We have a great Middle Eastern grocery a few miles north of our house in Seattle, and given that my boyfriend Sam is Lebanese, we visit often to stock up on chickpeas, good feta and tahini — the latter being the one non-negotiable; we're always stocked with tahini. And this recipe was born, really, from a few leftover beets and a love of tahini. That's all you need.

I love May when all the seasonal farmers markets start to open. For the next 4 weeks, I'll be visiting the markets weekly near where I live in Northern California and buy ingredients to make a simple, vegetarian dish to share with you. This week there were gorgeous rainbow carrots at the market, along with lemons from a neighboring table. A fresh veggie fettuccine was definitely on the menu.

Artichokes, man. I really want to like them. And I do...mostly. I just didn't grow up with artichokes and so never developed a taste for them — either the big globes that are in season right now or the trimmed hearts that can be found in the freezer or canned food sections. So help me out: what are your most beloved dishes with artichokes?

Is risotto still risotto if it's made without rice? It might be stretching the term a little far, but the idea is intriguing — especially as seen in this rice-less risotto recipe from Sarah Britton of My New Roots. She creates her own "rice" by chopping up one special spring vegetable. Care to take a guess what it is?

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:

If you want to maximize your grocery shopping budget, the Environmental Working Group's annual Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists are essential tools for figuring out when it is worth spending more for organic produce, based on the pesticide residue levels found on 48 common fruits and vegetables. This year, cherry tomatoes and summer squash join the Dirty Dozen.

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. 

We've all encountered, and possibly even served, a boring crudité platter. As a vegetarian and gluten-free guest and host, I've had my fair share of raw broccoli and carrot sticks while other party guests indulged in more interesting hors d'oeuvres. But these pickled baby carrots? These ones with the zingy bite that will be ready in just a couple of hours? You might want to double the recipe. 

Q: I live in a humid first floor apartment with poor ventilation and I cannot keep potatoes good for any amount of time. They sprout incredibly fast and get really mushy. Right now I keep them in a paper bag with a few holes punched in. The paper bag is in a wicker basket with onions.