Lemon Verbena
Look at it as aromatherapy in the kitchen, a thoroughly useful herb that comforts as it infuses everything from vinaigrettes to ice cream.
Blueberry Sauce, a la Julie Sahni
Rituals have their place, particularly on holidays. Making a seasonal sauce sparkle with an unexpected spice is a personal favorite at this berry-rich time of year.
A Greenhorn on Eggs
It took me years, wasted years, to crack the code of what makes a golden egg. With right now being the Golden Age of this perfect food, make sure you don’t waste any time filling your basket.
Ready When You Are
Flattened by fatigue? Looking for the easy way out for a quick supper? Make sure you’ve got a cache of snack-style edibles at home that can slam-dunk fast food in terms of taste and, surprisingly, sometimes even cost.
Escarole & Friends
Bigger than a frisbee, bigger than a dartboard, almost as big as a hula hoop. OK, not as big as a Ferris wheel. But the queen of the chicories grown at Arena Farms is ready to rumble with all manner of mates.
Meats-’n’-Eats
Hidden Creek Farm’s chickens, hogs and cattle are raised in a way that honors their nature. The meats that come from the livestock who move and graze freely in forest and pasture lands reflect the quality of their care.
Skinny Asparagus
What can you do with stalks that aren’t so much pencil-thin as wispy-twiggish? Make a salad.
Spring Garlic: Memories of a Calcotada
River Lea’s new crop is a very worthy substitute for the calcots grown in Catalonia, Spain, so get it while it’s available and bring something new to your Memorial Day cookout menu.
The Big Dipper
Why not a little luxury in a dip, something that’s a sure step up from the game-watching rotation of guac, salsa, hummus and French onion?
A Pot O’ Luck
What to take to a collaborative supper at the new Peach Laroo in Egg Harbor City? Or to make for a community gathering? Or on a rainy day, any time of the year? Old friends: clams and chicken.
Full of Beans
Don’t make excuses; do make a pot of beans that you’ll divide into two or three or more containers that become dinner.
Spring Rabe
Ring in the season with a tender, mild, easy-cooking early-harvest vegetable.