According to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA), nearly 14 million grills and smokers were shipped in 2013. This year’s industry expo, held in March, displayed more innovative grills, smokers and outdoor living products to tempt gung-ho grillers.

Here are the 2014 barbecue trends:

Grilled flank steak quesadillas. Photo courtesy Kingsford Charcoal. Here’s the recipe.

 
THINGS TO BARBECUE

Beyond proteins and veggies, have you grilled bread, desserts, pizza and quesadillas?

Get yourself a barbecue recipe book, like The Barbecue! Bible, which has more than 500 recipes.

Or, check out blogs like 100 Things To Barbecue.

According to the International Bottled Water Association, the U.S. bottled water per capita was up 5.3% in 2012, the last year for which statistics are available.

The data comes with enormous consequences:

 
Plus:

 
 
HOW CAN YOU HELP? DRINK FROM THE TAP

You can add a water purifier device to the tap or install one under the sink.

There are also whole-house filters.

If you don’t want to install a filter, Aquasana makes a variety of counter-top models with small footprint.

Water bottle or household filter: Celebrate Earth Day by picking one up.

Here’s a water filter guide from the Environmental Working Group.

[1] Plastic waters are ubiquitous in the landfill: 75% of them are not recycled (photo © Steve Johnson | Pexels).

[2] Get yourself a reusable water bottle and carry it in your bag, backpack, briefcase, etc (photo © Julia Sakelli | Pexels).

These two recipes were sent to us from Red Rock Press, from their book, A White House Garden Cookbook by Clara Silverstein.

Both are lettuce wraps, but you can also use tortilla wraps.

The first recipe, Daniel and Annie’s Salad Wraps, originated in the children’s section of the New York Botanical Garden and contains the surprise—and optional—ingredient of an edible wildflower.

You can serve these wraps with a dip, or spread mustard or Nasoya’s Nayonaise (excellent vegan mayonnaise) on the lettuce leaves before filling.
 
 
RECIPE: DANIEL & ANNIE’S SALAD WRAPS

Ingredients For 6 Servings

Thus wrap is packed with arugula, carrots, cucumber, lettuce and red cabbage (photo © Online Vegetarian Deli).

 
Preparation

1. WASH and dry the lettuce leaves. Peel and slice the kohlrabi. Wash and dice the radishes. Wash the scallions, and cut off and discard the root ends.

2. LAY out 6 lettuce leaves on the counter top or a large plate. If using a spread, place atop leaves.

3. CUT cut the remaining 6 leaves into ribbons with scissors. Into each lettuce leaf, lay some kohlrabi and radishes, 1 scallion (cut it in half if it’s too long), and 1 mint or basil leaf. Roll it up and pin closed with a toothpick as needed. Garnish the top with edible flowers.

4. SERVE with your favorite dressing as a dip.

The second recipe, Lettuce Wrap Treats, is almost a dessert, folding dried fruits and nuts and a dab of vanilla yogurt into the lettuce leaf.

And, it couldn’t be easier to make!

If you want to present the ingredients as a “build your own,” each person can choose his or her own mix of ingredients.
 
 
RECIPE: LETTUCE LEAF WRAPS

Ingredients Per Wrap

1. RINSE the lettuce in cold water and pat dry between sheets of paper towels.

2. ADD the fillings to the center of the leaf. Top with a dollop of vanilla yogurt.

3. FOLD the lettuce lengthwise over the toppings and then fold up the ends, like a burrito or a little package. Use a toothpick to secure as needed. Pick up and eat!
 
 
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*Pick the largest, most pliable lettuce leaves that you can find. Leaf lettuces work really well for this.

It’s an earthenware vessel used both for cooking and serving, and it’s also the name of the au gratin vegetable dish prepared in it.

The dish can be oval, rectangular, round or square. A more contemporary name is a gratin dish—a shallower casserole dish (the casserole is an earthenware vessel that originated in the Camargue and Languedoc regions of France).

In Provençal cuisine, sliced vegetables are layered in straight or circular rows, then topped with a light cloak of grated cheese and baked. The layering of different colored vegetables creates a very pretty dish. In fact, a Pyrex baking dish works even better to show off more of the layering.

The recipe is similar to ratatouille, but in that recipe the vegetables are chopped and mixed together.
 
 
MAKING A TIAN IS EASY

Like quiche, a tian can be served cold, hot or room temperature. With both plenty of flavor and visual appeal, tians are a nice buffet food and can also encourage your family to eat more veggies on a dull weekday night.

Tians also can be composed of layers one on top of the next, like a layered casserole or a seven-layer salad. It’s just as tasty, but not as attractive. It also allows the flexibility to include a layer of cooked ground meat (we like lamb), diced chicken or ham, hard-cooked eggs or tofu.

A traditional layered recipe is made with yellow beans, diced zucchini, sautéed onions and green beans. In addition to the cheese, a layer of breadcrumbs can be sprinkled on top.
 
 
RECIPE: VEGETABLE TIAN

This recipe is courtesy The French Farm, which used the Provençal brand of Moulin de la Brague herbes de Provence and olive oil.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F. Brush a baking dish with olive oil.

2. SLICE all the vegetables into even widths, using a mandolin or knife. Layer them, alternating colors, around the perimeter of the baking dish. Repeat until all of the vegetables have filled up the baking dish.

3. SPRINKLE the minced shallots, garlic, salt, freshly ground black pepper and herbes de Provence over the top, and drizzle the olive oil.

4. COVER the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes then uncover and bake for another 20 minutes. when vegetables are tender, sprinkle the cheese on top, and broil until browned. let sit for 10 minutes before eating.

[1] A popular tian trio: tomatoes, yellow squash and zucchini. Here’s the recipe. (photo © For The Love Of Cooking).

[2] A tian recipe from Otamot Essential Sauce. For extra flavor, they add some Essential Sauce to the tian recipe (photo © Otamot Foods).

[3] Here, a mandoline was used to cut the yellow squash and zucchini very thin (photo © The French Farm).

Here’s something fun to make with leftover Easter ham: potato-free Ham and Cheddar Polenta Fries.

The recipe is from QVC’s chef, David Venable. David says, “These polenta fries can be eaten as an appetizer or a side, and can be served with anything from honey-mustard to aioli.”

RECIPE: HAM & CHEDDAR POLENTA FRIES

Ingredients

Preparation

1. HEAT the oil over medium heat in a 5-quart stockpot. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the milk, chicken broth, and butter and bring to a simmer. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal, avoiding any lumps. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. REMOVE the pot from the heat and add the ham, herbs, salt, pepper and cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and the ingredients are evenly distributed.

3. SPREAD the cornmeal mixture with a heat-resistant spatula on the surface of a rimmed 9″ x 13″ cookie sheet. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap, put on oven mitts, then evenly press the mixture down, spreading it out to the edges. Refrigerate the covered cornmeal mixture until completely cooled.

4. HEAT the oil in a Dutch oven to 375°F (or, preheat a deep fryer). Flip the polenta out of the cookie sheet onto a large cutting board. Cut the polenta into 1/2″ strips and then cut each strip into 3″ pieces. Fry in batches until deep golden brown. (Adding too many pieces at once can cool the oil down.)

5. DRAIN the fries on paper towels; serve immediately.