The quickest way to prepare artichokes is to have a sharp knife and a good pair of kitchen shears/scissors. With these two tools you’ll be able to clean and remove the pointy petals in no time. 1) Prepare the artichokes by washing them under cold water. Turn each artichoke upside down, and squeeze gently to [...]

If I had to name my favorite childhood vegetable, it would be the artichoke.  Yes, I know, that may strike you as odd.  But on the east coast where I grew up  – 3000 miles away from Castroville, California “The Artichoke Capital of the World” – fresh artichokes were a delicacy saved for special holidays [...]

For a short time, fresh okra is back in season. Although okra is often deep-fried, a much healthier preparation combines okra with fresh tomatoes. Quick and easy, our recipe takes advantage of seasonal produce by melding together the sweetness of juicy tomatoes with the crunchiness of okra. The secret to cooking okra? Don’t cook it [...]

This tasty broccoli cauliflower salad complements most main meals and makes an easy potluck side dish.  It can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Marinate with our easy vinaigrette dressing at least 30 minutes before serving. When purchasing fresh broccoli look for stalks that are crisp, and florets that are dark [...]

This tried and true grilled zucchini recipe makes summer squash literally melt in your mouth. When time is tight, and the need for a delicious vegetable is the objective, fire up the grill and use these insider tips for the best results. 1) Peeling the skin – sometimes the outer skin is waxed or slightly [...]

Tender, fresh asparagus signals that spring and early summer are here, making this a great time to start using your grill again. Packed with lots of good vitamins such as A, C and K plus folate – a B vitamin often associated with decreased risk of cancer and heart disease – asparagus tastes best on [...]

When your teenagers rave about marinated beets, and pile huge helpings onto their plates, you take notice, right? Call it success – after several tries. Once you’ve made these fresh marinated beets with balsamic vinegar, you may never want to eat flavorless beets from a salad bar again! Here are a few tips for buying, [...]

Baby bok choy is a delicate and mildly flavored vegetable that’ s also known  as Chinese cabbage. To prepare the baby bok choy for a quick sauteé, remove the bottom section  and separate the green leafy stalks. Wash thoroughly. Then, place the bok choy lengthwise on a cutting board and slice into bite-size pieces. Sauteé [...]

One of the most unusual and funky vegetables in the cruciferous family is kohlrabi. This deep purple variety of kohlrabi just begged to be taken home from the farmer’s market and added to a salad. A great source of fiber, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B6, kohlrabi makes a crunchy addition to a salad mixture of [...]

This unusual and colorful carrot beet salad combines raw grated carrots and raw grated beets with fresh orange juice and ginger to create a delicious new vegetable salad that you can serve at home or even take to a pot luck dinner party.  The key tip for taste is to prepare and refrigerate the carrot [...]