies, or cupcakes. Make a slaw with the kohlrabi, carrots, and cabbage. Or, make kohlrabi home fries. Try cooked cucumbers if you're tired of eating them raw (they taste just like zucchini). Melons can go into a fruit salad, or serve the muskmelon with prosciutto. If you can't eat all those ears of corn, shave off the kernels and make corn chowder. I think I see carrot greens in there - turn them into carrot top salsa! Winter squash keeps for a few months, but can be used in roasts, soups, stews, and curries through fall and winter.

October 19 - I see a lot of things here that can go into a hearty vegetable soup and be frozen for quick weeknight dinners. For all those beets, here are a few ideas: roasted beets (can be used throughout the week in various cold and warm salads), beet chips, ginger beet puree, beet hummus, beet brownies, borscht, beet kvass. If you can't eat all those plums raw, turn them into jam. Apples can go into pancakes, Dutch babies, pies, or monkey bread, or make a chutney with them.

I'm often asked what spices go well with what vegetables, and honestly, I think it's easiest to cook from recipes until you find the combinations that taste best to you. Knowing how different herbs and spices work with different meats and vegetables comes from practice in the kitchen! I can't imagine putting it all in a chart because the method of cooking greatly affects how an ingredient will taste (not to mention the infinite number of global cuisines you can pull inspiration from).