Yesterday Cambria shared an interesting, slightly alarming New York Times article about the lack of nutrients in modern supermarket produce compared to their wilder, less domesticated ancestors. I'm choosing not to become depressed by this news and am focusing instead on the bright side: Fresh herbs, green onions and wilder greens like arugula are a great source of the nutrients bred out of many current produce varieties. Here are seven ways to eat these wildly nutritious, wildly tasty herbs and greens.

Hearts of romaine are one of those kitchen workhorse ingredients that rarely get the attention they deserve. We use them to fill out our salads and perhaps add some crunch to a sandwich, and...don't think much of them beyond that. So what can you do with them beyond the usual? I have a few ideas! What about you?

Living alone or as a couple can prove to be a challenge come dinner time. When a recipe serves six but there's only two of you, it can be a bore to eat the same thing several days in a row. This is why I wanted to write a recipe today that was the perfect size: a hearty dinner salad just for two.

Bok choy was not even on my radar before it started showing up in my first-ever CSA a few years back. At first I was baffled. What was this crunchy bulb-bottomed vegetable with its tender greens? But then me and bok choy? We hit our stride. Oh, boy, did we.

I found myself working in the yard today, dedicating a few hours to digging up dandelions by the root. It's the best way for us to get rid of them without chemical sprays. Plus, it turns out that the oft-damned "weed" is useful:

There are cocktails. And there's green juice. Ne'er the twain shall meet... or so we thought. From what we're reading, the latest wave in cocktails could be a move to using greens in lieu of the traditional herbs. 

Nettles — the general term used to describe about forty plants from the Urtica genus — are readily found in spring and summer markets yet remain on many people's "to avoid" list. There is, of course, the "stinging" descriptor, and that tends to elicit fear in the minds of many home cooks. There's also just not knowing what to do with them when you get them home. Well, it turns out nettles are not only flavorful but extremely healthy! Here are a few easy ways to get to know them this spring. 

Whether you choose the toppings or let your guests join in on the fun, pizzas and flatbreads are great crowd pleasers. I'm especially fond of socca, a chewy, crispy, gluten-free flatbread made from chickpea flour. As an appetizer or main course socca can be served plain or topped, like this one for spring. It features an herby, lemony pesto and fresh salad — plus it should even satisfy the worst dinner guest ever! 

Dino kale and I, we're best friends 4evah. But it didn't happen overnight. There were some bitter encounters early on that led to unhappy meals and mutual mistrust. But we kept at it -- a wilted raw kale salad here, a handful of ribbons in a lentil soup there -- and these days, we're daily lunchtime companions. Here's how I shop for it and cook it (or not), along with a few favorite lunch-worthy recipes.

Congee, jook, okayu. Asian-style rice porridge has many names and countless variations, but in every instance it is a simple, comforting dish for breakfast or any time of day. This extra nutritious version includes brown rice, shiitake mushrooms, handfuls of greens, and warming ginger. More