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Tomato Season: Gardening Tips and Summer Farro Salad Recipe
Lately the salad that keeps making its way to my table has a base of toasty farro topped with ripe heirloom tomatoes, juicy plums, and grilled corn plus handfuls of fresh herbs. The dish encapsulates everything I love about summer – sweetness, char, and that unmistakable flavor of the season’s tomatoes. Of the vegetables I grow, tomatoes are the ones I cherish most and check on throughout the day. Whether you enjoy the ritual of growing and tending to tomatoes or love picking them from the market, this advice will help you make the most of tomato season in full swing. The tips are designed for cooks and gardeners alike, intermingled in…
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Cooking with Edible Flowers
The nasturtiums I have been tending finally burst into mildly sweet and lightly peppery blooms. For weeks I watched their leaves pop up like parasols in my edible flower patch, sometimes shading the yellow and deep orange buds about to emerge. Throughout the spring they formed a showy display of green, the kind that makes you want to take them right into the kitchen, which now I have along with the cheerful flowers. Nasturtiums bloom profusely once they are on a roll, meaning that my salads, pasta, and plant-forward recipes will feature the gorgeous colors for weeks to come. While edible flowers each have their own culinary charms, these lend…
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Welcome Spring Into the Kitchen
The first day of spring is upon us, and a rotating array of the season’s produce will be on display at the farmer’s market. Regal spears of asparagus, handfuls of pea pods, and wily bunches of sprouts will make their way into my basket and onto the pages of Thirsty Radish. Along the way, I’ll share what I’m enjoying and invite you to cook along with me. To kick things off, here are some seasonal cooking ideas, a little music advice, and even a recommendation of what to wear to stay comfy as you usher in spring. Take Chocolate to the Floral Side A gift of candied violet chocolate and…
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Creative Tips for a Culinary Herb Garden
Digital image from The Cloisters Collection, 1925, courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Now is the time when a tiny patch of earth seems most full of potential. Among the ruffled blooms and tasty vegetables that may soon fill your yard or community garden, carve a section for culinary herbs, and you might just transform the scent and flavor of your warm weather cooking. Since herbs grow best when snipped often, the more you use your herb garden, the greater the rewards. Plan a Garden Around Favorite Main Dishes When considering which plants to choose, think about the meals that carry you through the spring and summer.…
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Grow Something
Small, and sometimes secret, spaces make the best spots for growing. Acres of fields have their vast beauty, but I have always been drawn to the figs peeking out of a city garden or the potted olive tree. The most flavorful produce is often grown right where you live. It’s hard to get much more fresh than ripe, just-picked tomatoes, and the sweetest, albeit tiniest, strawberries I’ve ever eaten were from a plant I grew at the age of six. Whether you care for a lone berry plant or commit yourself to the summer-long haul of coaxing vegetable vines upward in a narrow yard, find a place to grow something.…
food + love + creativity
