If you've ever forgotten to cook a bulb of garlic and noticed the green stem sprouting from the cloves, then you've seen a garlic scape in its earliest stage.  If planted and left to grow, the scape will collect air and sunshine to help the garlic plant grow.  As the plant matures, the scape will…

Grilled Vegetable Kebabs:  so easy and so good for you! I live on the top floor of a brownstone building, and my kitchen gets so hot in the Summer that even turning on the stove feels like torture.  In other words, we do a lot of grilling this time of year.  Where I grew up, grilling…

I would totally walk by these if I saw them under a tree. Ramps have been the hot Spring food for the last few years, here in New York. Come April, it seems as though every food writer in the tristate area can do nothing but extol the virtues of ramps, also known as wild leeks…

Can you think of any savory recipes that don't begin with "Saute your chopped onions in some olive oil or butter..."?  Cuisines all around the world rely on this bulb to bring a rich, sweet depth of flavor when cooked or a sharp pungency when used raw.  Food historians and archaeologists do not

Four different kinds of potatoes from the farmers' market Do you remember the Atkins days when potatoes were beyond passé?  “Too starchy!”  “Carb bombs!”  Poor, maligned potatoes.  Like everything, potatoes can be very good for you in moderation.  Did you know that potatoes have a moderate amount of protein and vitamin C?  Spanish colonizers noticed…

Have you gotten tired of oranges yet?  This time of year, it seems like the only fresh fruit available in the dead of winter that doesn't cost as much as a year's college tuition are mealy apples, hard pears, and citrus.  When I first moved to New York, I was obsessed with clementines, which are

Better late than never..... I'm really trying to resist calling them "magical," but mushrooms really are a nutrient powerhouse.  These fungi are low calorie, low fat, low salt, yet high in fiber.  Mushrooms have even more potassium than bananas and are rich in copper, selenium, riboflavin, and niacin.  Mushrooms are purported to be vegetarian sources…

There's a tiny grocery store a block from the hospital where I work that sells produce at amazing prices.  Like $1 for more than a pound of green beans or 4 large red peppers.  Their selection is constantly changing, and every visit is an education in Caribbean and Latin foods.  I'm still working up the… 

Winter is a great time to get acquainted with root vegetables.  This week, I'll highlight beets.  These low-calorie jewels are fabulous cooked or raw, in juices or salads.  With beets, you get two! two! two vegetables for the price of one.  The beet tops are mild greens that taste like Swiss Chard.  The root is… 

Every Monday, I’ll highlight a nutritious way to incorporate more plants into your diet.  For my first Meatless Monday, I’ll start with the very epitome of diet food:  lettuce.