Don't get me wrong, I love a good green salad. But there is a whole world of quick, easy vegetable side dishes that don't involve lettuce. With recipes like sesame roasted snap peas, baked chili-spiked sweet potato chips and grilled cabbage with spicy lime dressing, you now have no excuse. Get out of that salad rut tonight!

Although spring is upon us and we should be taking full advantage of farmers' markets and fresh grocery store offerings, sometimes the frozen veggies still come in handy for last-minute dinner convenience. back is what's for dinner. In an effort to make them taste, less, well, frozen, here are five ways to help get the most flavor from our freezer friends! 

I grew up in a household of musical-lovers. My sisters and mother and I spent hours snuggled up under blankets on the couch, watching Singing in the Rain and Brigadoon and other classics. One of our favorites was a 1935 piece of sparkling fluff called Naughty Marietta, with Jeanette MacDonald as a French princess who flees an loathsome marriage — all the way to the New World, where she meets the handsome Nelson Eddy, a militia captain who of course falls for her bubble-headed charm. 

Where is this going, and what does it have to do with roasted vegetables? There is a punchline in Naughty Marietta we loved to quote, giggling, where the practical captain indignantly instructs the princess in disguise, who has no idea how to cook a meal: "You don't cook a radish, you eat it alive!" Sorry, dear Nelson — you could sing the moon out of the sky, but you didn't know too much about radishes. 

It's that time of year: last call for the CSA programs in your area! Have you ever done a CSA? Community Supported Agriculture lets you pay a membership fee to a farm, and then receive a box of seasonal produce throughout the growing season. It's a great way to participate in the life of a farm, and to get spectacularly good produce. Are you doing one this year? 

Watercress is a sneaky little green. Oh, sure, it looks like an innocent bunch of tender, bright green leaves, but two bites in and KAPOW! You're hit with a peppery spiciness that could rival any radish. And that is precisely why I love it.

As you stroll through the farmers' market this April, keep your eye out for ramps. This is their season, and it's a fleeting one. These wild leeks have a pungent garlicky flavor, and pair wonderfully with eggs and creamy dishes, like risotto. If you have a bunch in hand, try one of these 10 recipes spotlighting this quintessential spring ingredient. But do it fast — they'll be gone before you know it.

Q: I bought a type of lettuce I've never seen before at a local farmer's market, and I forgot to write down the name. The leaves are juicier than any other lettuce I've had before, and the flavor is almost salty. Any idea what this is called?

Sent by Jaimi

Has fennel crossed your kitchen threshold yet? If you've never tried fennel, it helps to know that it's used as an herb as frequently as a vegetable. It is very aromatic, with a slightly sweet, little-bit-spicy anise flavor. The super versatile bulb is shredded to make salads and side dishes, braised with chicken or fish for heartier dinners, and pureed into soups and sauces. I've even had fennel ice cream, and it was quite wonderful. But after all of those great uses for the bulb — what about the stalks and those showy, feathery green leaves? Here are some tips for using the entire head of fennel.