TIP OF THE DAY: Roots & Shoots

Even when nature isn’t in full bloom, you can add interest to meals by seeking out less ordinary versions of conventional foods. All you have to do is look for them—at specialty produce stores, farmers markets and online (check out Melissas.com and OmahaSteaks.com, among others). What will you find? The bounty varies by region, but…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Black Radish

As part of our Winter Vegetable Doldrums Series, today’s focus is the black radish*, Raphanus sativus niger. It’s a member of the anti-carcinogenic Brassica family of cruciferous† vegetables. Available year round, black radishes peak in winter and early spring. Significantly larger than traditional radishes, it average threes to four inches in diameter or length, and…
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FOOD FUN: Carrots & Peas

Here’s some food fun that was created at the 2014 Roots Conference held by the Culinary Vegetable Institute. In Project Carrot, gifted chefs took a look at the under-utilized yet extremely versatile carrot, creating everything from cocktails to Carrot Rigatoni with Carrot Bolognese. While this photo looks like pasta, it is trompe l’oeil: What looks…
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Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe For National Banana Bread Day

[1] Banana bread with chocolate chips and nuts. We highly recommend the optional chocolate glaze in the recipe (not shown) (photo © Lulu Durand | iStock Photo). [2] Don’t want chocolate chips or nuts? How about blueberries? Here’s the recipe from Driscoll’s (photo © Driscoll’s). [3] Fancy banana bread: baked in a rectangular pan, topped…
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